SharePoint Server 2007 Content Deployment Issue

Hello,

We want to deploy Document Libraries, Form Libraries, and site content (InfoPath docs - these are .xml files) that currently exist in our DEVELOPMENT environment (running SharePoint Server 2007 and SQL Server 2005 on a single machine) to another DEVELOPMENT (aka SANDBOX) environment (also running SharePoint Server 2007 and SQL Server 2005 on a single machine). We are doing this between 2 separate DEVELOPMENT environments to "proof" it out before we try this between our DEVELOPMENT and STAGING and eventually between our STAGING and PRODUCTION environments.

We tried deploying this using the following 2 tools:

1. Content Deployment process (in Central Administration >> Operations) - I setup a "Path" between the source and target environments and then created a "Job" and assigned it to the "Path."

2. "stsadm" command line utility (used the "export" and "import" operations)

But we are getting this SAME error when we run these tools:

[8/6/2007 1:11:27 PM]: FatalError: Could not find Feature FT-01-df5c1223-9072-7ded-b47b-a39ffc8cb5be.

at Microsoft.SharePoint.Deployment.ImportRequirementsManager.VerifyFeatureDefinition(SPRequirementObject reqObj)

at Microsoft.SharePoint.Deployment.ImportRequirementsManager.Validate(SPRequirementObject reqObj)

at Microsoft.SharePoint.Deployment.ImportRequirementsManager.DeserializeAndValidate()

at Microsoft.SharePoint.Deployment.SPImport.VerifyRequirements()

at Microsoft.SharePoint.Deployment.SPImport.Run()

The ¡°Feature¡± that the error is referencing above relates to an InfoPath template that was published to a Form Library. InfoPath Templates are installed as FEATURES. I verified this by looking in the FEATURES folder under \Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\web server extensions\12\TEMPLATE\ on the DEVELOPMENT server. There is a corresponding folder under FEATURES for FT-01-df5c1223-9072-7ded-b47b-a39ffc8cb5be.

The InfoPath templates that we developed contain custom VB.NET code (coded using Visual Studio Tools for Applications). And any InfoPath template containing custom code needs to be approved by the SharePoint Administrator. So the templates first get published to the Central Administration site (under InfoPath Forms Services). The SharePoint Administrator can then Activate it to a Site collection. So a site collection (containing Form Libraries) needs to exist BEFORE the InfoPath Templates can be activated.

If this is the case, then it looks we need to FIRST create a "Blank" site in the target environment (including empty Document Libraries, Form Libraries, etc) in the SANDBOX environment BEFORE we can use the Content Deployment tool (or the stsadm utility) to deploy content. Am I correct Or does the Content Deployment tool (or the stsadm utility) actually create the site structure (including Document Libraries, Form Libraries, etc). Am I using the correct tools (Content Deployment, stsadm) to deploy content or is there another tool that I should be using

Any help or guidance you can provide will be greatly appreciated.

Best regards,

Kiran

Hi Kiran,

The method that you are using is correct. Whenever you would want to deploy any site. You have to care of the feature and template installation on the production box prior to the content deployment job. Thus to make you content deployment job successful install the same feature on the production box and try running the content deplyment job.

Regards

Mayur.

Hi Kiran,

Both the methods you are using are corect. Sometimes this probles arises because of different editions of Sharepoint on two different envronments. Like if you have enterprise edition on development environment & standard edition on staging then some features are missing from staging server. In that case it throws errors like one you got.

Regards,

Arpit