Trying to understand site structures

[Doug_F]

What I think I understand:
IIS is the web server
SharePoint provides a structure for creating and managing specific web sites
under IIS. SP sites may have their designs changed using SP Designer (SPD)
PWA are specifically created sites living under SP. The root PWA site
cannot be edited using SPD.
Sites created under the parent PWA site may be edited using SPD.
Site content for SP/PWA sites is stored in a SQL Server db.
A limited number of config files do live at the file level on the SP server.

Where I get confused:
If I open a PWA child site in SPD, is what I see that looks like directory
structures is actually 'stuff in the SQL db' or 'stuff in a bunch of file
directories' or both?
If I want to make use of a custom image on a PWA page, where do I put it? I
see a number of \image directories on the SP server but I also see these in
SPD. Where does this stuff live?

I've looked in books, I've searched here, and used google with only limited
success. Thanks for pointing me in the right direction and cleaning out the
cobwebs.

Doug

 

[Adam Behrle]

Hi Doug,

Here is a simplified explanation that might help.

I wouldn't say SharePoint provides a structure for managing specific
web sites under IIS, it is managing the rendering/security etc for
*virtual* web sites (and it is running under IIS).

You're correct in thinking that some config files exist on the file
system, but some additional web files and XML definition files exist
as well.

Regarding where files live...

If you wanted an image (or any file) available to all SharePoint
sites, you could place it in SharePoint's layouts folder (c:\program
files\common files\microsoft shared\web server extensions\12\template
\layouts). If you dig in there you'll find an IMAGES folder.

The directory structure that you see in SharePoint designer is a
virtual folder, so the objects live in the database and not in the
file structure. If you wanted to make an image available to one site,
you could upload the file into this folder structure using SharePoint
designer.

Hope that clarifies some...

Adam

 

[Doug_F]

Adam,

Thanks! I was close and your explanation pulled the loose bits together.

Doug