Using Microsoft SharePoint allows for instant accessibility internally and externally across your organization. Administrators rely on several tools to improve their SharePoint management and access controls.
In this blog post, we’ll discuss some of the best SharePoint tools I have personally used and have written a detailed review.
Many distinct elements influence the effectiveness of SharePoint’s results. Server uptime, network accessibility, and application dependencies are examples of such factors. So, to deal with that, there are many tools in the market, and some of the best SharePoint tools I will discuss in this article.
SolarWinds Server & Application Monitor, for example, is highly versatile and powerful monitoring and management tool that may be very beneficial in monitoring your company’s access to SharePoint and ensuring that it meets service requirements.
What Is SharePoint?
SharePoint is a software platform created by Microsoft to manage, store, and organize information and create web pages or portals for management. Users may post files and collaborate on them in a few simple clicks.
One of the program’s biggest strengths is its ability to display information about the documents or data stored, where it is located, and why. Metadata is a term for this sort of data that allows customers to understand why specific information has been saved. Metadata may be utilized to store and search for data, useful when creating a database.
Both SharePoint Online and SharePoint Server are web-based applications that may be accessed via the internet or locally via Microsoft Office.
Thanks to SharePoint’s intranet-based, cross-collaborative nature, any business can use it to store, share, and manage collaboratively managed information effectively. As a consequence, the execution of processes may be improved. SharePoint’s adaptability and scalability allow it to be configured to meet your company’s unique needs.
What Is The Use Of A SharePoint Administrator Tool?
SharePoint is a popular website development and document management/storage solution with several additional features.
Servers, farms, and apps provide modern company SharePoint services. However, each element must be properly controlled to maintain a good service.
You can use a SharePoint admin tool to keep an eye on these aspects for problems like latency and then do more detailed troubleshooting. When tiny problems can have a big impact on end-users, monitoring SharePoint’s performance is far more essential.
The Best Tools for SharePoint
Our methodology for selecting SharePoint monitoring tools and software
We reviewed various SharePoint monitoring tools and analyzed the options based on the following criteria:
- Support for various versions and implementations of SharePoint
- Ability to monitor SharePoint within an enterprise environment
- A facility to analyze SharePoint performance over time
- Graphical interpretation of data, such as charts and graphs
- A free trial period, a demo, or a money-back guarantee for no-risk assessment
- A good price that reflects value for money when compared to the functions offered
Businesses widely use Microsoft SharePoint for document and communication management. The majority of organizations rely on Microsoft SharePoint for information management and team collaboration.
Every day, companies create a variety of documents and conversations. Because of this, employers extol SharePoint as a solution for organizing and distributing critical information to specified team members. It has a host of capabilities that make running the company and improving it in every way possible easier.
Microsoft has several market-dominating IT solutions in the field of business information technology. End-to-end administration and monitoring of Microsoft operating systems are provided by a monitoring solution from Paessler PRTG Network Monitor, used in Microsoft environments.
Before we look at the best SharePoint admin tools, let’s take a look at how Paessler PRTG Network monitoring software – Microsoft can help you increase performance. By inspecting the results of this comprehensive tracking tool, you can better understand the health and efficacy of an application by looking at indicators such as CPU usage, Windows network load balancing, server restarts during crucial times, and failed login attempts.
In general, SolarWinds Server & Application Monitor can monitor network health and other data. We have a list of additional SharePoint administrator tools that are less expensive and more customizable.
The Best SharePoint Tools
1. SolarWinds Server & Application Monitor – FREE TRIAL
With the SolarWinds Server & Application Monitor, you can track SharePoint resource usage as well as the performance of other applications and servers in your network.
The problem, server infrastructure, and the application concerned are all relevant factors to consider while troubleshooting. You can view all of this information in tables and meters in a dashboard view to provide you with important statistics.
SolarWinds Server & Application Monitor keeps track of requests per second, request wait time, bandwidth, and denied requests. All the data you’ll need to assess SharePoint server performance is available here.
