Add Custom Web Part inside a Master Page in SharePoint

Imagine that you are designing a master page for your MOSS site and you have a requirement to have a functionality that is not possible out of the box. You brain storm on it and concludes that only custom web part can solve your problem.
But now your concern is how you can make this custom web part as part of your master page?
It’s easy! Just follow the steps given below to add a web part inside a master page.

1. Deploy the web part in your web application as you do normally.
2. Check whether the web part is showing up in the web part gallery.
3. Create a web part page by navigating to the site settings, create web part page.
4. Add your custom web part on the web part page.
5. Start SharePoint designer and open the newly created web part page.
6. You will now find two entries corresponding to the web part you added on the page
i. In the page declaration you will find a entry which looks something like this:


<%@ Register TagPrefix="WpNs0" Namespace="MyNamespace.MyClass" Assembly=" MyNamespace.MyClass, Version=1.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=null"%>

ii. Click on the web part section in the page and you will see an entry like this:


<WpNs0:WebPartName runat="server" ID="g_34cdbb90_38c6_4561_9182_8fbc0d2423a6" ExportMode="All" Title="WebPartTitle" __MarkupType ……………..

7. Copy these entries in separate notepad, and close the page opened in the SharePoint designer.
8. Now open the master page in SharePoint designer and add the first entry in the declaration section and second entry at the place where you want to add the web part to.
9. Save the page, check in and publish it and that’s it.

Common Issues after site was migrated to SharePoint 2010

Broken Links after site was migrated to SharePoint 2010

Issue:	Broken Links after site was migrated to SharePoint 2010
Cause:	Hard coded links still point to the SharePoint 2007 site or they point to a resource that doesn't exist anymore.
Resolution:	Change the link to point to the correct resource.
How to:	The location of the broken link determines where you would go to fix it. Here are some of the common locations: Top or left navigation Browse to the site with the broken link. Click Site Actions and then Site Settings. Under Look and Feel, click Navigation. In the Navigation Editing and Sorting section, click on the broken link and click Edit. Change the broken link in the URL field or you can click the Browse... button and search for the correct URL. Click OK when done. Page Icon (image logo) Browse to the site with the broken link*.* Click Site Actions and then Site Settings. Under Look and Feel, click Title, description, and icon. Change the address in the URL field. Click Click here to test to make sure it works. Click* OK* when done.

Broken Sites after site was migrated to SharePoint 2010

Issue:	Broken Sites
Cause:	Lists and/or pages in the site do not render because they were created by a feature that is not support in SharePoint 2010.
Resolution:	Use SharePoint Designer 2010 to delete those pages and/or lists.
Warning:	SharePoint Designer 2010 is recommended for advance SharePoint users only. Contact the Help Desk (512-475-9400 or https://www.utexas.edu/its/helpdesk/ ) for assistance.

Search after site was migrated to SharePoint 2010

Issue:	Unable to search specific sites and lists
Cause:	One of the SharePoint index crawler is experiencing the following error: "The server is unavailable and could not be accessed. The server is probably disconnected from the network."
Resolution:	A footprint ticket has been submitted to the ITS Systems Core team to investigate this error. Core team investigated the problem and found no issues with the TCP/IP settings with the SharePoint 2010 crawler server. Microsoft Premium Support was notified and they diagnosed the problem extensively. The case has been closed.  Microsoft provided improved short-term and long-term recommendations for resolution of SharePoint performance issues. We are currently evaluating Microsoft's recommendations.

Office Documents after site was migrated to SharePoint 2010

Issue:	Some office documents timeout or won't open in the browser or client.
Cause:	The document may have become corrupted during migration.
Resolution:	Replace the document from the old location (SharePoint 2007 site).

Missing Data after site was migrated to SharePoint 2010

Issue:	Data from November 30 to December 4, 2011 is missing
Cause:	Accidentally used the wrong database snapshot for the SharePoint 2010 migration.
Resolution:	We migrated the correct database snapshot to SharePoint 2010 test environment. We also used the migrated data to restore lists and sites in production.

