The document details version 4.1.0.5292 of a SharePoint deployment tool authored by Matthias Einig, emphasizing streamlined solution deployment processes through environment-specific configurations and PowerShell scripting. It outlines the common deployment challenges faced by developers and proposes a standardized approach to minimize manual interventions and optimize multi-server farm deployments. Key features include a structured XML configuration for settings, variables, and deployment actions, along with guidelines for utilizing custom scripts and environment configurations.

1. v4.1.0.5292

2. Matthias Einig
SharePoint Architect SharePoint developer since 2005
Steria AB, www.steria.com
Stockholm, Sweden MCPD, MCITP MSCA in SP and TFS
,
SCRUM Master and Product Owner
Contact: Main Focus:
@mattein • Solution Architecture,
matthias.einig@gmail.com • Solution Development,
www.matthiaseinig.de • SharePoint ALM,
• Solution Quality Assurance

3. • Deployment/retraction of WSPs
• Supports farm and sandboxed solutions
• Supports staging scenarios
• Extendable/customizable
• Detailed deployment log
• Written in PowerShell

5. SharePoint deployment always causes
problems when:
• More than one developer is in a project
• Machines are setup differently
• Multiple target farms exist
• Configuration of the farm is required
• Deployment lacks documentation
Result: DEV
Resources are wasted for troubleshooting INTEGRATION
ACCEPTANCE
PRODUCTION

6. Manual deployment
Manual setup of
WebApps &
Site Collections
Manual configuration of
farm, service apps,
WebApps, Site Collections etc.
Manual tests
to verify correct deployment

7. For each farm For each release
On updates/bugfixes
INTEGRATION ACCEPTANCE PRODUCTION

8. • Standardizes the deployment process
• Configure once with XML / deploy to
multiple environments
• Uses environment specific variables
• Optimizes multi-server farm deployment
• Runs pre-/post deployment actions on
all servers in the farm (i.e restart-service)
• Runs custom pre-/post-deployment
scripts

9. Browse to
http://spsd.codeplex.com
and download the latest release.
Important!
Before unpacking the ZIP file, open the file
properties and unblock the file!
Otherwise all batch and ps1 files have to be
unblocked separately.

10. The easiest way:
Environment XML files
1. Drop WSPs in /Solutions folder
Log files
2. Run batch file PS scripts
Solution drop folder
Or configure a custom environment XML:
• When deploying WebApp solutions to Batch files to execute
only specific web apps predefined actions
• When deploying Sandboxed solutions
• Having different deployment urls/input
parameters for each environment
• Requiring prerequisites to be in place

11. <SPSD Version="4.0.9.5382">
<!-- The Configuration node contains general settings which may be
reused in several environments -->
<Configuration ID="Default">
<!-- The Settings node specifies global deployment settings for the
The environment XML has 3 main sections
powershell scripts -->
<Settings></Settings>
<!-- The Restrictions node restricts the solution deployment
1. Configuration process to certain requirements -->
<Restrictions></Restrictions>
• Settings
<!-- The Actions node specifies actions which should run after the
deployment, retraction or update process -->
<Actions></Actions>
• Restrictions </Configuration>
• Actions
<!-- The Environment node specifies the deployment environment with
Variables, PreRequisiteSolutions, Solutions -->
<Environment ID="Default">
Environment
<!-- The Variables node specifies the variables which will be
2. replaced in the entire environment XML file -->
<Variables ID="Default"></Variables>
• Variables <!-- The PreRequisiteSolutions node specifies which solution
should be deployed -->
• Prerequisite solutions
<PreRequisiteSolutions ID="Default"></PreRequisiteSolutions>
<!-- The solutionsSolutions node specifies which solution should
be deployed/reatracted/updated -->
• Solutions <Solutions ID="Default" Force="true" Overwrite="true"></Solutions>
</Environment>
3. SiteStructures <!-- The SiteStructures node defines one or multiple site structures
which should be deployed or retracted (update command is not
changing existing content)-->
<SiteStructures ID="Default" AllowRetraction="true"></SiteStructures>
</SPSD>

