Troubleshooting Common Issues in SharePoint Foundation 2010 (WSS)

Key Features and Best Practices for SharePoint Foundation 2010 (WSS)

Collaboration Sites: Team sites, document libraries, lists, and discussion boards for basic team collaboration.
Document Management: Versioning, check-in/check-out, metadata, and basic document-level permissions.
Search: Built-in search for site content (keyword search, basic refinements).
Security & Permissions: Granular permissions at site, list, library, folder, and item levels; integration with Windows authentication/AD.
Workflow Support: Basic out-of-the-box workflows (Approval, Collect Feedback, Collect Signatures) and support for custom workflows via SharePoint Designer.
Web Parts & Pages: Configurable web part zones, built-in web parts for content, lists and media, and support for custom web parts.
Sites & Navigation: Site templates, site hierarchy (subsites), managed navigation and quick launch.
Integration: Office client integration (Open/Save from Office apps), Outlook connection for lists/libraries, and basic integration with SQL Server for content databases.
Customization Tools: SharePoint Designer 2010 for branding, page layouts, workflows; limited server-side custom code via sandboxed solutions.
Offline Access & Synchronization: Connect document libraries to Windows Explorer and use SharePoint Workspace (formerly Groove) for offline access.

Plan information architecture: Define site hierarchy, site templates, content types, and metadata before deployment.
Use content types and site columns: Standardize metadata across sites and libraries to improve search and governance.
Limit unique permissions: Keep permissions inheritance where possible; use groups instead of many individual permissions to reduce complexity and performance overhead.
Design for scalability: Estimate growth, plan content databases (recommended max ~200 GB per content database for Foundation; keep databases manageable), and partition content across multiple databases if needed.

Implement least privilege: Grant minimum required permissions and review memberships regularly.
Audit & policy: Enable auditing for sensitive libraries; establish retention and lifecycle policies.
Secure service accounts: Use least-privilege accounts for service and application pools; rotate passwords per policy.

Optimize database maintenance: Regular SQL backups, integrity checks, index maintenance, and shrink operations only when necessary.
Limit large lists and folders: Keep list view thresholds in mind (default 5,000) — use indexed columns, filtered views, and folders to improve performance.
Monitor health: Track server and SQL performance counters; review ULS and event logs for recurring issues.
Patch management: Keep SharePoint and SQL Server patched with supported cumulative updates and service packs.

Prefer declarative/customizations: Use Site Columns, Content Types, and SharePoint Designer where possible; avoid heavy server-side custom code in Foundation (no full-trust farm solutions).
Use sandboxed solutions carefully: Understand limitations and test for performance impact; prefer client-side solutions (JavaScript, REST) where possible.
Test customizations: Validate in a staging environment that mirrors production before deployment.

Train users: Provide role-based training and quick reference guides for common tasks (check-in/out, versioning, metadata).
Encourage metadata: Promote use of metadata over deep folder structures; provide pre-defined choices and templates.
Govern navigation and templates: Standardize templates and navigation to reduce sprawl and improve findability.

Regular backups: Schedule full and differential SQL backups; back up configuration and content databases.
Test restores: Regularly test restore procedures and document recovery steps.
Document topology: Maintain documentation of farm topology, service accounts, and configuration settings.