Deploying the Solution in SharePoint Online

In this article I would like to share the procedure to add, activate and update the solution in SharePoint Online.

SharePoint Online solution

• In SharePoint Online we can only deploy the sandboxed solutions. Farm level deployments are not allowed in SharePoint Online.
   
• Sandboxed solutions: Sandboxed solutions provide a framework for developers to create, and for SharePoint Online administrators to upload and activate, custom code solutions to SharePoint Online. Sandboxed solutions run in an environment that has access to a core subset of the server object model. The sandboxed solutions framework gives developers access to the major objects at and below the site collection level.
   
• Using PowerShell, we can deploy the farm level solutions (SharePoint On-premise). Using SharePoint Online we can add the solutions to the Site Collection Solution Gallery.

Procedure to deploy the solution

Use the following procedure to upload and activate the solutions.

Step 1: Open your site and go to the “settings” from your top level site as in the following:



Step 2: Then select the “site settings” from your settings (drop down) as shown below:


Step 3: When you click on the site settings, you will navigate to the site settings page as shown below:



Step 4: On the site setting page, you can see the “Web Designer Galleries” section as in the following:



Step 5: Under the “Web Designer Galleries” section, you can find the “Solutions” as shown below, then click on the Solutions in the Site Settings page.



Step 6: When you click on the solutions, you will get the solution page as in the following:


Step 7: On the solutions page, you have the option to upload the solutions (WSP). Then click on the upload solution option from the top ribbon bar as in the following:



Step 8: When you click on the “Upload solution”, you will get the pop-up to upload the solution as shown in the following:



Step 9: Then click on the “choose file” from the pop-up and then click “Ok” to activate the solution,.

Sandbox solutions WSP only should be supported in SharePoint Online.

Step 10: After clicking on the “OK” button, you can activate the solution, as shown below:



Finally the solution will be activated in your online site.

Procedure to update the Sandbox Solution in SharePoint Online

Use the following procedure to update the solutions.

Before updating the solution, you should deactivate the solution.

Step 1: Select the solution that you want to deactivate as in the following:


Step 2: When you select the solution, the “Deactivate” option will be enabled on your ribbon bar as shown below:



Step 3: Then click on the “Deactivate” option from the top ribbon bar, you will get the pop-up as shown below:



Step 4: When you click on “Deactivate” the solution will be deactivated from your site.



Then you can update the solution by using upload solution options.

Summary

In this article we have explored how to deploy and update the solutions in SharePoint Online.