Introduction to SharePoint On-Prem
Architecture & Setup
Site Management
Lists & Libraries
Pages & Content
Permissions & Security
Search & Navigation
Automation & Workflows
Integration & Extensibility
Development & Customization
Administration & Governance
Migration & Upgrades
Compliance & Records Management
Server-Side Development (SSOM)
The Server-Side Object Model (SSOM) is the most powerful and low-level development model for building custom solutions in SharePoint on-premises. It provides a set of classes and APIs that run directly on the SharePoint servers, giving developers full control over the platform.
What It Is
When a developer writes code using SSOM, that code is executed on the same servers that host the SharePoint farm. This provides access to every part of the SharePoint platform, from managing site collections and users to interacting directly with the content databases. A developer can build custom workflows, event receivers, or web parts that perform actions that are not possible with client-side code.
Power and Risk
The biggest advantage of SSOM is its power. Because the code runs with full trust, it can perform almost any action. However, this power is also at its biggest risk. A single error or a bug in a piece of SSOM code can cause the entire SharePoint farm to crash or become unstable, impacting all users. This is a primary reason why it’s considered a high-risk development model that requires extensive testing and expertise.
The Move to Client-Side
With the rise of SharePoint Online and the modern SharePoint Framework (SPFx), Microsoft has strongly encouraged developers to move to client-side development. These newer models are safer, more flexible, and don’t pose a risk to the entire server farm, which is a significant advantage in a modern, cloud-first world. SSOM, while still functional in on-premises environments, represents a development approach that has been largely replaced.
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