1. Building a Solid Foundation for SharePoint ECM
Information Architecture
The SharePoint Solution Experts!
SharePoint Saturday
Sacramento, California
May 31st, 2014

2. Agenda: Information Architecture
 Introductions
 What is Information Architecture?
 Know Your Limits
 Managed Metadata
 Site Columns and Content Types
 Sites, Lists and Libraries
 Information Management Policies
 Retention and Disposition
 Questions and Answers

3. Jim Duncan: SharePoint Master
 Working with SharePoint since the beginning
 Published author, editor, multiple case studies
 Chief Architect and Principal Consultant
for ShareSquared
 Live and work in San Jose, CA
 Certifications: MCM, MCITP, MCPD, MCTS

4. What is Information Architecture?
 What ‘stuff’ do I have?
 Where do I put it?
 Who needs it?
 How do they find it?
 How long should I keep it?
Information architecture (IA) is the art and science of organizing and labeling
data including: websites, intranets, online communities, software, books and
other mediums of information, to support usability.
-Wikipedia

5. Information Architecture Elements
Web
Application
Site
Collection
Site
List Site Column
Content
Type
Navigation
Library
Folder Item
Search

6. Know your limits
Content Database
Limit Value Notes
Items 60M Documents and list items
Site
Collections
5K
10K
recommended (half my sites)
maximum (my sites)
Size 200GB
4TB
recommended
I/O, planning requirements
archive scenario ONLY
Site Collection
Limit Value Notes
Subsites 250K
Size 100GB
same as Content DB
recommended
if single SC
Source: Software boundaries and limits for SharePoint 2013
http://bit.ly/SP2013Limits
List or Library
Limit Value Notes
File Size 2GB default upload: 50MB
Items /
Documents
30M use folders/views to limit
user interface
View
Threshold
5K
20K
for users (configurable)
for admins (configurable)
Major
Versions
400K
Lookups 8 per query (configurable)
Security
Scope
5K
50k
recommended (per list)
maximum (per list)
# of
Columns
depends
on data
type
see documentation

7. Information Architecture Lifecycle
Design
ImplementationDocumentation
Review

8. Information Architecture Design
 Keep it simple
 Get the point across
 Use familiar tools
Example...

9. Managed Metadata Term Sets
ShareSquared
Job
Business
Analyst
Consultant
Designer
Content Editor
Industry
Retail
Manufacturing
Gov’t
…
Offering
Products
Composer
Maestro
…
Services
GamePlan
Mentoring
Consulting
Training
…
Solution
Internet
Intranet
Extranet
…
Technology
Workflow
BI
PowerPivot
…
Navigation
Howe We Can
Help
Where To
Start
Assessments &
Planning
...
Resources For
You
Webinars
Events
...
...

10. Managed Metadata Term Sets
ShareSquared
Job
Business
Analyst
Consultant
Designer
…
Industry
Retail
Manufacturing
Gov’t
…
Offering
Products
Composer
Maestro
…
Services
GamePlan
Mentoring
Consulting
Training
…
Proficiency
Beginner
Intermediate
Advanced
Solution
Internet
Intranet
Extranet
…
Technology
Workflow
BI
PowerPivot
…

11. Content Types
Inheritance
Built-In Content Types
The Content Types provided by SharePoint will only be used as a starting point for
developing our own Content Types. Very few (if any) content items will use the built-in
Content Types
Parent Content Types
Parent Content Types are used to provide a layer of abstraction from the built-in
Content Types while adding new common functionality (e.g. Site Columns, Policies,
etc.). They will not be used for actual content items.
Child Content Types
Actual content items will use the Child Content Types, adding specific functionality
required for that type of item.

