SharePoint Accelerator - Installation

Step 1

Download the SharePoint Accelerator installer to your server and run it. After installation you will be able to run the configuration (config) tool. On the left-hand panel of the config tool you will see a  list of websites on your server, select the website you wish to install the SharePoint Accelerator on then click on the INSTALL button,  the SharePoint Accelerator installs with acceleration 'off'.  To turn acceleration 'on' - select Status 'on'. A orange tick () will appear next to the name of your website on the lefthand panel confirming that acceleration is 'on' and that the SharePoint Accelerator is installed correctly.

Step 2

Let's start optimizing your website! Under Configure select to configure the SharePoint Accelerator in either Safe Mode or Expert Mode.  Our experience tells us that most people want to select Expert Mode straight away - resist the temptation - for most websites Safe Mode will give an excellent optimization result. The Safe Mode default settings provide good acceleration for most sites. Expert Mode allows you to fine tune the configuration and customize the website’s acceleration. Choose your acceleration mode, click the Configure button and you will be brought to the Configuration screen.

Step 3

The Configuration options are on the left-hand panel.

Safe Mode Configuration

Choose the Acceleration Profile that most closely matches your website - SharePoint Website or SharePoint Intranet. Depending on which Profile you choose the SharePoint Accelerator will run on a default configuration to ensure optimal acceleration.

The second tab is Health Check, on this screen the SharePoint Accelerator will log any warnings or errors that may be preventing optimal acceleration. The information on this screen will help you and us troubleshoot any issues.

The third tab is Exclude URLS, here you will be able to add URL's to be excluded from acceleration optimization.

The fourth tab is Run Mode, here you will be able to move to production mode with a valid license and the watermark that appears on every optimized page will be hidden.

As you browse through your website, within the config tool, you may notice an error notification appear on the bottom right of the screen e.g. 'JavaScript errors on this page', click on this link and a pop-up box will provide more detail of the error which you can then troubleshoot.

Expert Mode Configuration

Advanced configuration settings are grouped in StyleSheets, Javascript, and Images tabs. These settings allow you to turn off and on optimization features and set them to a certain level appropriate for your website. The Exclude URL's tab is also replaced with Custom Rules which allows you to 'turn down' the optimization level for a particular page, directory path or resource rather than excluding it from optimization completely.

After making a configuration change click Apply, then select the Stylesheets tab - here you can see the immediate effect of an optimization via the inbuilt web browser - click on the 'page statistics' tab and view before and after optimization statistics; you can also simulate different internet connection settings and see how end-users experience your website at various connection speeds. Alternatively click on the Aptimize watermark for quick statistics.

Step 4

Once you are happy with your optimized website you are ready to go into 'production mode'. To do this click on the 'Run Mode' tab on the left-hand menu.

In order to move into 'production mode' you will need to install a license. If you need to purchase a license please click on the 'get licence' button, you can then switch to production mode and the Aptimize watermark, which appears on every page, will disappear.

Production mode should be used to run any performance or stress tests against. For further information on moving to production please see our Production Hosting Guide.