Merry Christmas!!!

I hope you've enjoyed reading this blog over the last year and that you've had a great year in SharePoint. 

There isn't going to be a blog post this week, due to the Christmas Holiday.

Next week I'll be back at it with instruction on putting a backup script in place.

Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy new year!

Cheers,

Stacy

P.S.

Check out this awesome PowerShell Reference Library on PowerShell.com: http://powershell.com/cs/media/28/default.aspx

Check out this PowerShell Code repository on http://poshcode.org/

Setting up your farm for optimal performance - Super User and Super Reader Accounts

It is important to configure the super user and super reader accounts for your SharePoint farm in order to optimize it's use of the object cache.  This is true especially if you are using the SharePoint Server Publishing Infrastructure.

Here is a link to the detailed steps on TechNet: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ff758656.aspx 


Here are the high level steps:

Create or get two service accounts created, one for the Super User and one for the Super Reader
Add the Super User account to each web application with Full Control
Add the Super Reader account to each web application with Full Read
(Both of the above can be performed via central admin - Application Management > Manage Web Applications > User Policy)

Then run the following four lines in an elevated SharePoint management console

$wa = Get-SPWebApplication -Identity "<WebApplication>"

$wa.Properties["portalsuperuseraccount"] = "<SuperUser>"

$wa.Properties["portalsuperreaderaccount"] = "<SuperReader>"

$wa.Update()

Repeat this for each web application that you have.

use these values:

• <WebApplication> is the name of the web application to which the accounts will be added.
• <SuperUser> is the account to use for the Portal Super User account as you saw it displayed in the User Column field mentioned in Step 14 of the previous procedure.
• <SuperReader> is account to use for the Portal Super Reader account as you saw it displayed in the User Column field mentioned in Step 14 of the previous procedure.

For example, assuming the sp content account shown below was the Super User account, you would  type $wa.properties["portalsuperuseraccount"]="THEMANCAVE\SPContent"

on line two.  On line one, you'd type either the URL or the name of the web application, so either $wa = Get-SPWebApplication -Identity "SharePoint - 80" or $wa = Get-SPWebApplication -Identity "http://2010app1/"

 

and on line three, it would be similar to line two, just replacing the account with the reader account, assuming spreader was the reader account,

 

$wa.properties["portalsuperreaderaccount"]="THEMANCAVE\SPreader"

 

Note:  this server uses that as the search account, so you would want a different search account or a different reader account, don't use the same account for crawling and for reading the object cache.

Also, if you are working with a SharePoint 2013, you'll want to use the claims based accounts when running the powershell

$wa.properties["portalsuperreaderaccount"]="i.0#.w|THEMANCAVE\SPreader"

 

 

 

Cheers,

 

Web Application not getting created on all Web Front ends?

If you ever run into a situation where your farm suddenly fails to create the web application on all front end web servers, in other words it only gets created on the server running central admin, one good indication of that will be that the screen shown here: 

Which normally advises you that the web application was created and would you like to know more about FBA (forms based authentication) will not appear. 


 Instead you will see a screen that says the page can not be displayed by Internet explorer, similar to the one shown here:

 

This starts to occur when the process model shutdown time limit for the application pool that runs central admin is not long enough.  This is usually due to one or a combination of the farm not having enough resources, being overworked due to more than 20 web applications, or numerous extended web applications.

 

 

The detailed steps for this blog post are found here: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2543306

 

Here are the high level steps to resolve this issue:

 

Logon to your server that runs central admin

Open IIS Manager (inetmgr.exe)

Right click on the Central Administration application pool

Select Advanced Settings

increase the Shutdown Time Limit for the Process Model from the default of 90 seconds to something higher, e.g. 300 Seconds.

 

 

 

 

You're good to go now; but you should check and delete the web application that didn't replicate and make sure it was removed from the physical path of IIS before you attempt to recreate.  Check all servers in your farm that have SharePoint binaries installed.

