SharePoint Overview

Overview of SharePoint as a Cloud Storage platform

"SharePoint" can refer to both SharePoint on-premise, which is deployed and managed on an onsite server, or SharePoint Online, the online application. Throughout The Cloud Storage Guide, SharePoint will refer to SharePoint Online unless otherwise stated.

Feature Overview

	Description	Notes
Shared Content	Objects owned and managed by the organization	Known as "Sites", a collection of shared resources including file storage
Individual Content	Personal user content	OneDrive storage. Can be managed by organizations if configured properly
Mailbox	Emails, contacts, and calendars	Outlook mail accounts
Versions	Historical snapshot of documents that can be restored	Configurable. Minimum 100 versions and 30 days expiration for named versions
Document Collaboration	Real-time simultaneous editing	Available in shared storage locations for modern Office file formats.
Account Administration	Managing users, account, and organization information	Managed through SharePoint Admin Center or Microsoft 365 org settings
Auditing and Reporting	Usage and access information	Unified auditing for SharePoint and OneDrive for actions and file access
SFTP , FTP, AS2 transfers	Secure file transfer protocol support	Not supported natively; Supported via a 3rd-party solution like Couchdrop
Additional Features	Other features included with a subscription	Realtime chat and video calling, anytime support, CoPilot AI included

What makes SharePoint unique

SharePoint wasn't originally designed as a storage platform, and was instead intended to be a company's local intranet for communication and collaboration.

While SharePoint has expanded to become the primary cloud storage method of Microsoft 365 organizations, it has also retained its intranet functionality. Because of this, SharePoint is structured differently from other cloud storage platforms.

Instead of traditional drives/folders, storage is broken down into Sites and Document Libraries within a site. A Site is a container for organizing information, including files and other resources. Document Libraries are storage centers for files within a SharePoint Site. One Document Library is included by default in every Site, but one Site can have multiple Document Libraries for organizing information.

SharePoint sites can function both as a website and as file storage by accessing files in the site's backend.

How storage is allocated and handled

The amount of storage available in SharePoint depends on the base storage plus the number of licenses the organization has. Each user adds 1TB to the pooled storage in the organization (on most plans), which can be used across SharePoint and is separate from each user's personal OneDrive.

Each site collection can hold a maximum of 25TB of data, but admins can reduce this threshold for specific sites. Items in recycle bins count towards storage as well as saved versions.

Additional storage can be purchased in 1GB increments as a file storage add-on.

How user management works

A user is an individual in a Microsoft 365 organization with a unique email address. Each licensed user receives a personal OneDrive and email account.

Unlicensed users with restricted features can be added to the organization at no cost.

Users must be added to SharePoint separately after being created. Both licensed and unlicensed users can be added to a SharePoint site, but internal users are required to be licensed according to Microsoft's terms of service.

How content ownership works

SharePoint sites and content within are owned by the organization by default, and can be further restricted through SharePoint Advanced Management.

For OneDrive, each user is the primary admin of their own OneDrive account and files within, and SharePoint admins do not have access by default.

While individuals own their OneDrive content, Microsoft 365 Global Administrators can take ownership of a user's OneDrive in the Admin Center.

How sharing and permissions work

Files and folders within a user's OneDrive are private to them by default. Users can opt to share these items out with individual users or groups. Admins can control which content can be shared and who it can be shared with.

In SharePoint, the following permissions can be applied at the Site level or on individual files or folders:

• Viewers have read-only access.

• Members can add and edit content, but can't change Site settings.

• Owners have full control to directly make changes, including deletions.

Files and folders within Sites and Document Libraries can also be shared with additional users or Groups, including external parties.

All Sites/folders/files can have a link generated that can be shared both internally or externally, with optional expiration down to a specific day.

How syncing with local storage works

SharePoint content can be synced to local storage using the Files on Demand feature. Syncing can be done with OneDrive shortcuts or by direct syncing with local storage. When synced with local storage, SharePoint files appear as the name of the organization, and each library is a separate subfolder.

Microsoft recommends using OneDrive shortcuts in place of syncing so that the most up-to-date version of the content can be used across multiple devices in the organization.

How billing works

Microsoft 365 bills on a per-user basis with several tier levels that add more features across the organization. All business tiers have access to SharePoint, while higher tiers add CoPilot and other incentives.

Additional storage can be added in 1GB increments.

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Click on a box below for more details about SharePoint

Users and Groups in SharePoint

Storage and Sharing in SharePoint

Reporting and Auditing in SharePoint

Frequent Admin Issues in SharePoint

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