SolarWinds Server & Application Monitor has seamless integration with SolarWinds Web Performance Monitor for the greatest troubleshooting. This integration is an easy-to-use tool for determining what’s causing slow webpage loads.
Pros:
- Supports real-time network topology mapping and inventory lists depending on devices entering the network via auto-discovery
- It has some of the most effective and user-friendly alerting systems available
- Designed for all sizes of businesses from startups to fortune 500
- SNMP monitoring and packet analysis are both supported, allowing you greater monitoring control than with similar solutions
- The use of preconfigured compliance templates in a robust reporting system
Cons:
- I would like to see a longer trial period
Free Trial: Click here to download and start using this tool.
2. ManageEngine SharePoint Manager Plus – FREE TRIAL
ManageEngine SharePoint Manager Plus is a SharePoint management tool created with SharePoint in mind. This web-based tool lets users modify individual or bulk user permissions and establish groups.
The usage of SharePoint may be tracked with SharePoint Usage Analytics. The two most frequent types of usage analytics are search reports and traffic reports. For each user, the user can see a list of the top keywords searched, and the number of individual object searches performed using search reports.
Rank reports likewise provide you with information on the most popular websites and web pages, according to the number of visitors (by page views and unique visitors). XLS, CSV, PDF, and HTML audit reports are provided for easy sharing with other members of your staff.
ManageEngine SharePoint Manager Plus is available for download on Windows. This is one of the adequate tools for SharePoint administration on this list if you’re searching for a more performance-oriented monitoring solution.
Pros:
- Built for SharePoint, it easily interacts with current SP organizational structures and rights configurations.
- With pre-built reports in Usage Analytics, you can analyze SharePoint’s performance and usage.
- Query performance can be optimized based on previous search history.
- It can be accessible from anywhere in the world via a web gateway.
Cons:
- Designed specifically for system administrators, better suited for business environments.
ManageEngine SharePoint Manager Plus is available in three versions: Standard, Professional, and Trial. If you don’t want to commit, you may use the 30-day trial version.
3. Paessler PRTG Network Monitor – FREE TRIAL
Paessler PRTG Network Monitor is a robust tool for monitoring SharePoint performance and server performance. It offers specialized solutions for SharePoint servers in addition to conventional network monitoring features.
Using PRTG, you may keep track of the health and performance of your SharePoint servers, as well as produce reports that are simple for users to comprehend.
PRTG’s sensors monitor a network’s various aspects such as resource usage and file access. WMI SharePoint Process sensor monitors SharePoint servers, while the Microsoft WMI interface monitors Windows PCs.
The PerfCounter IIS Application Pool sensor and the Windows IIS Application sensor are simple to set up and come preconfigured. The former uses performance counters to monitor data, whereas the latter employs data checks. Both sensors keep track of server uptime and performance.
The WMI SharePoint Process sensor, for example, provides metrics such as current page requests and CPU usage, as well as live threads, SQL queries, object memory requirements, template caching, active heap size, and other measurements similar to those previously described.
The Windows IIS Application sensor reports on the volume of traffic, file transfers, queries, and known and unknown users. IIS Application Pool PerfCounter’s IIS Application Pool sensor allows you to track what processes are running in the pool.
You may keep a closer eye on certain assets if you customize the sensors in PRTG Network Monitor. You may also create reports based on the data that matters most to you by configuring the sensors to give generate customer reports
Notifications can be sent via email, SMS, push alerts, audio alarms, and HTTP requests in PRTG. To avoid a flood of alarms for non-critical events that are nonetheless significant, you may personalize these notifications to your needs, such as allowing only high-priority warnings outside of work hours.
Pros:
- Sniffing packets, WMI, and SNMP are used to gather information about network performance.
- A dashboard that can be customized to fit the needs of both lone administrators and teams in the NOC.
