Odds are, you have never heard about Exchange Server governance or, say, Dynamics CRM governance. However, you can always expect to see governance as a topic at almost any SharePoint event, from an online webinar up to the Microsoft SharePoint Conference. Why is that? Does that mean SharePoint requires more attention than business critical systems such as email or customer relations databases? In this session, we will try to remove the "buzzwordness" from SharePoint governance. We will review several real life examples that can help better understand the real place of formal processes and policies in SharePoint administration. Finally, we will discuss the role of governance in bridging the gaps between IT-specific decisions and organization's business objectives.

1. Ilia Sotnikov
www.netwrix.com
SharePoint Saturday Boston
April 12, 2014
Another attempt to demystify
SharePoint Governance

2. Agenda
Why?
• About me
• Why talk about governance
What?
• What is governance anyway
• And where it belongs in organization
How?
• Customer and industry examples
• Summary
Why?
• About me
• Why talk about governance

3. About me
• Ilia Sotnikov
– Director of Product Management
– Netwrix - www.netwrix.com
• Background
– Aelita > Quest Software > Dell
– 13 years with Windows Management ISV’s
– SharePoint management products
• Connect
– @iliasotnikov
– linkedin.com/in/iliasotnikov
– ilia@sharepoint-recovery.com

6. Marketing buzzword?
• Overused by vendors and service providers
– Everyone “does” governance for you
• No industry standard definition
– Kinda getting there
• But…
– I know MY products ARE helping IT and businesses!
– …even if my Marketing claims we do governance :)

7. Agenda
Why?
• About me
• Why talk about governance
What?
• What is governance anyway
• And where it belongs in organization
How?
• Customer and industry examples
• Summary

8. What is governance?
Microsoft TechNet
Governance is the set of policies, roles,
responsibilities, and processes that control
how an organization's business divisions and
IT teams work together to achieve its goals.

9. Where does governance belong
Why?
• Business
What?
• Governance
How?
• IT
• Business
– Goals
– Priorities
– Budgets
• Governance
– Policies
– Roles and responsibilities
– Processes
• IT
– Design
– Implementation
– Maintenance and operations

10. Understand your business

11. Agenda
Why?
• About me
• Why talk about governance
What?
• What is governance anyway
• And where it belongs in organization
How?
• Customer and industry examples
• Summary

12. “I need a SharePoint”

13. “I need a SharePoint”
• Do you create…
– A new library?
– Site?
– Site collection?
– Web app?
– Farm?
• Roles and responsibilities
• Lifecycle
• Service levels
Example:
– Large financial organization
– High level of business unit isolation
– Scripted SharePoint farm creation
– Standard packaged offering
– All virtualized
Example:
– Large automobile manufacturer
– Automated self service site request
– Classification as part of creation
– Require 2 owners
– Renew request every 6 months

14. Content ownership

15. Content ownership
• Data leaks
– Availability vs confidentiality
• Permissions
– Use of “everyone” groups
– Who’s responsible?
– Periodic attestation
– Change audit
Example:
– Another automobile manufacturer
– New model information leaked to
press via SharePoint site
– “File review” by business owners
– Monthly, quarterly, or annual

16. Site and content lifecycle

17. Site and content lifecycle
• “We just add more disks”
• “Largest file is less than 1MB – takes 3GB of space?!”
– Versions!
• “Do you want to delete a site?”
– Automatically send email to site owner after 3 months of no modification
– “Click here to delete site”
– Huge fans of site recycle bins

18. “The only constant is change”

19. “The only constant is change”
• What does SharePoint depend on?
• What apps and processes depend on SharePoint?
• Do you have test environment?
– You ALWAYS do!
– Do you call it “production”?
• What is your…
– Change control
– Change reporting
– Communication strategy
Example:
– Small IT consulting
– Learning and adopting SharePoint
– Everyone has full admin rights
– 2 people customizing live site with
SharePoint Designer
– Do you have to learn the hard way?

20. THANK YOU!
Always ask why
There is no governance silver bullet
Do the right amount of governance for your business

21. QUESTIONS?