Key Features in Managed Metadata for SharePoint 2010
Posted by Don Snyder on Mon, Feb 21, 2011 @ 09:11 AM
SharePoint 2010 is built upon the success of SharePoint 2007 by giving users more of the key elements that they have embraced. The program made improvements on the document management system to create effective content structures within the program. The most prominent changes were by providing Enterprise Metadata Management.
The new features offered in SharePoint 2010 introduce managed metadata which is the concept of “tagging” content or in Microsoft’s case defining content using terms or keywords. SharePoint 2010 features the Term Store Management Tool which provides users with the proper permissions to manage terms and terms sets in an efficient way. Using this tool a user can create, modify or delete a term or term set. They can arrange managed terms in a term set into a hierarchy, define synonyms, import terms, and make keywords into managed terms as well. SharePoint 2010’s managed metadata enables organizations to share content in a more consistent and unified way.
The key features in managed metadata for SharePoint 2010:
- Keywords: SharePoint 2010 has several levels of control using keywords and terms. Keywords being the most basic level, this is a word that defines content. The user can use whatever word they deem appropriate, they are never represented in hierarchies. Many SharePoint 2010 content types offer a default keyword column.
- Terms: A word or phrase associated with content. Once a term is put into place a user can make the term a managed term or managed keyword.
- Managed Terms: Managed Terms are created from terms by users with certain permissions. These managed terms are often organized into a hierarchy, which are term sets.
- Term Sets: The way managed metadata works, it allows the user to create and manage terms and more importantly term sets independently from the columns themselves. There are local term sets created within the site collection. But there are also global term sets where the creator does not necessarily have to be the manager of the set group. Users can see and use global sets and sets local to their own site collection. The availability of global sets across organizations essentially is what makes managed metadata so functional.
Managed Metadata Services in SharePoint 2010 is a big step to creating a common view of content across organizations and building powerful search and filters. What is your favorite feature when using managed metadata?
