Microsoft SharePoint Architecture Design

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
1.1. Architecture Overview
1.2. Scope
2. References
3. Architecture Design
3.1. Servers Description:
3.2. Hardware Specifications


1. Introduction
1.1. Architecture Overview
The following is an attempt to put together a complete, yet reasonably flexible template for SharePoint environment architecture. Wherever possible, I have tried to provide guidelines (instead of prescribing requirements) for the contents of various sections and subsections of the document.
1.2. Scope
This document is a description of a SharePoint environment architecture that the architecture designer writes in order to give maintainability, scalability and reusability.

2. References
N/A

3. Architecture Design
SharePoint operates under design principles that are massively scalable if need be. Using redundancy and load-balancing techniques such as the Microsoft Cluster Services and Network Load Balancing, more performance can be obtained from an environment simply by adding other servers to provide redundancy and load-balancing to specific roles. For example, in a very large farm, such as the one shown in Figure 1.0, multiple servers in cluster and NLB configurations allow the environment to be scaled into very large numbers of users.

Figure 01
This type of environment could easily scale well into the realm of hundreds of thousands of users. Larger environments have been configured as well, and SharePoint scales easily in the terabytes of data and vast number of users.

3.1. Servers Description:
3.1.1. ISA (Internet Security and Acceleration) servers: Allows administrators to create policies for regulating usage based on user, group, application, destination, schedule, and content type criteria. In SharePoint, environment ISA servers control and authenticate all passed request. Or IAG (Microsoft Intelligent Application Gateway) which is a VPN solution that provides secure remote access to corporate networks for remote employees and business partners. IAG's main focus is on providing secure access to corporate applications.
3.1.2. NLB (Network Load Balancing): A clustering technology developed by Microsoft for Windows 2003 Advanced Server. This software-scaling technology spreads client requests among a group of servers linked together to support a particular application. Client requests are routed to the least-busy server for processing. As client load increases, additional servers can be added to share the load.
3.1.3. Web Servers (web front-end): The Web server role in SharePoint 2007 is the workhorse role that handles the job of displaying the actual content to the end user’s browser. Web servers recommended being setup as load-balanced pairs.
3.1.4. Excel Calculation Servers: A server that holds the role of an Excel calculation server is a server that provides Excel Services for the SSP. Excel Services provide a method for web browsers to perform spreadsheet tasks similar to Microsoft Excel functionality, but without actually having, Excel installed on the client.
3.1.5. Index Servers: Index servers provide for indexing functionality, storing searchable text for all sites content, including documents, lists, and other SharePoint data. The indexing service is processor intensive, so it is often installed on its own server, particularly in mid-size to large farms.
3.1.6. Database Servers: A Database server, in regard to SharePoint, is the actual server that holds one or more SharePoint databases. This server might be a dedicated Database server, with running databases from other applications such as Systems Management Server (SMS), Microsoft Operations Manager (MOM), Microsoft Identity Integration Server (MIIS), or other services that consume SQL database functionality. Additionally we recommend to be clustering techniques to join between two or more database servers to avoid database server failures.
3.1.7. System Center Operations Manager (SCOM), formerly Microsoft Operations Manager (MOM), is a performance and event-monitoring product for Microsoft Windows operating systems. Many Microsoft server products, such as Active Directory, Microsoft SQL Server, Microsoft Exchange Server and SCOM itself can be monitored with SCOM.
3.1.8. A SAN file system (a storage area network file system) : is programming that enables the sharing of the same copies of files stored on common storage media among multiple servers that may have different operating systems.
3.1.9. System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM), formerly Systems Management Server (SMS), is a systems management software product by Microsoft for managing large groups of Windows-based computer systems. Configuration Manager provides remote control, patch management, software distribution, operating system deployment, and hardware and software inventory.
3.1.10. Microsoft Forefront: is a line of comprehensive security products for both Microsoft Windows Client and Windows Server titles. According to Microsoft, the Forefront line will provide companies with multiple layers of defence against threats. Forefront includes the following products:
3.1.10.1. Connected Business Computers
• Microsoft Forefront Client Security (formerly called Microsoft Client Protection) Application Server Security.
• Microsoft Forefront Security for Exchange Server (formerly called Sybari Antigen for Exchange)
• Microsoft Forefront Security for SharePoint (formerly called Sybari Antigen for SharePoint)
• Microsoft Forefront Security for Microsoft Office Communications Server (formerly called Antigen for Instant Messaging)
3.1.10.2. Network Edge Security
• Microsoft Internet Security and Acceleration (ISA) Server 2006.
• Microsoft Intelligent Application Gateway (IAG) 2007.
• Microsoft Forefront Threat Management Gateway (next version of ISA Server)
• Microsoft Forefront Unified Access Gateway (next version of IAG)

3.2. Hardware Specifications