SharePoint4us

What is the Purpose of it ?

Introduced in SharePoint 2010

How to Configure the Content Type Hub?

Let us see, how to use the content type hub in SharePoint 2013.

Let us see that with step by step procedures.

1. Let us create our SiteCollection for the Content Type Hub

                                        Create Site Collection

Once its created, Click on Site SettingsàManage Site Collection Features.

Activate Content Type Syndication Hub feature

You  can see the created Site Columns 

  Now Create a new content Type  add these Site Columns to It

   Add Existing Site Columns

Click on Manage publishing for this content type and Select Publish and click ok 

Note: This Link only gets enabled if we activate Content Type Syndication Feature.

Click it Manage publishing for this content type and Select Republish and click ok

Now go to Site Setting à Under Site Collection Administration àContent Type Publishing.

You can see the published content types here.

 If you are not able to see that immediately, there is a timer job which needs to run. This timer is configured as Hourly basis by default. We can execute this time manually also. The timer is “Content Type Subscriber”. 

Create new Site Collection or  Web Application   Goto Site Settings  Site Content Types

This is the way of Configuring the Content Hub

Below are some of the limitations/FAQ about content type hubs:


1. Which field types are supported? Custom fields and external data columns are not supported(you cannot create external data columns in the content type gallery).
 
2. What happens if a web application is member of two different Content Type Hubs? The default Managed Metadata Service(MMS) gets the priority and will be your content type hub. However, if you customize the service application associations for the web application, you can select the appropriate MMS application proxy for the content type hub.
3. What happens if a user changing a synchronized Content Type inside the Target Site Collection? The subscribed content types are marked 'read only' in the target site collection. Users are unable to manage/change the synchronized content types inside the target site collection. Changes to the content type should always be made in the content type hub and republihsed to push the changes to the subscribed sites.
4. What happens with content types within the sub-site structure? 
Content type subscription is a site collection level feature, so you consume the content types in the top root web and it flows down the sub-sites.
5. Are Workflows supported and if yes what are the limitations? Unfortunately workflows are not supported. However, once you have your content type published to the target site collection, you can create and associate workflows to the subscribed content types in the target site.
Update:  on associating workflows with published content types. As always, you are able to still create list workflows in the target site collection instead of associating with the content type if required.
 
6. What happens with document templates? Document templates associated with the content type are also published along with the subscribed content type.
 
7. What happens with Document Set content Types? Yes, you can subscribe to document set content types. In this case, all the dependent content types with the document set & the document set itself will be published to the target site. However, you should have the Document set feature activated in the target site.
8. What about feature dependencies? Feature dependencies are not activated automatically in the target site collection. Thus, they need to be activated manually before the subscription process, else the content type publishing job will fail in the target site collection for that subscribed content type. Best example is when you subscribe to document set content types
Thanks 

Why is the Purpose?

So you might be wondering that there exist list columns for the same purpose.

Following are some advantages provided by Managed Metadata:

1. Term Sets can be shared across a site collection or globally

2. Searching using Metadata gives more relevant result

           

                       Some Concepts inside Managed Metadata

How to configure managed meta data service?

We can configure the managed meta data service in central administration. 

Central Administration--> Application management-->Manage service applications 

In Manage service applications, add new managed meta data service as shown in the image below.

Add Name, Database name, Application pool name details in the popup as shown images below.
Name: Name of the service.
Database name: Name of the data base for the service.
Application Pool: Application pool to run the service.

Followed screen

  Managed meta data service will be created in the service applications. 

Check managed metadata web service is running in the services (Application management--> manage services)

After creating managed meta data service, we need to check the following properties (Managed meta data service--> Properties(top ribbon))

Default Keyword location: To store new enterprise keywords in the keyword set associated term store in the managed meta data or not.

Default term set location: To store term sets, while creating managed meta data site columns in managed meta data term store.

Use Content Types: This option will available only if the service has hub defined to share content types. This option need to select when to make content types that associated managed meta data service available to users of sites in the web application.

Push-down Content Type Publishing updates from the Content Type Gallery to sub-sites and lists using the content type: This option need to select when update the existing instances of the changed content types in sub-sites and libraries.

Check the permissions for managed meta data service (Select the service--> click on Administrators (top ribbon)), assign administrator to the service as shown the images below.

 Select the Service and click on Administrators in ribbon.

By clicking on the managed meta data service, it will redirect to managed meta data screen as shown in the image below. There we can create new groups, term sets and terms.