Missing Data Restoration after site was migrated to SharePoint 2010

Issue:	Data restoration appears to overwrite current data.
Cause:	If a list or document library has versioning enabled, the restore process adds a new version to every document or list item which appears to have overridden the document or item. The document or item is still there but it is in a previous version. This doesn't appear to happen for lists or document libraries without versioning.
Resolution:	Restore the list item or document to the correct version.
Note:	We are not sure if this is a feature or bug. The documentation for site and list export and import does not mention this behavior. We will have to research this issue or call Microsoft for clarification. Asked Microsoft about this backup/restore behavior. The adding of the new versions is correct but the missing data in the restoration is probably related to the search problem (see Search above).

Known Issues after site was migrated to SharePoint 2010

Office Documents (OneNote, Word and PowerPoint)

Problem:	When you open OneNote, Word or PowerPoint in the browser, you get a File Not Found error.
Solution #1:	Uninstall or disable all web tool bars (i.e. Google Toolbar).
Solution #2:	If Solution #1 doesn't work, try the following: Open Internet Explorer, click Tools and then Compatibility View Settings. Type utexas.edu in the Add this website: textbox and click the Add button. Click the Close button. Close all instances of Internet Explorer. Open Internet Explorer. Browse to the document in SharePoint 2010. View the document in the browser.

 

Customized field types that will not be upgraded

A field type using custom Collaborative Application Markup Language (CAML) in itsRenderPattern element will not be upgraded as an XSLT-based field type. Fields based on this custom field type will be rendered without any custom formatting in SharePoint 2010. The following field types will not be upgraded:

· HoldsField(Hold Status)

· HoldStatusField(Hold Status)

· HTML(Publishing HTML)

· Image(Publishing Image)

· Link(Publishing Hyperlink)

· SummaryLinks(SummaryLinks)

· LayoutVariationsField(Variations)

· ContentTypeIdFieldType(Content Type ID)

· BusinessData(Business data)

· TargetTo(Audience Targeting)

 

It is highly recommended that you manually upgrade all custom field types to the new XSLT-based field types in order to have full rendering and customization support.

How to Upgrade Custom Field Type http://www.sharepointjoel.com/Lists/Posts/Post.aspx?List=0cd1a63d%2D183c%2D4fc2%2D8320%2Dba5369008acb&ID=357

 

Customized list views that will not be upgraded.

The following will not be upgraded to the new XSLT-based list view:

· A list view that uses custom Collaborative Application Markup Language (CAML)

· A list view that is not associated with a feature

· A list view that is associated with a custom feature

A list view that is not upgraded will still render properly in Windows SharePoint Services 4.0 (SharePoint 2010). However, it will not inherit any benefits of the new XSLT-based list view, such as SharePoint Designer customization support, conditional formatting, and improved developer experience with XSLT standard-based language support.

Important
we recommend that you manually upgrade all custom list views to the new XSLT-based list views. The new XSLT-based list view is the default view that will be used in the next version release of Windows SharePoint Services. It will replace the existing list view in Windows SharePoint Services 3.0.

 

For more information about this rule, see "Upgrading custom lists views to XSLT list views" in the following Microsoft Web site:

http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=120257

Referenced from KB956450: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/956450

 

Features - some features are not supported.

Note: The following features have been reported to cause problems after a SharePoint 2010 migration:

· Absence Request and Vacation Schedule Management

· Call Center

· Help Desk

· IT Team Workspace

· Knowledge Base (more info: http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/sharepoint2010setup/thread/af090264-084d-477a-b181-db5f1b070097?prof=required)

· Physical Asset Tracking and Management

 

Reference: http://blogs.technet.com/b/tothesharepoint/archive/2010/08/18/sharepoint-2010-products-upgrade-and-the-fabulous-40-application-templates.aspx

 

