SharePoint 2010 Logical Architecture

In this post I am going explain about logical architecture of SharePoint 2010. The logical architecture is basically structure of SharePoint contents; it explains how SharePoint is managing and storing contents.
See below figure of SharePoint 2010 logical architecture, you will have better idea how SharePoint defines the content structure.

The logical architecture includes three elements in a SharePoint 2010 deployment including:

1.       Server farms

2.       Sites

3.       Site collections

I am trying to give an overview about all three elements In this post, reset I will suggest please read complete Chapter 2 from book SharePoint 2010 Administration by Tom Carpenter and James Pyles.

The Server Farm

The base level of SharePoint logical architecture is Server Farm, it consist of database server, application server and web front servers. In one organisation there could be one or more Farms, all depends upon size and requirements of organisation.

Application Server:

Next level in Server Farm is web application servers. Farm can create multiple web applications and these applications can be spread over multiple application servers.

When we install SharePoint server the default web application is always created for Central Administration and you can create extra web applications for the SharePoint intranet, extranet or internet site.

Database Sever:

The database server stores the databases for both configuration and content in the SharePoint server farm.

There are many databases created when you run the SharePoint Products Configuration wizard for SharePoint Server 2010 or when create new application service for web application.

I am just mentioning name of these databases; in my next post I will give you an overview about these databases.

1.       Configuration DB

2.       Central Administration Content DB

3.       Content DB

4.       Usage DB

5.       Business Data Connectivity DB

6.       Application registry DB

7.       Subscription Settings DB

8.       Search Administration DB

9.       Crawl DB

10.   Property DB

11.   Web Analytics Reporting DB

12.   Web Analytics Staging DB

13.   State DB

14.   Profile DB

15.   Synchronization DB

16.   Social Tagging DB

17.   Managed Metadata Service

18.   Secure Store

19.   Word Automation Services DB

20.   Performance Point DB

The Web Frontend Server:

The final server type used in the server farm is the Web Front End (WFE) server. The WFE server provides the actual websites that users see when using the SharePoint 2010 services. It also drives the engine used for uploading and downloading documents to and from document libraries.

Site Collection and Site:

Next two layer of Server Farm in the SharePoint 2010 logical architecture are Site Collection and Sites. Basically site collection is a big container which can have many sub sites. Site collections are really just administration boundaries that provide trickle down or inherited management for the sites contained within the site collection. For example, a site collection administrator is, by default, an administrator of all sites within the collection.

When a site collection is created, a top-level site is also created within that collection. Site collections provide the central location for permissions and rights management. The site collection permission may be overridden at the site and sub site levels, but the permissions start at the site collection and top-level site.

I hope after reading this post you might have some understanding about SharePoint 2010 server logical architecrture. If you want read more about this topic please read chapter 2 from book SharePoint 2010 Administration by Tom Carpenter and James Pyles.

Please don't forget to comments thanks :)