 

 

Before I knew this trick, I was adding and removing servers from the farm to get the web application to replicate, adjusting the process model shutdown time limit is much faster,

 

Cheers

Exporting and Importing just a list or a library

If the goal is to import just one list or one library there are a couple ways you can accomplish this:

1. Navigate to settings for the list or library, save it as a template, navigate to the solutions gallery, right click on the newly created template, save it as Windows SharePoint Services solutions package and then deploy that solutions package to your site, activate the feature, and begin using the list or library, Or,

2. Run this PowerShell, making sure to use the actual URL of the list or the correct name of the library.  Surround this item in quotes

Export-SPweb http://mySitethathaslist/sites/ToExport -Item "Lists\Name of the list" -Path e:\PathToSaveFile\Filename.cmp -IncludeUserSecurity -IncludeVersions All

then copy that Filename.cmp to the destination server and run

Import-spweb http://anothersharepointblog.blogspot.com -Path e:\PathtoWheretheFilewasImported\FileName.cmp -includeUserSecurity -UpdateVersions Overwrite

Note:  if the url to the list was actually lists/nameList then the Item part in the Export-spWeb above would've read "Lists\nameList"  and not "Lists\Name of Lists".  Also if you are performing this for a document library, Lists\ is not needed.

Cheers,

Provisioning a SharePoint 2010 Farm Service Applications using a PowerShell Script

 

This video is best if watched in Full Screen mode:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3HAjO8yiANM  and any references to completed services should really say, the powershell script has completed creating the service application and you still need to manually configure it, just as you would if the service were created by the White Wizard.  Difference with this method is that it generates a SharePoint environment containing database names that are GUID free.

 

Here's another video of this process


Contents of Bus.ps1 Replaces the White Wizard\Farm Wizard

It places all the service applications under one application pool in IIS

#####################################################
This script replicates most of the functionality found in the SharePoint Products Configuration Wizard with the EXCEPTION of the USER PROFILE SERVICE##################################################### 
Add-PSSnapin Microsoft.SharePoint.PowerShell -erroraction SilentlyContinue

## Settings you may want to change ##
$databaseServerName = “2010SQL”
$searchServerName = “2010WEB1” #Front end Server that will run central admin, the server you’re on right now
$saAppPoolName = “SharePoint Web Services Default”
$appPoolUserName = “DOMAIN\MyFarmer” #farm admin account for Timer and Central admin, check that both services are running under this account before
# running this script

## Service Application Service Names ##
$accesssSAName = “Access Services”
$bcsSAName = “Business Data Connectivity Service”
$excelSAName = “Excel Services Application”
$metadataSAName = “Managed Metadata Web Service”
$performancePointSAName = “PerformancePoint Service”
$searchSAName = “SharePoint Server Search”
$stateSAName = “State Service”
$secureStoreSAName = “Secure Store Service”
$usageSAName = “Usage and Health Data Collection Service”
$userProfileSAName = “User Profile Synchronization Service”
$visioSAName = “Visio Graphics Service”
$WebAnalyticsSAName = “Web Analytics Service”
$WordAutomationSAName = “Word Automation Services”


$saAppPool = Get-SPServiceApplicationPool -Identity $saAppPoolName -EA 0
if($saAppPool -eq $null)
{
Write-Host “Creating Service Application Pool…”

$appPoolAccount = Get-SPManagedAccount -Identity $appPoolUserName -EA 0
if($appPoolAccount -eq $null)
{
Write-Host “Please supply the password for the Service Account…”
$appPoolCred = Get-Credential $appPoolUserName
$appPoolAccount = New-SPManagedAccount -Credential $appPoolCred -EA 0
}

$appPoolAccount = Get-SPManagedAccount -Identity $appPoolUserName -EA 0

if($appPoolAccount -eq $null)
{
Write-Host “Cannot create or find the managed account $appPoolUserName, please ensure the account exists.”
Exit -1
}

