When talking about SharePoint Online, most people I talk to think of it as a cloud file share, sort of like Dropbox or Google Drive. To a degree, they are right, but SharePoint Online brings a new dynamic to the cloud. As well as File shares, SharePoint Online brings the list of features to the table:
- Lists
- Forms
- Workflows
- Taxonomies and Folksonomies
- Calendars
- Tasks lists
- Apps
The SharePoint List
The SharePoint List is basically a tabulated database on steroids. If you compare it to other Databases you get a lot of features out of the box that you dont get anywhere else.
In SQL / mySQL / Oracle / Other databases, you get relational tables that can be manipulated heavily. It doesn’t have any in built ‘front end’ so you need an application to run on top of it. This is where a lot of the market sits. It is very good for making complex and large apps, but is generally expensive.
In SQL / mySQL / Oracle / Other databases, you get relational tables that can be manipulated heavily. It doesn’t have any in built ‘front end’ so you need an application to run on top of it. This is where a lot of the market sits. It is very good for making complex and large apps, but is generally expensive.
Access gives you a nice front end and the data can be manipulated and transformed in many ways. Access is also quite complex and scalability (growing with a company) is an issue. Access is also only really available on-premise and there are not many off site options.
SharePoint Lists are tabulated versions of databases. The user has the ability to simply add fields, update data and create customisations right from the user interface. It is also cloud based, meaning that users can access this data from anywhere and scaling is not a problem. SharePoint Online is designed to add resources as more users are added, so you don’t have to worry about that.
There are also tools right inside of SharePoint that allow us to create user interfaces, automatic workflows, Mobile and PC apps that can be instantly deployed and much more. Microsoft have even provided a tour of the SharePoint list.
What else can they do?
So, SharePoint lists, we have established they are a fancy database, but what does that mean? It means that we can replicate quite a lot of simple databases and business processes can be built right into SharePoint, linking it with Document libraries, Email and even external cloud services, like Facebook, twitter and the like.
For example, at QIC Systems, we regularly test our customers’ backups and perform full DR Drills. We needed a way to control the process of performing the tests and a way to store the history and evidence of the tests so in the event of a real disaster, we had a history of DR tests, any issues that arised and data like the time the test took and the outcomes. We could then use some of the data to prevent problems during a live DR. Things like servers that require attention when being restored to different hardware or into a virtual environment etc.
Our existing solution was an automatic ticket that was raised on schedule, our engineer perform the test, put in some notes and then close the ticket. This was fine for the basics but we wanted something more robust. SharePoint offered us a platform to create our solution.
We started by creating three linked lists, one to store our client information for DR, another to store the history, evidence and other little bits. We also created a third one to record the daily backup checks we do. The client list even contains links to the written procedures for each client, directly from the list.
Next up, we created an app and some front end pages to simplify the process. We also created a flow that creates a new DR test when one is due and also another one to create a checklist every week for the daily checks.
We also integrated all various parts of the List, view, powerapp, checklist etc into Teams, where the engineer can see all aspects of the Clients DR testing and checking in one place. Flows handle the automation, creating the DR tests in the system for action and then sending emails when complete etc.
Next steps
So, at the end of this project we now have a complete system for handling our DR checking, testing and live procedures. The system gives our engineers a guided way to complete a DR from start to finish. It also allows the other engineers to reference the DR tests in case of a real disaster, allowing us to manage our customers expectations and be prepared to deal with issues that we have seen before. It also allows us to prove to our clients that the DR testing is happening for security certification etc.
Our DR app is fairly small and simple but SharePoint is capable of much more. Some examples of systems we have created in the past include:
- Document control systems
- Job Sheet and certificate generation
- Full Project management
- Digital Web forms and signature management
- Basic CRM – Contact management
Please get in touch on the contact page if you would like to know more.