Over my 30-year career in IT, few periods were as transformative as the era defined by on-premises server infrastructures and the evolution of Microsoft SharePoint. From its foundational version in 2003 through to the advanced capabilities of SharePoint 2010, this chapter in enterprise IT was characterized by significant technological breakthroughs, complex challenges, and the demand for innovation. It was a time when IT professionals worked at the intersection of hardware, software, and organisational strategy, deploying solutions that became integral to enterprise operations long before the advent of cloud computing.

The Emergence of SharePoint 2003

On October 21, 2003, Microsoft introduced SharePoint Portal Server 2003, a platform designed to address the increasing demand for enterprise-grade collaboration and content management solutions. It marked a significant departure from shared-file drives on network file servers, offering structured document libraries, customizable lists, and basic workflow capabilities. These features laid the groundwork for improved document control, versioning, and collaboration.

However, implementing SharePoint 2003 presented numerous challenges. Deployment was hardware-intensive, requiring careful planning of server farms to manage roles such as front-end web servers, application servers, and database servers. It necessitated robust integration with Active Directory (AD) for authentication and authorization, and Microsoft SQL Server for data storage. These configurations were often housed in corporate data centres, where IT teams had to manage networking, storage, and backup operations meticulously. Ensuring system availability, redundancy, and scalability involved significant capital expenditure and technical expertise.

The Leap to SharePoint 2007

Released on January 27, 2007, Microsoft Office SharePoint Server (MOSS) 2007—often referred to simply as SharePoint 2007—was a pivotal release in SharePoint’s evolution. MOSS 2007 introduced a wealth of new functionalities, including:

• Enhanced Enterprise Search for indexing structured and unstructured data across various repositories.

• Business Intelligence Capabilities with tools like Excel Services and InfoPath Forms Services.

• Expanded Workflow Capabilities, leveraging Windows Workflow Foundation (WWF) for more complex process automation.

• Enterprise Content Management (ECM), enabling retention policies and records management.

The revamped user interface significantly improved accessibility, while deeper integration with Microsoft Office applications allowed seamless document editing and metadata management.

Migrating to MOSS 2007, however, was a technically demanding process. Tools for upgrading from SharePoint 2003 were rudimentary, with many organisations opting for the database attach method, which required direct migration of content databases. This approach often revealed inconsistencies in custom solutions, schema compatibility, and third-party integrations. Development teams frequently rewrote or redeployed custom workflows, web parts, and event receivers, requiring proficiency in both SharePoint versions and extensive testing.

SharePoint 2010: The First Modern Era

The release of SharePoint Server 2010 on May 12, 2010, represented the dawn of a more modern collaboration ecosystem. This version introduced significant architectural and functional advancements, including:

• 64-bit Architecture: A requirement that forced many organisations to overhaul their infrastructure for compatibility.

• Ribbon User Interface: Borrowed from Office applications, this streamlined the user experience for administrators and end-users alike.

• Improved Business Intelligence Tools: Deep integration with SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS), PerformancePoint Services, and expanded dashboarding capabilities.

• Social Collaboration Features: Enhancements like tags, notes, and personalised “My Site” portals fostered user-centric collaboration.

• Sandboxed Solutions: A new deployment model aimed at improving the security and isolation of custom code within a controlled environment.

The migration to SharePoint 2010 was as complex as it was transformative. IT teams faced challenges in transitioning from 32-bit to 64-bit infrastructure and in planning multi-stage migrations, particularly for those leaping directly from SharePoint 2003. Key considerations included hardware scalability, service redundancy, and licensing adjustments, as the model began shifting toward operational expenditure with options like Software Assurance.

Migration Complexities and Deployment Considerations

Moving between SharePoint versions highlighted several critical technical and organisational challenges:

1. Data Integrity: Ensuring that large volumes of structured and unstructured data were migrated without loss or corruption.

2. Customisations: Redeveloping or re-architecting bespoke workflows, web parts, and third-party integrations to align with new APIs and platform capabilities.

3. Downtime Management: Planning upgrades with minimal disruption to business operations, often requiring robust high-availability configurations.

4. Training and Adoption: Preparing IT staff and end-users to leverage new features while ensuring a smooth transition to the updated user experience.

Building a SharePoint farm was itself a demanding task. Key considerations included:

• Server Architecture: Assigning roles (e.g., front-end, application, and database servers) and optimizing IIS and SQL Server configurations.

• High Availability: Configuring SQL Server Always-On Failover Clustering or mirroring for database reliability.

• Backup and Recovery: Implementing granular backup strategies to safeguard configurations, content databases, and farm settings.

• Network Optimization: Ensuring bandwidth and latency requirements were met for geographically dispersed teams.

Development and Licensing in the Pre-Cloud Era

Development for SharePoint involved extensive use of Visual Studio for custom web parts and SharePoint Designer for workflows. Solutions often relied on server-side code, which carried risks of performance degradation and compatibility issues if not carefully managed. Licensing was another layer of complexity, with enterprises required to purchase:

• Windows Server Licenses for each server.

• SharePoint Server Licenses, often in Standard and Enterprise editions.

• Client Access Licenses (CALs) for every user or device accessing the farm.

This model resulted in substantial upfront capital expenditure. Small to medium-sized businesses struggled to justify the financial outlay, particularly when coupled with the costs of skilled personnel for deployment and maintenance.

Lessons Learned from the On-Premises Era

The shift from SharePoint 2003 to 2010 offered invaluable lessons that continue to shape IT practices:

• Scalability: Early limitations in on-premises deployments underscored the need for flexible and modular architectures.

• Disaster Recovery: Redundancy and failover configurations became non-negotiable, paving the way for modern cloud continuity solutions.

• Operational Efficiency: Balancing capital expenditure with long-term operational benefits required meticulous planning and executive buy-in.

• Standardization: The era encouraged the adoption of best practices for system configuration, governance, and user management.

Looking Back, Moving Forward

This era of SharePoint was foundational, laying the groundwork for today’s cloud-based ecosystems like Microsoft 365 and SharePoint Online. The skills honed during this period—planning infrastructure, managing migrations, and optimising integrations—continue to inform best practices in IT.

As enterprises increasingly transition to cloud-first strategies, the legacy of on-premises systems remains vital. They remind us of the expertise, creativity, and dedication required to manage enterprise IT before the era of “infrastructure as a service.” Understanding these roots ensures we continue to build on a strong foundation as we innovate for the future.