Overview of managed metadata in SharePoint Server 2013 & 2016

In this article, let us see the systematic procedure to create and configure Managed Metadata Service Application in SharePoint 2013 and 2016.

Summary: today we will learn about SharePoint managed metadata including terms, term sets, taxonomy, Groups, Term store Administrators, Group Manager, Contribute permission.

This will apply to SharePoint 2010 (As Manage metadata introduce with this version), 2013 and 2016.

So, let us start with what is Managed Metadata Service: Managed metadata is a hierarchical or can say classified collection of centrally managed terms that we can define, and then use as elements for items in SharePoint Server. It is allow using metadata and sharing content types on site collection, web application and farm level.

Before stating we have some keywords with Managed metadata, would like clear that first: Taxonomy, Folksonomy, Terms and term sets

Starting from short description and can say definition for each above keywords.

Taxonomy: A taxonomy is a frequently referral about saying this information architecture of your site collections or sub sites, Also it is a hierarchical classification of words, labels or terms that are organized into groups based on similarities.

Folksonomy: Users collaboratively apply words, labels or terms to content on a site in a Classification. Used to enable content classification to evolve with user to change accordingly.

Terms: A term is an individual items or a phrase that can be associated with an item, which comes under terms set in SharePoint Server. A term has a unique ID, and it can have many different text labels.  If we will little bit advanced with terms, there are two types of terms called: Managed terms & Enterprise keyword. We will see definition and use of it later of this article.

Term set: A term set is a collection or group of related terms. It is depending on where a term set is created, its scope can be local or global.

Group: A group is a set of term sets that all share common security requirements. This is shown and configured for user who have access. In simple word, we can say, “Groups define security boundaries.”

We cleared about terminology used for Managed Metadata service, let us start creating Managed Metadata service on SharePoint server and we will demo for each points with screen shots:

To Create Managed Metadata Service on SharePoint Server,

• Open Central Admin site, user should have admin rights to create services on server
• Below screen shot will on the screen once we have opened Central Admin:

• Here click on manage service application under the Application management. Which I have highlighted on above screen shot.
• From the Manage Service Application click on new drop down button from Service Application, tab. Here click Managed Metadata Service from New object drop down, shown below screen shot:

• Immediate to clicking on the same it will redirect us to new page called Create New Managed Metadata service. Down the page we will getting many of required box which should be enter to create new Managed Metadata service, followings are the same:

Service Name: Name, which will show under created application page, it may be any name should be identical.

Database server: Name of database server name

Database Name: Database name for this service

Database authentication: select as per your farm

Application Pool: it is used to run the service; we can either use the existing app pool / create a new one by selecting the option available.

Configurable: User name of this service, we can register new user name as well.

Content Type Hub: type service application name for content type

Below are the screen shot for more details:

• If you want to register new managed account, click on the register new managed account and enter user name and password:

• Once all done, click on OK option and wait for some time, now the Managed Metadata service is configured.

• We can check for Managed Metadata service application, go to central admin page, and select Manage services on server from Application Management quick launch.

• If Managed metadata service will be Stopped stage, we need to start the Managed Metadata service. If you start this service, Managed Metadata creates the service applications. 
• Go back to central admin page, select managed Service application and can see managed metadata service is created and status is showing started. See below screen shot:

• We can verify from SQL Management studio, database is created.

• Click on Managed Metadata service, the setting page will get open

• Once the Managed Metadata service is created, we can create new Managed metadata as well, right click on taxonomy term store option shown below and create new group and assigned the name, here we can change term store administrator, contributor as well.  

• Adding New administrator for Managed Metadata from Application server page, click on administrator control on the top ribbon page under the tab called service application, it will pop up a page, here we need to add user name and click on ok, if you wish to remove any user we can remove from here itself, select user and click on remove.

With this, we are done with overview of Managed Metadata and Creating the Managed Metadata Service Application.