The following SharePoint 2007 site features WILL NOT be available in SharePoint 2010 (Site Actions >> Site Settings >> Site Administration >> Site Features):

· Absence Request and Vacation Schedule Management

· Absence and Vacation Schedule List Instances

· Absence and Vacation Schedule Modules

· Absence Type

· Absences

· Responsibility Adoption

· Bug Database

· Bug Tracking List Instances

· Bug Tracking Modules

· Contacts Management

· Contact Management List Instances

· Contact Management Modules

· Document Library and Review

· Document Library and Review Provisioning Handler

· Document Review List Instances

· Document Review Modules

· Event Planning

· Event Planning List Instances

· Event Planning Modules

· Expense Reimbursement and Approval Site

· Expense Forms

· Expense Reimbursement and Approval Site List Instances

· Expense Reimbursement and Approval Site Modules

· Inventory Tracking

· Inventory Tracking Provisioning Handler

· IT List Instances

· IT Modules

· Job Requisition and Interview Management

· Candidate Feedback List

· Candidate List

· Requisitions List

· Interview Calendar List

· JR List Instances

· JR Modules

· Knowledge Base

· Knowledge Base List Instances

· Knowledge Base Modules

· Knowledge Base Provisioning Handler

· Lending Library

· Lending Library List Instances

· Lending Library Modules

· Physical Asset Tracking and Management

· Asset Tracking List Instances

· Asset Tracking Modules

· Project Tracking Workspace

· Project Tracking Milestones List

· Project Workspace Collaboration Lists

· Room and Equipment Reservations

· Reservations List

· Reservations List Instances

· Reservations Modules

· Resource Types List

· Resources List

· Sales Lead Pipeline

· Sales Team Site List Instances

· Sales Team Site Modules

· RadEditor

· Use RadEditor to edit List Items

· Use RadEditor to edit List Items in Internet Explorer as well

SharePoint 2010 Features

TechSol offers a set of SharePoint 2010 templates to the SharePoint community. The templates are free to all and are provided “as is”. You can find the features here: http://www.techsolutions.net/SharePointSolutions.aspx.Warning: Please use these features at your own risk.

 

Site Administrator Responsibilities

NOTICE: The following action items are required by every site administrator. Failure to complete these tasks can lead to loss of data or corruption of SharePoint sites.

Responsibilities prior to the migration:

· Remove lists, documents, and child sites that are no longer in use.

· Remove users that no longer need access to the site.

· Remove all web parts with errors.

· Reduce the number of document versions in document libraries. A maximum of 10 minor versions and 10 major versions of each document is recommended.

· Replace absolute links (For example, replace https://sharepoint.austin.utexas.edu/its/systems*links with */its/systems/ links.)

· Set a date and time to start migration testing.

· Set a date and time to do production migration.

· Notify your users about the SharePoint 2010 migration.

NOTICE: The following action items are required by every site administrator. Failure to complete these tasks can lead to loss of data or corruption of SharePoint sites.

Responsibilities during the migration testing:

· Document and report any loss of content, loss of functionality and errors.

· Verify that workflows, templates, lists, content types, and forms still work as intended.

· Set a date and time to do production migration.

· Notify your users about the migration testing.

 

NOTICE: The following action items are required by every site administrator. Failure to complete these tasks can lead to loss of data or corruption of SharePoint sites.

Responsibilities after the production migration:

· Verify content integrity.

· Report any new errors (errors that didn't exist during migration testing).

· Remove broken web parts.

· Fix broken links.

· Notify your users about any URL changes.

Migration Process - Testing

1. The content database(s) of the site collection(s) will be backed up.

2. The backed up content database(s) will be restored in the SharePoint 2010 test database server.

3. The restored content databases(s) will be migrated to the SharePoint 2010 test farm.

4. If migration fails, changes in the site collection(s) may have to be made in production to resolve any migration errors. If so, the process starts over.

