Introducing the eXo SharePoint Add-on

We are adding more connectivity features to eXo and recently we unveiled Microsoft SharePoint support for eXo documents. It is built as an eXo Cloud Drive add-on with a CMIS connector but uses native features such as the metadata of SharePoint sites for better integration.

Many companies use Microsoft SharePoint to store their documents, which are organized in lists on SharePoint sites and protected by a rich set of user policies (for reading, editing, moderating etc.). If you need to connect to your SharePoint site in eXo, you must first enable the CMIS Producer feature on the site. Then plan the user permissions for those who will access documents from outside the site.

Connecting to a SharePoint Site

Integration with SharePoint allows you to connect to different sites as separate folders in your Personal Documents. It will not copy the actual content, but create links that look like files in Documents Explorer. You can access your remote documents by opening them directly in eXo or in a new window on the SharePoint site.

Document Preview

The add-on offers a preview for Office documents as well as images and various text formats. It uses the same technique as for local files in eXo, and when a remote file is changed, it will show you the most recent file content.

Versioning

Another noteworthy feature is the support for file versions in the SharePoint site. By enabling versioning, SharePoint will save previous document copies (versions) when users modify a file. When a document is modified in eXo, the SharePoint add-on additionally submits a comment for the new version with a description of the change. The add-on respects the current state of a document and creates a new version only if the previous version was closed (by checking it in), otherwise changes will be applied without creating a new version. All file changes are available in the version history list on your SharePoint site.

Security

Users with insufficient rights will not be able to submit connected document changes from eXo to your sites. Everything stays on the SharePoint site: the access rights are controlled by its security layer and your Active Directory permissions. When a user who is not authorized to make edits does so, their changes will be rolled back and the local file restored to its original state.

The SharePoint add-on has its own configuration, similar to the CMIS connector in Cloud Drive, but with dedicated settings. It’s possible to use a predefined configuration for SharePoint sites. It will help your users to find the right repositories by using meaningful names.

You can simply configure predefined sites in the exo.properties file as follows:

clouddrive.sharepoint.predefined=Acme Documents Center:https://doc.acme.com/_vti_bin/cmis/rest?getRepositories\n\
Acme Community:https://community.acme.com/_vti_bin/cmis/rest?getRepositories\n\
Acme Sales:https://sales.acme.com/sites/sales/_vti_bin/cmis/rest?getRepositories

Try It

Install the SharePoint add-on in your Platform right now from eXo Add-ons catalog. SharePoint support also requires that the Cloud Drive add-on is installed:

./addon install exo-cloud-drive

./addon install exo-sharepoint

Join us on the eXo Community site. Visit this add-on page and join the Cloud Drive space for the latest news, collaboration on features and to leave your feedback. We’ll be pleased to hear from you and we can help with the eXo add-on.

Join the eXo tribe by registering for the community and get updates, tutorials, support, and access to the Platform and add-on downloads!

Make the most out of eXo Platform 4

Register to the next weekly live demo session and get a complete overview of what you can do with eXo Platform 4. Reserve your seat now!

Brahim Jaouane

I am a Digital Marketing specialist specialized in SEO at eXo Platform. Passionate about new technologies and Digital Marketing. With 10 years' experience, I support companies in their digital communication strategies and implement the tools necessary for their success. My approach combines the use of different traffic acquisition levers and an optimization of the user experience to convert visitors into customers. After various digital experiences in communication agencies as well as in B2B company, I have a wide range of skills and I am able to manage the digital marketing strategy of small and medium-sized companies.