Microsoft SharePoint products and technologies include browser-based collaboration and a document-management platform. These can be used to host web sites that access shared workspaces and documents, as well as specialized applications like wikis and blogs from a browser. Users can manipulate proprietary controls or pieces of content called web parts to create or modify sites. SharePoint is not intended to replace a full file server. Instead, it is targeted as a collaborative workspace, a tool for the management and automation of business processes, and a platform for social networking. Microsoft markets this as Collaboration, Processes, and People. SharePoint interface is through a web interface, such as a task list or discussion pane. SharePoint sites are actually ASP.NET 2.0 applications, which are served using IIS and use a SQL Server database as a data storage backend. All site content data is stored within a SQL Server database called WSS_Content.
The term "SharePoint" collectively refers to two products, the platform and the services. WSS 3.0 is the platform while MOSS 2007 provides additional services. As of 2008 the most current of these two are.
|