- Creating custom views and reports is a snap using the editor’s drag and drop functionality.
- A free version of the software is supported.
Cons:
- PRTG is a comprehensive platform that takes time to fully explore.
Free Trial: Click here to download and start using this tool.
4. SolarWinds Access Rights Manager – FREE TRIAL
SolarWinds Access Rights Manager is a terrific tool for preventing data loss and breaches. Setting up and tearing down, monitoring user permissions, and more are easier with the administrator tool. It also aids in the tracking of failed login attempts.
SolarWinds, Access Rights Manager, allows you to create customized reports in a matter of minutes. SolarWinds, Access Rights Manager, is the product to use if you’re searching for something that can reduce IT work, save time, and assess user permissions and access rights.
You may utilize SolarWinds Access Rights Manager to set up user accounts, de-provision access, and more to protect your data and resources. SolarWinds, Access Rights Manager, can assist you in reducing the impact of insider threats.
Accessibility dashboards are a kind of software that can examine who has access to what parts of SharePoint. One may also verify if someone has adjusted these SharePoint permissions. This low-cost IT management solution is suitable for both cloud and on-premises apps.
Pros:
- Automatically discovers new devices and provides real-time mapping of the network’s topology and inventory lists.
- This tool contains some of the most effective and user-friendly warning mechanisms available.
- Low cost
Cons:
- Caters more to rights management than SharePoint resource monitoring
Free Trial: Click here to download and start using this tool.
5. GSX (GSX Monitor & Analyzer)
GSX checks SharePoint 2007, 2010, 2013, and Office 365 in addition to the original version. This program instantly identifies all linked SharePoint servers.
The servers must be discovered before the SharePoint Overview can show how your servers are split into different roles. SQL servers, application servers, and web front-end servers are all types.
GSX gives a comprehensive monitoring experience capable of detecting and resolving various SharePoint performance difficulties. Latency, mail connectivity, and DNS resolution are only a few things GSX can check. For example, you may create a graph of the response time for an online SharePoint service.
You can establish notifications to provide you with even more control. Email, SMS, pager, pop-up messages, and SNMP traps are used to notify you when SharePoint changes are made. Alerts may be rated on a scale of one to five and escalated to another employee if no action is taken.
Pros:
- Detects and processes SharePoint servers automatically.
- You can prevent downtime and problems by keeping an eye on various measures, such as resource use and latency.
- SMS, SNMP traps, and API interfaces are all supported for alerting, which is very customizable.
Cons:
- Less customizable interface
- This tool can’t monitor infrastructure, network statistics, and applications other than SharePoint.
6. SPDocKit
SPDocKit is a SharePoint management solution that also includes auditing and analytics. This program may produce documentation, best practices, audit, analytic, and rights management data.
You may cut down on time by generating farm documentation rather than entering data manually into the platform. The utility does this by scanning your network and collecting SharePoint configuration information from your resources. Documents like MS Word and MS Excel are then generated from this data.
SPDocKit provides a real-time view of user permissions, making it easier to manage access. You may inspect this data in a table that lists people’s names and permissions. SharePoint groups may be quickly formed and deleted with only a few clicks.
The SharePoint Analytics and Usage Reports are the tools that enable monitoring of SharePoint usage. You can see how many people had visited each farm, site, or subset of sites at any given time when the most recent assessment was completed. It provides a list of those who have visited the site in terms of charts and graphs.
Farm and Consultant pricing are the two components of DocKit’s cost. Farm packages may benefit on-premises farmers. Businesses that directly interact with consumers, on the other hand, may profit from consultant packs.
Pros:
- It’s designed primarily for inspecting and administering SharePoint.
- It has best practice reports and permission audits built-in and analytical insight already.
- Incorporated into large-scale SharePoint deployments and ideal for usage in the workplace
Cons:
- This tool can’t monitor infrastructure, network statistics, and applications other than SharePoint.