12. <Settings>
<!-- Number of retries when solution deployment fails -->
<DeploymentRetries>3</DeploymentRetries>
<!-- Number of milliseconds to wait for processes, services -->
<DeploymentTimeout>60000</DeploymentTimeout>
<!-- Specifies if checks and actions should be run on all servers in
Settings configures
the farm or only the local server -->
<RunOnMultipleServersInFarm>Application</RunOnMultipleServersInFarm>
<!-- Number of milliseconds to leave the deployment script windows
• Basic settings how SPSD is running open after the deployment -->
<WaitAfterDeployment>10000</WaitAfterDeployment>
<!-- Use wizards to specify variables -->
• Timeouts, retries etc. <DisplayWizards>false</DisplayWizards>
<!-- Create a log file in ULS log format -->
Note: RunOnMultipleServersInFarm requires PowerShell <CreateULSLogfile>false</CreateULSLogfile>
</Settings>
Remoting to be enabled on each included server for the
deployment account <!-- The Restrictions node restricts the solution deployment process to
certain requirements -->
Enable-PSRemoting -Confirm:$false <Restrictions>
<!-- Allow deployment of solution binaries to the global assembly
Restrictions defines cache -->
<AllowGACDeployment>true</AllowGACDeployment>
<!-- Allow the deployment of binaries with code access security (CAS)
• What type of solutions are allowed to be policies -->
<AllowCASPolicies>true</AllowCASPolicies>
deployed (GAC, FullTrustBin, with CAS policies) <!-- Allow the deployment of binaries with full trust, only available
in SP2013 -->
• Which SharePoint version is required <AllowFullTrustBinDeployment>true</AllowFullTrustBinDeployment>
<!-- Minimal version number of the SharePoint installation required
to deploy this solution -->
• Which SharePoint license is requires <MinimalSharePointVersion>14.0.0.0</MinimalSharePointVersion>
<!-- Minimal SharePoint license to deploy this solution. Valid
values: Foundation (default), Standard, Enterprise -->
<MinimalSharePointLicense>Foundation</MinimalSharePointLicense>
</Restrictions>

13. <!-- The Actions node specifies actions which should run after the
deployment, retraction or update process -->
<Actions AfterDeploy="true" AfterRetract="true" AfterUpdate="true">
<!-- Restart SPTimerV4 Service on this/all servers with the Application
role in the farm -->
<RestartService Name="SPTimerV4" Force="false" />
<!-- Restart SPAdminV4 Service on this/all servers in the farm -->
Actions configures what to do <RestartService Name="SPAdminV4" Force="false" />
<!-- Restart SPUserCodeV4 Service on this/all servers in the farm -->
• After deployment <RestartService Name="SPUserCodeV4" Force="false" />
• After retraction <!-- Perform IIS reset on this/all servers in the farm -->
<ResetIIS Force="false" />
• After update <!-- Recycles all IIS application pools on this/all servers in the farm
<!-- Can be used alternatively to the ResetIIS action -->
Note: The “After*” attributes can also be assigned directly <RecycleAppPools All="false" />
to every action which overrides the Actions node settings. <!-- Warms up urls after the deployment process -->
<!-- The warmup will be executed on this/all servers by using a local
Possible Actions are proxy to avoid issues with a load balancer -->
<!-- It is required, that the LoopBackCheck is disabled on this/all
servers to run this action -->
• Restart server <!-- The action will run after all structures are created and the
custom deployment tasks are finished -->
(name can be any Windows Service Name) <!-- The action is not executed on retraction -->
<!-- Optional: AllWebApps="[true|false]" Warms up all SharePoint
• Reset IIS WebApplications -->
<!-- Optional: AllSites="[true|false]" Warms up all SharePoint
SiteCollections -->
• Recycle Application Pools <WarmUpUrls AllWebApps="true" AllSites="false">
<!-- You can also specify custom urls which should be hit
• Warmup Urls <WarmUp Url="$(SiteUrl)" />
<WarmUp Url="$(SiteUrl)" />
-->
</WarmUpUrls>
</Actions>