12. Content Type Hierarchy
Item
S2 Item
Organization
Testimonial
Event S2 Event
Webinar
Conference
Document Page S2 Page
Landing
Page
Content
Page
Legend:
Parent
Content Type
Child Content
Type
Built-in
Content Type

13. Content Type Hierarchy
Item
S2 Item
Organization
Testimonial
Event S2 Event
Webinar
Conference
Document Page S2 Page
Landing
Page
Content
Page
Legend:
Parent
Content Type
Child Content
Type
Built-in
Content Type

14. Global Site Columns
For All Content Types
The following Site Columns will be defined and added to all Content Types used on
the site.
Name Type Notes
Featured Expert Person
Industry Managed Metadata Multivalued
Job Managed Metadata Multivalued
Offering Managed Metadata Multivalued
Proficiency Managed Metadata Multivalued
Solution Managed Metadata Multivalued
Technology Managed Metadata Multivalued

15. Global Site Columns
For All Content Types
The following Site Columns will be defined and added to all Content Types used on
the site.
Name Type Notes
Featured Expert Person
Industry Managed Metadata Multivalued
Job Managed Metadata Multivalued
Offering Managed Metadata Multivalued
Proficiency Managed Metadata Multivalued
Solution Managed Metadata Multivalued
Technology Managed Metadata Multivalued

16. For Specific Content Types
The following Site Columns will be defined and added to specific Content Types
used on the site.
Misc. Site Columns
Name Type Used In Notes
Attending Person Conference Multivalued
Booth Number Single Line of Text Conference
Conference Website Hyperlink Conference
Presenting Person Conference, Webinar Multivalued
Sponsoring Yes/No Conference Are we sponsoring the
conference?
Webinar Link Hyperlink Webinar
Logo Publishing Image Organization Clickable to Website
Organization Lookup Testimonials Lookup to Organizations List
Organization Type Choice Organization Customer, Partner, Vendor,
Other, Reseller, Affiliate
Quote Multiple lines of text Testimonials
Navigation Term Managed Metadata Landing Page, Content Page

17. For Specific Content Types
The following Site Columns will be defined and added to specific Content Types
used on the site.
Misc. Site Columns
Name Type Used In Notes
Attending Person Conference Multivalued
Booth Number Single Line of Text Conference
Conference Website Hyperlink Conference
Presenting Person Conference, Webinar Multivalued
Sponsoring Yes/No Conference Are we sponsoring the conference?
Webinar Link Hyperlink Webinar
Logo Publishing Image Organization Clickable to Website
Organization Lookup Testimonials Lookup to Organizations List
Organization Type Choice Organization Customer, Partner, Vendor, Other,
Reseller, Affiliate
Quote Multiple lines of text Testimonials

18. Content Type Details
Item
ID*
Title
Attachments
Content Type
Version*
Created*
Created By*
Modified*
Modified By*
Event
Location
Start Time
End Time
Description
Category
All Day Event
Recurrence
Workspace
S2 Event
Featured Expert
Industry
Job
Offering
Proficiency
Solution
Technology
Webinar
Presenting
Webinar Link
Conference
Attending
Presenting
Sponsoring
Booth Number
Conference Website

19. Content Type Details
Item
ID*
Title
Attachments
Content Type
Version*
Created*
Created By*
Modified*
Modified By*
Event
Location
Start Time
End Time
Description
Category
All Day Event
Recurrence
Workspace
S2 Event
Job
Industry
Offering
Proficiency
Solution
Technology
Featured Expert
Webinar
Presenting
Webinar Link
Conference
Attending
Presenting
Sponsoring
Booth Number
Conference Website

20. Sites, Lists and Libraries
Home
Organizations Organization
Testimonials Testimonial
Pages
Landing Page
Content Page
Events
Calendar
Webinar
Conference
Webinar
Workspaces
Legend:
Site Collection
Subweb
List or Library
Content Type

21. Sites, Lists and Libraries
Home
Organizations Organization
Testimonials Testimonial
Pages
Landing Page
Content Page
Events
Calendar
Webinar
Conference
Webinar
Workspaces
Legend:
Site Collection
Subsite
List or Library
Content Type

22. Information Management Policies
 Retention
 Auditing
 Barcodes
 Labels

23. Results

24. Questions + Answers