SharePoint Apps with LightSwitch

Chapter 2. Getting Started

One of the things you’re going to need if you want to do SharePoint development is a SharePoint server. If you already have access to a SharePoint server, you’re all set. In case you don’t, I’ll walk you through the process of getting one set up and configured. There are a few other options as well, including downloading a ready-made virtual machine from Microsoft. The only downside there is you’ll need a fairly hefty system running Windows Server 2008 R2 Enterprise with the Hyper-V role installed. I used a computer based on an AMD 6-Core CPU with 16 GB of memory and it performed well. Memory is probably the most important thing when it comes to running multiple VMs, so the more, the better.

Other options include installing SharePoint on a Windows 7 client machine. This might be appealing to an individual developer looking to get familiar with SharePoint and the tools for developing applications. I’ll take a quick look at that option and give you enough information to try it out should you so choose. For the examples in this book, I’ll use the Microsoft VHD, as it comes preconfigured with everything needed including sample data.

Virtual Environment Setup

If you decide to go the Windows Server and virtual machine route versus physical, you’ll need a system with at least 16 GB of memory and a CPU capable of supporting native virtualization. In some cases, you will need to enable that feature in the BIOS of the system. For the purposes of the examples in this ...