Central Administration

Central Administration can be used to perform administration tasks for SharePoint Products and Technologies from a central location. It is run on a dedicated Internet Information Server (IIS) 6.0 virtual server. It is accessible through a unique port number. The Central Administration interface has three tabs:

1. Home
2. Operations
3. Application Management

1. Home: The Home tab displays the initial administrative tasks needed to perform subsequent to installing SharePoint. The Home tab contains the following three Web parts:
   1. Administrator Tasks: This section displays tasks that should be completed. Each task links to a page where a user can read about and then perform the task.
   2. Farm Topology: This section displays each server in the farm and the services running on each server. A user can click a server to manage its services.
   3. Resources: This section displays a list of links similar to the Favorites menu in Windows Internet Explorer. When a new link is added, its description and notes can also be added.
2. Operations: The Operations tab allows a user manage a variety of critical activities. It contains links to pages where a user can perform administrative tasks. The Operations tab contains the following sections:
   1. Topology and Services: This section contains links to pages where a user can administer services, farm topology, and e-mail settings. The links included in this section are as follows:
      • Servers in farm
      • Services on server
      • Outgoing e-mail settings
      • Incoming e-mail settings
      • Approve/reject distribution groups
   2. Security Configuration: This section contains links to pages where administer security settings, including antivirus, blocked file types for downloading and uploading, and single sign-on can be administered. The links included in this section are as follows:
      • Service accounts
      • Information Rights Management
      • Antivirus
      • Blocked file types
      • Update farm administrator’s group
      • Information management policy configuration
      • Manage settings for single sign-on
   3. Logging and Reporting: This section contains links to pages that help a user understand the state of the servers. The links included in this section are as follows:
      • Diagnostic logging
      • Usage analysis processing
      • Information management policy usage reports
   4. Upgrade and Migration: This section contains links to pages where a user can complete such tasks as upgrading sites and servers, enabling features, and migrating content. The links included in this section are as follows:
      • Site content upgrade status
      • Finalize upgrade
      • Content Management Server Migration
      • Enable Enterprise Features
      • Enable features on existing sites
      • Convert License Type
   5. Global Configuration: This section contains links to pages where a user can administer settings that affect the farm globally, such as administering timer jobs, configuring alternative access mapping, and managing solutions. The links included in this section are as follows:
      • Timer job status
      • Timer job definitions
      • Master site directory settings
      • Site directory links scan
      • Alternate access mappings
      • Quiesce Farm
      • Manage farm features
      • Solution management
   6. Backup and Restore: This section contains links to pages where a user can back up and restore both applications and data. The links included in this section are as follows:
      • Perform a backup
      • Backup and restore history
      • Restore from backup
      • Backup and restore job status
   7. Data Configuration: This section contains links to pages where a user can specify the default database server for SharePoint sites and configure the data retrieval service. The links included in this section are as follows:
      • Default database server
      • Data retrieval service
   8. Content Deployment: This section contains links to pages where a user can configure content deployment paths, jobs, and settings for deploying content from one SharePoint site to another. The links included in this section are as follows:
      • Content Deployment Paths and Jobs
      • Content Deployment Settings
      • Check deployment of specific content
3. Application Management: The Application Management tab contains links where a user can create and administer Web Applications and Site Collections. It also contains links to pages where related settings can be configured. The Application Management tab contains the following sections:
   1. SharePoint Web Application Management: This section contains links to pages where a user can manage Web applications, configure e-mail settings at the Web application level, and manage content databases. The links included in this section are as follows:
      • Create or extend Web application
      • Remove SharePoint from IIS Web site
      • Delete Web application
      • Define managed paths
      • Web application outgoing e-mail settings
      • Web application general settings
      • Content databases
      • Manage Web application features
      • Web application list
   2. SharePoint Site Management: This section contains links to pages where a user can manage site collections and site use. The links included in this section are as follows:
      • Create site collection
      • Delete site collection
      • Site use confirmation and deletion
      • Quota templates
      • Site collection quotas and locks
      • Site collection administrators
      • Site collection list
   3. Search: This section contains a link to pages where a user can manage the Search service. The link included in this section is as follows:
      • Manage Search Service
   4. InfoPath Forms Services: This section contains links to pages where a user can manage forms and Forms Services settings. The links included in this section are as follows:
      • Manage form templates
      • Configure InfoPath Forms Services
      • Upload form template
      • Manage data connection files
      • Manage the Web service proxy
   5. Office SharePoint Server Shared Services: This section contains links to pages where a user can manage shared services at the farm level. The links included in this section are as follows:
      • Create or configure this farm’s shared services
      • Grant or configure shared services between farms
      • Check services enabled in this farm
      • Configure Session State
   6. Application Security: This section contains links to pages where a user can administer security at the Web application level. The links included in this section are as follows:
      • Security for Web Part pages
      • Self-service site management
      • User permissions for Web application
      • Policy for Web application
      • Authentication providers
   7. External Service Connections: This section contains links to pages where a user can administer connections to services that are external to Web applications, including document conversion services. The links included in this section are as follows:
      • Records center
      • HTML viewer
      • Document conversions
   8. Workflow Management: This section contains links to pages where a user can manage workflow settings. The link included in this section is as follows:
      • Workflow settings

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