identify hybrid requirements for SharePoint Online

SharePoint Online is an exceptional tool that allows organizations to store, retrieve, search, archive, track, manage, and report on digitized documents. However, in the real-world scenario, organizations often run in a hybrid mode, a co-existence of SharePoint Server and SharePoint Online System. Whether you are studying for the MS-100 Microsoft 365 Identity and Services exam, or looking to enhance your professional skills, understanding how to identify hybrid requirements for SharePoint Online is crucial.

What is SharePoint Hybrid?

SharePoint Hybrid is a blend of on-premises SharePoint Server with SharePoint Online. It’s designed to help businesses gradually migrate to the cloud or maintain both on-premises and online systems. The users interact with one unified platform instead of two separate ones, even though components are spread across both.

Identifying Hybrid Requirements

To successfully establish a SharePoint hybrid environment, certain elements must be in place. Below are the requirements to consider.

Networking

The organization needs to have a network connection that can handle the hybrid traffic efficiency. A lack of crisp and stable networking could lead to major inefficiency and rendering issues.

Directory Synchronization

Azure AD Connect is a requirement to make the hybrid environment functional. This tool synchronizes the on-premises Active Directory with Azure Active Directory, hence granting users a seamless experience across SharePoint Server and SharePoint Online.

SharePoint Server

A SharePoint Server 2013 or 2016 deployment, fully patched, is required. The servers should be federated with Office 365.

Identity Federation

You must establish an identity federation between your SharePoint Server and SharePoint Online. It can be configured via Active Directory Federation Services (ADFS) and requires single sign-on (SSO) for a seamless user experience.

Hybrid Search

Search functionality is a vital component of SharePoint. Microsoft’s cloud hybrid search solution allows users to get search results from both on-premises and online content.

Validation of Hybrid Features

Every organization’s needs vary, making it important to validate which hybrid features are necessary.

• OneDrive Redirection: Allows an organization to redirect its OneDrive for Business sites to Office 365.
• Sites: If an organization has some sites on-premises and some online, users can follow sites in either location and have them listed in their followed sites list.
• Extranet: This feature allows external users to access a company’s network over the internet securely.
• Search: As noted above, the ability to search across both on-premises and online content is vital.

Every potential hybrid SharePoint Online setup will require careful planning and consideration. Understanding the requirements, as described above, is a crucial part of that planning process. By deepening your knowledge of SharePoint servers, network connections, directory synchronization and other hybrid requirements, you can ensure a seamless migration or co-existence of on-premises and online systems. This knowledge is essential, whether you’re preparing for the MS-100 exam or looking to employ hybrid solutions in your workplace.

Practice Test

True/False: SharePoint Online cannot support a hybrid environment.

• True
• False

Answer: False

Explanation: SharePoint Online can support a hybrid environment that combines the use of SharePoint Online with SharePoint Server installed on-premises.

Multiple select: Which of the following are hybrid features in SharePoint Online?

• A) Search
• B) Business Connectivity Services
• C) OneDrive
• D) Enterprise Content Types

Answer: A, B, C, D

Explanation: All the options mentioned are hybrid features in SharePoint Online which provide combined use of SharePoint Online with SharePoint Server.

Single select: What is the primary identity model in a SharePoint hybrid environment?

• A) Synchronised Identity
• B) Cloud Identity
• C) Federated Identity
• D) Mixed Identity

Answer: A. Synchronised Identity

Explanation: In a SharePoint hybrid environment, Synchronised Identity is the primary identity model. It uses Azure AD Connect to sync on-premises Active Directory with Office

True/False: User Profile Application is a requirement for SharePoint Online hybrid setup.

• True
• False

Answer: True

Explanation: A User Profile Application in the on-premises SharePoint Server farm synchronises with the Office 365, and it is essential for SharePoint Online hybrid setup.

Multiple select: Which of the following are benefits of SharePoint Hybrid?

• A) Unified Search Experience
• B) Reduced risk of data leakage
• C) Unified access to applications
• D) None of the above

Answer: A, B, C

Explanation: Unified search experience, reduced risk of data leakage, and unified access to applications are all benefits of a SharePoint Hybrid environment.

Single select: Is it necessary to have one-way outbound connectivity to Office 365 URLs and IP address ranges on port (80 and 443) for SharePoint Online hybrid setup?

• A) Yes
• B) No

Answer: A. Yes

Explanation: Yes, for SharePoint Hybrid setup this connectivity is needed for services such as Search, Business Connectivity Services, and Identity among others.