14. Variables allows to create custom variables
which can be used anywhere:
<!-- The Variables node specifies the variables which will be replaced in
the entire environment XML file -->
<!-- You can use variables with $(variablename) in the xml file and
• In the environment XML file $vars["variablename"] in the CustomTargets.ps1 PowerShell
script -->
<!-- You can also use system environment variables with
• In the CustomTargets.ps1 (see further down) $(env:VARIABLENAME) in the xml file and $vars:VARIABLENAME in
PowerShell -->
<!-- For a detailed list of ystem environment variables open cmd.exe and
type "set“ or "Get-ChildItem env:" in PowerShell-->
<!-- Attributes -->
The variables <Variables ID="Default">
<Variable Name="UserID">$(env:USERDOMAIN)$(env:USERNAME)</Variable>
• Are resolved recursively <Variable Name="WebAppUrl">
http://$(env:COMPUTERNAME).$(env:USERDNSDOMAIN)
</Variable>
• Can include system environment <Variable Name="SiteUrl">http://$(WebAppUrl)/sites/TestSite</Variable>
<Variable Name="LCID">1033</Variable>
variables like current user, machine </Variables>
name, domain etc.

15. <!-- The PreRequisiteSolutions node specifies which solution should be
deployed -->
<!-- before the the deployment/update process is starting (does not apply
to retraction)-->
<PreRequisiteSolutions ID="Default">
<Solution Name="Solution.GAC.wsp" />
<Solution Name="Solution.WebApp.wsp">
Prerequisite solutions defines solutions <WebApplication Url="$(WebAppUrl1)" />
<WebApplication Url="$(WebAppUrl2)" />
which have to be deployed in order to start </Solution>
<Solution Name="Solution.Sanboxed.wsp">
the deployment. <SiteCollection Url="$(SiteUrl1)" />
</Solution>
</PreRequisiteSolutions>
<!-- The solutions node specifies which solution should be
deployed/reatracted/updated -->
<!-- If the node is missing or empty all solution files found in the
Solutions /Solutions folder -->
<!-- of the deployment package will be used as farm solutions on all
content urls / globally -->
If empty or not existing, all solutions which <Solutions ID="Default" Force="true" Overwrite="true">
are found in the /Solutions folder are
<!-- If you specify one or more solutions here, only these will be used
(instead of all WSPs in the solutions folder) -->
deployed either:
<!-- The solution file has to be located in the '/Solutions' folder of
the deployment package -->
<!-- Attributes are inherited from the solutions node and can be
To the Global Assembly Cache or
overridden for each solution -->
• <Solution Name="Solution.GAC.wsp" />
<Solution Name="Solution.WebApp.wsp" Force="true" Overwrite="true">
• To all Content Urls (for bin assemblies) <WebApplication Url="$(WebAppUrl1)" />
<WebApplication Url="$(WebAppUrl2)" />
If specified, only the given solutions are
</Solution>
<Solution Name="Solution.Sandboxed.wsp" Overwrite="true">
deployed.
<SiteCollection Url="$(SiteUrl1)" />
<SiteCollection Url="$(SiteUrl2)" />
<SiteCollection Url="$(SiteUrl3)" />
</Solution>
</Solutions>

