Install and Configuration

Production and Farm Deployments

Development Environments (i.e. may not be a supported config)

SharePoint and Small Business Server 2011

Installation tips

  • Don’t run the Config Wizard straight away. Check you’ve installed everything you need first. e.g. if installing Enterprise Edition, install OWA as well before running the config wizard.
  • If using Powershell New-SPConfigurationDatabase (to install without AD), when prompted to supply user credentials, use format Servername\Username and use a unique account (i.e. spadmin)
  • For demo VMs, to turn off IE enhanced security – go to Server Manager, click on Root, scroll down and click on ‘Configure IE ESC’

Service Pack 1

Security and Permissions

  • Remember SharePoint groups cannot be nested. Windows Security groups can.
  • Enabling anonymous access:
    1. In Central Admin, select Manage Web Apps,
    2. Select the Web App to be granted anonymous access and click Authentication Providers in the ribbon
    3. Click on Default zone and check box to enable anonymous access
    4. Click on Anonymous Policy in ribbon and set policy for anonymous access (e.g. deny write)
    5. In Site Collection, go to Site Permissions and click on Anonymous access in ribbon
  • Kerberos issues. Need to configure Kerberos Delegation if multiple servers in farm and using Kerberos as server authentication.  Details: http://www.windowsecurity.com/articles/Troubleshooting-Kerberos-SharePoint-environment-Part3.html
  • Correct setting to force ignore proxy when adding to CONFIG files (incl miisetup.exe.config for FIM and web.config). Difference compared to most online sources is addition of ‘useDefaultCredentials’
    <system.net>
    <defaultProxy useDefaultCredentials=”true”>
    <proxy usesystemdefault = “false” proxyaddress=”yourproxyserver” bypassonlocal=”true” />
    </defaultProxy>
    </system.net>
  • Basic proxy settings for web.config 
    <system.net>
    <defaultProxy>
       <proxy autoDetect="true" proxyaddress="thisiswhereyourproxyshouldbe" bypassonlocal="true" />
    </defaultProxy>
</system.net>

Content Databases

Easy way to map site collections to content databases within Central Admin (suitable for a small number):

  • Central Admin – Application Management – Manage Content Databases
  • Create the content databases you require
  • Stop them all (take offline). Note: Doesn’t actually take the databases offline, people can still access SharePoint and create sites, lists and libraries. You just can’t create site collections when the database is offline in Central Admin
  • Start the one you want to create a site collection for. Create the site collection. Then stop the database again
  • Rinse and repeat for each site collection.

Moving databases to a different server

Best avoided if possible but sometimes the need can arise…

See also under SharePoint 2013 handbook. Official MS guide has been updated for 2013.

Alternate Access Mapping

Each web application must have either a dedicated IP, Host Header or Port number. The first two options require TCP/IP and DNS to be configured prior to create each web application.

Powershell

SharePoint specific

General Powershell tips

Problems running Powershell scripts? Don’t forget to change the execution policy if you haven’t signed them. To check what policy is currenlty in use, type ‘Get-ExecutionPolicy.  To lower the security level, type ‘Set-ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned’ (or Unrestricted).

IIS Reset

Use iisreset /noforce to help prevent data lose in case IIS services cannot be stopped within one minute time-out period.

Backup/Restore Reminder

Powershell command: 

Restore-SPSite -Identity <Site collection URL> -Path <Backup file> [-DatabaseServer <Database server name>] [-DatabaseName <Content database name>] [-HostHeader <Host header>] [-Force] [-GradualDelete] [-Verbose]

Backup the entire farm:

Backup-SPFarm -Directory c:\backuppath -BackupMethod Full

Useful references: Restore a site collection (TechNet) and Moving a site collection (TechNet Social)