Questions regarding AD Account Creation mode? : Sharepoint

1) Where can I find some documentation on configuring the Account Creation
mode during the WSS 3.0 installation process?

2) Does MOSS support Account Creation mode? If so, is it part of the
installation process?

3) I have seen some documentation from MS that suggests that Account
Creation mode will not be supported in WSS 4.0. If so, how will this affect
an upgrade that is currently using Account Creation?

4) Currently, Account Creation appears to be the choice of SharePoint
resellers. Is there another way to offer SharePoint to the public as a
service or is Account Creation the best option?

>3) I have seen some documentation from MS that suggests that Account
>Creation mode will not be supported in WSS 4.0.

Where ? Can you give a reference ?

I haven't seen anything that says that xxxx isn't in WSS 4.0 because I
haven't ever seen a reference to WSS 4.0.

> If so, how will this >affect an upgrade that is currently using > >
>Account Creation?

It's a bit early to comment about upgrades to a product that as far as I
know isn't even in beta yet ...

Even if it were in the early stages of a beta people wouldn't be able to
comment in a public newsgroup. Your best bet for this kind of question
for the foreseeable future is a *private* off the record conversation
with someone from the SharePoint developer team. You'd no doubt even
then have to sign a Non Disclosure Agreement first. (which I would
imagine probably means you would need to work for a key Microsoft customer)

Mike Walsh
WSS FAQ www.wssfaq.com / wss.collutions.com
no private e-mail questions please

David Goebel wrote:
> 1) Where can I find some documentation on configuring the Account Creation
> mode during the WSS 3.0 installation process?
>
> 2) Does MOSS support Account Creation mode? If so, is it part of the
> installation process?
>
> 3) I have seen some documentation from MS that suggests that Account
> Creation mode will not be supported in WSS 4.0. If so, how will this affect
> an upgrade that is currently using Account Creation?
>
> 4) Currently, Account Creation appears to be the choice of SharePoint
> resellers. Is there another way to offer SharePoint to the public as a
> service or is Account Creation the best option?
>

Mike,

As for Account Creation not being supported in the next version of WSS, I
found a document called “Creating Shared Hosting Solutions on Windows
SharePoint Services 3.0” that was published by the SharePoint team. Lawrence
Liu makes reference to it here…
http://blogs.msdn.com/sharepoint/arc...available.aspx
and the document itself can be downloaded here…
http://office.microsoft.com/search/r...AM102157711033

Check out page 13, section 3.1.1 where it says “This mode requires that an
Active Directory organizational unit (OU) be created, and all users that are
created in this mode will end up in a single OU. There are security issues
because of this and it is one of the reasons that this mode is being
deprecated in Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 and will no longer exist in
future versions.”

Check out page page 16, section 4.1.1 where it says “Also note that account
creation mode is a deprecated feature of Windows SharePoint Services 3.0. It
is supported through version 3.0. However, the product teams recommend
customers plan to move off of it at their earliest convenience.”

And finally, check out page 36-37, section 7.1.1 where it says “To install
SharePoint in account creation mode, it is required that an Active Directory
OU exist for all users. As sites are created, and users invited, SharePoint
will put all users into a single OU. Unfortunately, there are issues around
using a single OU. This is the main reason that account creation mode is now
a deprecated feature. Although support will continue through version 3.0,
account creation mode will not exist in version 4.0.”

As for my other three questions, do you happen to know the answers?

Thanks (a lot!) for those references. I didn't know that there were
already talking about 4.0 in this way. Interesting.

Unfortunately as always when I pick up only one of several questions, it
meant that I didn't have answers to the other ones.

Mike Walsh

David Goebel wrote:
> Mike,
>
> As for Account Creation not being supported in the next version of WSS, I
> found a document called “Creating Shared Hosting Solutions on Windows
> SharePoint Services 3.0” that was published by the SharePoint team. Lawrence
> Liu makes reference to it here…
> http://blogs.msdn.com/sharepoint/arc...available.aspx
> and the document itself can be downloaded here…
> http://office.microsoft.com/search/r...AM102157711033
>
> Check out page 13, section 3.1.1 where it says “This mode requires that an
> Active Directory organizational unit (OU) be created, and all users that are
> created in this mode will end up in a single OU. There are security issues
> because of this and it is one of the reasons that this mode is being
> deprecated in Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 and will no longer exist in
> future versions.”
>
> Check out page page 16, section 4.1.1 where it says “Also note that account
> creation mode is a deprecated feature of Windows SharePoint Services 3.0. It
> is supported through version 3.0. However, the product teams recommend
> customers plan to move off of it at their earliest convenience.”
>
> And finally, check out page 36-37, section 7.1.1 where it says “To install
> SharePoint in account creation mode, it is required that an Active Directory
> OU exist for all users. As sites are created, and users invited, SharePoint
> will put all users into a single OU. Unfortunately, there are issues around
> using a single OU. This is the main reason that account creation mode is now
> a deprecated feature. Although support will continue through version 3.0,
> account creation mode will not exist in version 4.0.”
>
> As for my other three questions, do you happen to know the answers?