New-SPServiceApplicationPool -Name $saAppPoolName -Account $appPoolAccount -EA 0 > $null

}


Write-Host “Creating Usage Service and Proxy…”
$serviceInstance = Get-SPUsageService
New-SPUsageApplication -Name $usageSAName -DatabaseServer $databaseServerName -DatabaseName “UsageDB” -UsageService $serviceInstance > $null

 Write-Host “Creating Access Services and Proxy…”
New-SPAccessServiceApplication -Name $accesssSAName -ApplicationPool $saAppPoolName > $null
Get-SPServiceInstance | where-object {$_.TypeName -eq “Access Database Service”} | Start-SPServiceInstance > $null

 Write-Host “Creating BCS Service and Proxy…”
New-SPBusinessDataCatalogServiceApplication -Name $bcsSAName -ApplicationPool $saAppPoolName -DatabaseServer $databaseServerName -DatabaseName “BusinessDataCatalogDB” > $null
 
Get-SPServiceInstance | where-object {$_.TypeName -eq “Business Data Connectivity Service”} | Start-SPServiceInstance > $null

 Write-Host “Creating Excel Service…”
New-SPExcelServiceApplication -name $excelSAName –ApplicationPool $saAppPoolName > $null
 
Set-SPExcelFileLocation -Identity “http://” -ExcelServiceApplication $excelSAName -ExternalDataAllowed 2 -WorkbookSizeMax 10 -WarnOnDataRefresh:$true

Get-SPServiceInstance | where-object {$_.TypeName -eq “Excel Calculation Services”} | Start-SPServiceInstance > $null

Write-Host “Creating Metadata Service and Proxy…”
New-SPMetadataServiceApplication -Name $metadataSAName -ApplicationPool $saAppPoolName -DatabaseServer $databaseServerName -DatabaseName “MetadataDB” > $null
 
New-SPMetadataServiceApplicationProxy -Name “$metadataSAName Proxy” -DefaultProxyGroup -ServiceApplication $metadataSAName > $null
 
Get-SPServiceInstance | where-object {$_.TypeName -eq “Managed Metadata Web Service”} | Start-SPServiceInstance > $null


 Write-Host “Creating Performance Point Service and Proxy…”
New-SPPerformancePointServiceApplication -Name $performancePointSAName -ApplicationPool $saAppPoolName -DatabaseServer $databaseServerName -DatabaseName “PerformancePointDB” > $null
 
New-SPPerformancePointServiceApplicationProxy -Default -Name “$performancePointSAName Proxy” -ServiceApplication $performancePointSAName > $null
 
Get-SPServiceInstance | where-object {$_.TypeName -eq “PerformancePoint Service”} | Start-SPServiceInstance > $null


##START SEARCH

Write-Host “Creating Search Service and Proxy…”
Write-Host ” Starting Services…”
Start-SPEnterpriseSearchServiceInstance $searchServerName
Start-SPEnterpriseSearchQueryAndSiteSettingsServiceInstance $searchServerName

Write-Host ” Creating Search Application…”
$searchApp = New-SPEnterpriseSearchServiceApplication -Name $searchSAName -ApplicationPool $saAppPoolName -DatabaseServer $databaseServerName -DatabaseName “SearchDB”
$searchInstance = Get-SPEnterpriseSearchServiceInstance $searchServerName

Write-Host ” Creating Administration Component…”
$searchApp | Get-SPEnterpriseSearchAdministrationComponent | Set-SPEnterpriseSearchAdministrationComponent -SearchServiceInstance $searchInstance


##Crawl
Write-Host ” Creating Crawl Component…”
$InitialCrawlTopology = $searchApp | Get-SPEnterpriseSearchCrawlTopology -Active
$CrawlTopology = $searchApp | New-SPEnterpriseSearchCrawlTopology
$CrawlDatabase = ([array]($searchApp | Get-SPEnterpriseSearchCrawlDatabase))[0]
$CrawlComponent = New-SPEnterpriseSearchCrawlComponent -CrawlTopology $CrawlTopology -CrawlDatabase $CrawlDatabase -SearchServiceInstance $searchInstance
$CrawlTopology | Set-SPEnterpriseSearchCrawlTopology -Active