16. <SiteStructures ID="Default">
<SiteStructure AllowRetraction="true">
<WebApplication Name="" Url="">
<SiteCollection Name="Name" Description=""
SiteLanguageID="$(LCID)"
SiteOwnerID="$(env:CurrenUser)"
SiteStructures is currently under SiteDefinitonID="STS#01"
RelativeUrl="/">
development and will come as a future <Permissions>
<Permission User="Visitors" PermissionSet="Read" />
feature <Permission User="Contributors" PermissionSet="Contribute" />
</Permissions>
It will allow to create
<Sites>
<Site Name="Subsite" Description="" SiteLanguageID="$(LCID)"
SiteDefinitonID="STS#01" RelativeUrl="subsite" />
WebApplications
</Sites>
• <Lists>
<List ListName="List" DisplayName="List" ListTemplate="100">
• SiteCollections <Item><Field Name="Title">Value</Field></Item>
</List>
Sites
</Lists>
• <Libraries>
<Library ListName="Documents" DisplayName="Documents"
• ListItems/Pages/Documents ListTemplate="105">
<Files><File SourceFile="Files/File.doc” /></Files>
</Library>
• Permissions <Library ListName="Pages" DisplayName="Pages"
ListTemplate="103">
• Navigation items <Pages><Page PageLayout="Article" /></Pages>
</Library>
</Libraries>
</SiteCollection>
</WebApplication>
</SiteStructure>
Note: The sample structure is still in draft status. </SiteStructures>

17. Default.xml
SPSD uses the environment XML file in the <SPSD Version="4.0.9.5382">
<Configuration ID="Default">
following precedence <Settings>...</Settings>
<Restrictions>...</Restrictions>
<Actions>...</Actions>
1. USERNAME.xml (i.e. MEI.xml) </Configuration>
<Environment ID="Default">
<Variables ID="Default">...</Variables>
2. MACHINENAME.xml (i.e. WFE01.xml) <PreRequisiteSolutions ID="Default">...
<Solutions ID="Default">...</Solutions>
</Environment>
3. Default.xml <SiteStructures ID="Default">...</SiteStructures>
</SPSD>
Note: If neither a matching file 1. nor 2. exists in the
/environments folder for the current user on the machine, the
default.xml will be used. Machinename.xml
<SPSD Version="4.0.9.5382">
Every XML node in an environment XML <Configuration ID="Default" FilePath="Default.xml" />
<Environment ID="CustomMachine">
file can be also loaded from a separate file <Variables ID="CustomMachine">...</Variables>
<PreRequisiteSolutions ID=" CustomMachine ">...
<Solutions ID=“Default" FilePath="Default.xml" />
i.e. to </Environment>
<SiteStructures ID="Default" FilePath="Default.xml" />
</SPSD>
• Reuse configuration
• Reuse SiteStructure

18. CustomTargets.ps1
SPSD allows to attach custom PowerShell #region AfterDeploy
deployment tasks to deployment targets in the # Desc: use this target to perform operations after a
“Scripts/CustomTargets.ps1” file. successful deployment
function AfterDeploy($vars){
Available targets are: # Sample PowerShell commands
New-SPSite -Url '$vars["SiteUrl"]'
• Before deployment -OwnerAlias '$env:USERDOMAIN$env:USERNAME'
-Name 'Test Site'
• After deployment -Template 'STS#0’
Install-SPFeature -Path '[feature name]'
• Before retraction -Force
Enable-SPFeature -Identity '[feature name]'
• After retraction -Url '$vars["SiteUrl"]' -Force
Enable-SPFeature -Identity [feature guid]
• Before upgrade -Url '$vars["SiteUrl"]'
-Force
• After upgrade }
#endregion
All custom environment variables which are defined
in the XML are available through the $vars
dictionary variable.

19. SPSD Environment Editor helps to:
- Create/edit environment XML files
- Reference nodes in other files
- Create custom variables with the variable editor
- Define environment aware URLs for deployment
or warmup tasks
Note: Existing files will automatically updated to the
most current version of SPSD. Comments in the XML
file will be lost when saving the file.

20. WebApplication
• Deploy test data based on XML input • Site 1
• WebApplications • Site 2
• SiteCollections/Sites • Subsite 1
• Pages/Items • Subsite 2
• Permissions • Site 3
• Navigation
• Visual Studio Project Template
• User input dialogs
• Integrate with SPSF (spsf.codeplex.com)

21. • Standardized deployment
• Less manual tasks
• Highly flexible
• Can be integrated in VS/TFS build
• Detailed log
• Reduced downtime
• Happy SharePoint project team!!!
http://spsd.codeplex.com