5. If migration successful, site administrators test the functionality of the site and integrity of the content.

6. Any errors or loss of data are documented by site administrators and sent to ITS.

7. The process is repeated until all issues are resolved.

Migration Process - Production

1. The unsupported features will be deactivated in each site prior to migration.

2. Site collection(s) will be set to read-only.

3. The content database(s) of the site collection(s) will be backed up.

4. The backed up content database(s) will be restored in the SharePoint 2010 Production database server.

5. The restored content databases(s) will be migrated to the SharePoint 2010 Production farm.

6. If migration fails, the process starts over in testing to resolve the issue(s). The production migration will be rescheduled.

7. If migration successful, site administrators test the functionality of the site and integrity of the content.

8. Site administrators provide feedback of migration.

Site Templates will not be upgraded.

All site templates found in the site template gallery (Go to Site Actions >> Site Settings >> Look under Galleries >> Site Templates) of every site collection will not migrate to SharePoint 2010. To preserve your site templates, do the following:

1. Before the site migration, create an empty site using your site template in SharePoint 2007.
2. After the site migration, browse to the empty site in SharePoint 2010.
3. Save the site as a template again (Go to Site Actions >> Site Settings >> Save site as template (under the Site Actions heading)).
4. You will find your new template in the Solutions Gallery (Go to Site Actions >> Site Settings >> Under Galleries, click Solutions).
5. Delete the empty site.

"Out of the Box" Application and Custom Templates will not be in SharePoint 2010:

NOTE: These site templates are used when you create a new site in SharePoint 2007.

Application Templates

Custom Templates

Absence and Vacation Schedule Bug Database Call Center Contacts Management Compliance Process Support Site Document Library and Review Event Planning Expense Reimbursement and Approval Site Help Desk Inventory Tracking IT Team Workspace Job Requisition and Interview Management Knowledge Base Lending Library Physical Asset Tracking and Management Change Request Management Budgeting and Tracking Multiple Projects Project Tracking Workspace Room and Equipment Reservations Sales Lead Pipeline

Board of Directors Business Performance Reporting Case Management for Government Agencies Classroom Management Clinical Trial Initiation and Management Competitive Analysis Site Discussion Database Disputed Invoice Management Employee Activities Site Employee Self-Service Benefits Employee Training Scheduling and Materials Equity Research Integrated Marketing Campaign Tracking Manufacturing Process Management New Store Opening Product and Marketing Requirements Planning Request for Proposal Sports League Team Work Site Timecard Management

Reference: http://blogs.technet.com/b/tothesharepoint/archive/2010/08/18/sharepoint-2010-products-upgrade-and-the-fabulous-40-application-templates.aspx

Web Parts - Some web parts are not supported.

Web part name	Description	Alternative
CorasWSC.WSS.Search		Use SharePoint's out of the box search web parts
FeedReader	Displays RSS/Atom items from specified feeds.	Use RSS Viewer web part under Content Rollup.
Lead-it Breadcrumbs	Displays the breadcrumbs for a site.	SharePoint has breadcrumbs built in.
Lead-it MyAlerts	Displays all the alerts on this site.	SharePoint has an alert page to manage alerts.
Lead-it Navigation	Shows a tree containing subsites.	No alternative at the moment.
Lead-it What's New	Displays a list of new items on this site.	Use the other What's New web part under miscellaneous.
Mailing List V2.1	This web part will create a mailing list from a contact list.	No alternative at the moment.
qDiscussionView	The web part to view discussion list.	No alternative at the moment.
SmartPart	The SmartPart User Control Webpart.	No alternative at the moment.
Stramit Document Library Browser	A treeview specific for document library	Try the Relevant Documents web part under Content Rollup.
Stramit Dynamic Document Library Browser	A treeview specific for documentlibrary with dynamic loading	Try the Relevant Documents web part under Content Rollup.
Stramit Multiple Document Library Browser	A multiple treeview specific for document library	Try the Relevant Documents web part under Content Rollup.
Stramit.WP.ConsumerWebPart1		Use Content Editor web part under Media and Content.