True/False: Access to certain SharePoint Online features requires SharePoint Server on-premises to be connected to the internet.

• True
• False

Answer: True

Explanation: Search, taxonomy, and other hybrid features rely on internet connectivity for service-to-service communication between SharePoint Server on-premises and SharePoint Online.

Multiple select: Which elements of SharePoint hybrid topology require SSL?

• A) SharePoint add-ins
• B) Server-to-server-authentication
• C) Public-facing URL of on-premises SharePoint farm
• D) All of the above

Answer: A, B, C

Explanation: The elements of SharePoint hybrid that require SSL are: SharePoint add-ins, server-to-server-authentication, and public facing URL of on-premises SharePoint farm.

Single select: Which SharePoint Online hybrid feature does not require a server-to-server trust?

• A) Business Connectivity Services
• B) OneDrive
• C) Search
• D) Custom apps

Answer: B. OneDrive

Explanation: SharePoint Online OneDrive can operate independently and does not require a server-to-server trust, unlike the other mentioned features.

True/False: You need to have the latest version of SharePoint Server installed on-premises to set up a hybrid environment with SharePoint Online.

• True
• False

Answer: False

Explanation: It is not necessary to have the latest version of SharePoint Server. SharePoint Server 2016 or later versions can be used to set up a hybrid environment with SharePoint Online.

Interview Questions

What is a hybrid environment in the context of SharePoint Online?

A hybrid environment in SharePoint Online is a scenario where an organization has some SharePoint resources on-premises and some in the cloud with SharePoint Online.

What are some common hybrid requirements for SharePoint Online?

Common requirements include the configuration of single sign-on, server-to-server trust, and configuring the SharePoint hybrid picker to enable seamless navigation between SharePoint Online and on-premises sites.

What is the purpose of server-to-server trust in a hybrid environment?

The server-to-server trust allows secure communication between SharePoint servers in the on-premises environment and SharePoint Online.

What is the SharePoint hybrid picker?

The SharePoint hybrid picker is a tool that helps you configure hybrid features in SharePoint. It ensures seamless navigation between SharePoint Online and on-premises sites by correctly routing URL requests.

How can users access content in the on-premises SharePoint Server from SharePoint Online?

Users can access on-premises content from SharePoint Online through hybrid search, which integrates the search indexes of SharePoint Online and on-premises SharePoint Server.

Which protocol is used for the secure communication in a server-to-server trust?

The secure communication in a server-to-server trust is established using the OAuth 2.0 protocol.

What role does Azure AD play in hybrid configurations for SharePoint Online?

Azure AD is used in hybrid configurations for authentication and authorization, ensuring that only authorized users have access to resources.

What is the role of Single Sign-On (SSO) in a SharePoint Online hybrid environment?

Single Sign-On (SSO) allows users to log in once and use both on-premise and online resources without needing to log in separately for each resource.

Can you use hybrid SharePoint with Office 365 public groups?

Yes, hybrid SharePoint supports integration with Office 365 public groups, allowing users on both platforms to collaborate effectively.

What is the primary function of hybrid federated search in SharePoint Online?

The Hybrid Federated Search in SharePoint Online combines the search indexes from SharePoint Server and SharePoint Online to provide users with unified search results.

What is Delve and how does it work in a hybrid SharePoint environment?

Delve is a cloud-based service in Office 365 that helps users find and discover pertinent information across integrated Microsoft products by using patterns, trends and relationships. In a hybrid SharePoint environment, Delve can surface content from both on-premise and online sources.

What requirements need to be met for SharePoint hybrid taxonomy?

For SharePoint hybrid taxonomy, a SharePoint Server 2016 or later version should be used, an SSL certificate should be configured, outbound connectivity for SharePoint servers should be ensured and Azure AD Connect should be installed and synchronizing.

What is OneDrive in the context of a hybrid SharePoint environment?

In a hybrid SharePoint environment, OneDrive allows users to store and share files from anywhere. With hybrid OneDrive, users have a single access point for files in SharePoint Server and SharePoint Online.

How can you ensure that users have a similar look and feel in SharePoint Online and SharePoint Server in a hybrid configuration?

By using hybrid sites features, the user navigation experience can be made consistent across SharePoint Online and SharePoint Server. This provides a similar look and feel on both platforms.

What is BCS hybrid and how does it work in SharePoint Online?

BCS, or Business Connectivity Services hybrid, allows SharePoint Online to access data that resides in your on-premise SharePoint farm. This ensures that the data remains secure on premises while being accessible online.