7. Metalogix Diagnostic Manager
SharePoint administrators can use Metalogix Diagnostic Manager to watch the system’s performance. Metalogix Diagnostic Manager supports SharePoint Server 2016, 2013, 2010, and Foundation 2013 and 2010. It’s simple to keep track of the health of SharePoint resources.
You may examine SharePoint’s health status in various categories on the dashboard. There’s also a pie chart that displays the condition of each of the four types of servers separately. Resources are classified as Critical, Warning, or Okay to help you decide whether you need to take action.
You may, but you must first go to the Metalogix Diagnostic Manager page on MyMetalogix and create alerts. You can use the GUI to set up criteria for notifications in Metalogix Diagnostic Manager. Notifications will be sent whether the resources are on-premises or in the cloud.
Metalogix Diagnostic Manager is one of the most user-friendly SharePoint admin tools on this list because of its simplicity and health monitoring features. To obtain a precise quote for this product, you’ll have to speak with a Metalogix sales representative. However, you may try out Metalogix Diagnostic Manager for free here.
Pros:
- Provides easy-to-use monitoring of SharePoint, including compatibility for SPS 2007 and earlier.
- Metrics can be sorted by farm, servers, pages, or groups.
- The Diagnostic Manager is an easy-to-use tool for keeping tabs on your SharePoint system’s general health and performance.
Cons:
- No extra monitoring outside of SharePoint is supported.
8. eG Enterprise
Microsoft SharePoint monitoring software, such as eG Enterprise, is also widely used. You can keep track of everything from websites to online applications to web components to databases and logs with this tool. You may access all of this data through the same user interface.
Keeping an eye on SharePoint services might help you avoid an essential service going down. You can use real-user monitoring to determine how well your site performs for visitors. In other words, you may detect performance issues before your end-user does.
It eliminated the biggest risks of failure, protection, and scalability that plagued previous versions. For example, it automatically detects SharePoint apps and infrastructure dependencies to enable you to react swiftly to issues. The many services and their connections form a map that depicts the whole picture. It’s especially beneficial for resolving issues and determining the source of an issue.
There are several different types of eG Enterprise to pick from, including cloud-deployed and on-premises versions. For example, there is a free cloud-based Easy Evaluation package and an audit service that may be used locally and remotely and is available for purchase as a perpetual license or as a subscription.
Pros:
- Visualizes your SharePoint servers and services in a style that’s easy to understand
- Topological maps aid in the visualization of your system’s interdependencies and bottlenecks.
- Real-time monitoring of the user experience gives the most reliable data for gauging the quality of the user experience
- On-premises and cloud-based installations are supported
Cons:
- To get a price quotation, you must call the salesperson
- More difficult to master than comparable items
Final Thoughts
SharePoint is one of the best mediums to share and process your digital data, but monitoring it only through Sharepoint can leave blind spots in your troubleshooting efforts. To fix this, admins rely on SharePoint Administrator tools like SolarWinds Server & Application Monitor, SolarWinds Access Rights Manager, and Paessler PRTG Network Monitor.
How do you manage your SharePoint environment? Let us know in the comments below.
SharePoint Tools FAQs
Do I need to be a developer to use SharePoint tools?
No, many SharePoint tools are designed for use by non-technical users and do not require programming or development skills. However, some tools may require basic knowledge of SharePoint administration and configuration.
Can SharePoint tools be used with SharePoint Online?
Yes, many SharePoint tools are compatible with SharePoint Online, the cloud-based version of SharePoint. However, it is important to check the compatibility of the tool with the specific version of SharePoint being used.
What are some best practices for using SharePoint tools?
Some best practices for using SharePoint tools include defining clear objectives and requirements, selecting the right tool for the job, testing and validating the tool before deployment, and providing training and support for users.
Do SharePoint tools require additional licensing?
Many SharePoint tools require additional licensing beyond the core SharePoint license. This may include licensing for the tool itself or licensing for any third-party components or services required by the tool.
