Built-in SharePoint web services

SharePoint server structures information by Web Sites. Each Web Site has many Lists. Lists are used to store concrete data using List Items: links to files, contacts, appointments, etc. List Items has fields with necessary values. The user is able to customize these fields to store data.

SharePoint installation comes with good collection of built in web services that can be used to work with SharePoint. SharePoint Webservices installed in “_vti_ “bin folder ((%COMMONPROGRAMFILES%\Microsoft Shared\web server extensions\12\ISAPI).

Here are the built-in web services in SharePoint.

• http://server:5966/_vti_adm/Admin.asmx - Administrative methods such as creating and deleting sites
• http://server/_vti_bin/Alerts.asmx - Methods for working with alerts
• http://server/_vti_bin/DspSts.asmx - Methods for retrieving schemas and data
• http://server/_vti_bin/DWS.asmx - Methods for working with Document Workspaces
• http://server/_vti_bin/Forms.asmx - Methods for working with user interface forms
• http://server/_vti_bin/Imaging.asmx - Methods for working with picture libraries
• http://server/_vti_bin/Lists.asmx - Methods for working with lists
• http://server/_vti_bin/Meetings.asmx - Methods for working with Meeting Workspaces
• http://server/_vti_bin/Permissions.asmx - Methods for working with SharePoint Services security
• http://server/_vti_bin/SiteData.asmx - Methods used by Windows SharePoint Portal Server
• http://server/_vti_bin/Sites.asmx - Contains a single method to retrieve site templates
• http://server/_vti_bin/UserGroup.asmx - Methods for working with users and groups
• http://server/_vti_bin/versions.asmx - Methods for working with file versions
• http://server/_vti_bin/Views.asmx - Methods for working with views of lists
• http://server/_vti_bin/WebPartPages.asmx - Methods for working with Web Parts
• http://server/_vti_bin/Webs.asmx - Methods for working with sites and sub sites

Backup-Restore by using SharePoint Designer 2007

Steps to create the Backup of a SharePoint site using SharePoint Designer 2007 is provided below:

1.   Open site you want to Migrate in SharePoint Designer 2007

§  Copy the URL of the site.

§  Open SharePoint Designer 2007.

§  Go to File > Open Site.

§  Paste the URL of your site in Site Name.

§  Click Open. Designer will attempt to open the Web.

2.   Go to Site > Administration > Backup Web Site.

3.   Check “Include Sub Sites in Archive” if needed.

4.   Type a name for the backup file and save it to your desktop or somewhere that is easy to locate.

5.   Click “OK” – backup will begin.

6.   A message will appear when backup is complete.

Migrating Site to a New Site

1.   Create New Site under parent

·         Open SharePoint Designer 2007, and open the root parent site where you want to create your subsite.

·         Go to File > Open Site.

·         Type in the URL of the SharePoint web in the folder field.

·         Click OK; the designer will try to open your web.

2.   In the Folder List column, right-click on the top folder, e.g. "http://mosstest/sites/WSSsitename"

3.   Select New > Subsite...

4.   In the Web Site Templates window that appears, select the 'Empty Web Site' template.

5.   On the right-side of the Web Site Templates window you will see a box titled 'Specify the location of the new Web site'. In this box you should see a URL like http://mosstest/sites/WSSsitename/subsite

6.   Change subsite to the name you want your new site to use

7.   This will build a new empty site, and should open a new Designer session showing the empty site.

8.   Restore WSS site using the Restore site steps.

Restore the SharePoint site

Warning: Using the Restore feature in Designer can overwrite existing content or data in a site if not used properly. You should always restore the .cmp file to an empty site

·         With your web open, go to Site > Administration > Restore Web Site....

·         Navigate to the backup file you created in Step 1

·         Click Open.

·         Designer will ask you to press OK to restore the template to your site. Click OK. The Site will proceed to restore.

If you have any queries/questions regarding the above mentioned information then please let me know. Thank you.