Enter SharePoint 2010 Beta 

The pending release of SharePoint 2010 Beta was eagerly awaited here after Andre Kieft of Microsoft Netherlands visited Aviva Solutions HQ to present us the direction and some great new features of SharePoint 2010. The start of the PDC 2009, as could be expected, marked the release and so here we are with a set of three msi’s:

• SharePoint 2010 Foundation
• SharePoint 2010 Server
• SharePoint 2010 Designer

Now how to install these? After many hours of installs and reinstalls I managed to get it up and running. A few of my gripes that might help you in installing this Beta the right way:

• You need to have 64 bit capable hardware with at least 4GB of RAM, 8GB if you’re going virtual (I’m using VMWare).
• Platform of choice is Windows 2008 Server SP2, R2 is NOT recommended
• Make sure the AD feature is activated, or an AD is available (thanks @furuknap)

Installing without an AD will result in a dumbed down SharePoint 2010 so it seems. If you want to have a look at the full product in a farm context you need the AD.

Installing is a breeze. This is in actual fact not true, a lot of the installation choices are made for you, but in no way the end result represents a real life installation situation. Installation choices are plentiful and should be taken with care if you want to install the final SharePoint 2010 at the customer. In the coming days me and my colleagues will try to share “twentyten” hands-on experiences.