Write-Host -ForegroundColor white ” Waiting for the old crawl topology to become inactive” -NoNewline
do {write-host -NoNewline .;Start-Sleep 6;} while ($InitialCrawlTopology.State -ne “Inactive”)
$InitialCrawlTopology | Remove-SPEnterpriseSearchCrawlTopology -Confirm:$false
Write-Host

 ##Query
Write-Host ” Creating Query Component…”
$InitialQueryTopology = $searchApp | Get-SPEnterpriseSearchQueryTopology -Active
$QueryTopology = $searchApp | New-SPEnterpriseSearchQueryTopology -Partitions 1
$IndexPartition= (Get-SPEnterpriseSearchIndexPartition -QueryTopology $QueryTopology)
$QueryComponent = New-SPEnterpriseSearchQuerycomponent -QueryTopology $QueryTopology -IndexPartition $IndexPartition -SearchServiceInstance $searchInstance
$PropertyDatabase = ([array]($searchApp | Get-SPEnterpriseSearchPropertyDatabase))[0]
$IndexPartition | Set-SPEnterpriseSearchIndexPartition -PropertyDatabase $PropertyDatabase
$QueryTopology | Set-SPEnterpriseSearchQueryTopology -Active

 Write-Host ” Creating Proxy…”
$searchAppProxy = New-SPEnterpriseSearchServiceApplicationProxy -Name “$searchSAName Proxy” -SearchApplication $searchSAName > $null


#####END SEARCH


Write-Host “Creating State Service and Proxy…”
New-SPStateServiceDatabase -Name “StateServiceDB” -DatabaseServer $databaseServerName | New-SPStateServiceApplication -Name $stateSAName | New-SPStateServiceApplicationProxy -Name “$stateSAName Proxy” -DefaultProxyGroup > $null

 Write-Host “Creating Secure Store Service and Proxy…”
New-SPSecureStoreServiceapplication -Name $secureStoreSAName -Sharing:$false -DatabaseServer $databaseServerName -DatabaseName “SecureStoreServiceAppDB” -ApplicationPool $saAppPoolName -auditingEnabled:$true -auditlogmaxsize 30 | New-SPSecureStoreServiceApplicationProxy -name “$secureStoreSAName Proxy” -DefaultProxygroup > $null
 
Get-SPServiceInstance | where-object {$_.TypeName -eq “Secure Store Service”} | Start-SPServiceInstance > $null
#USER PROFILE SERVICE Creation commented out because there are still known issues
with creating it via powershell
 #Write-Host “Creating User Profile Service and Proxy…”
#$userProfileService = New-SPProfileServiceApplication -Name $userProfileSAName -ApplicationPool $saAppPoolName -ProfileDBServer $databaseServerName -#ProfileDBName “ProfileDB” -SocialDBServer $databaseServerName -SocialDBName “SocialDB” -ProfileSyncDBServer $databaseServerName -ProfileSyncDBName “SyncDB”
#New-SPProfileServiceApplicationProxy -Name “$userProfileSAName Proxy” -ServiceApplication $userProfileService -DefaultProxyGroup > $null
#Get-SPServiceInstance | where-object {$_.TypeName -eq “User Profile Service”} | Start-SPServiceInstance > $null

 Write-Host “Creating Visio Graphics Service and Proxy…”
New-SPVisioServiceApplication -Name $visioSAName -ApplicationPool $saAppPoolName > $null
 
New-SPVisioServiceApplicationProxy -Name “$visioSAName Proxy” -ServiceApplication $visioSAName > $null
 
Get-SPServiceInstance | where-object {$_.TypeName -eq “Visio Graphics Service”} | Start-SPServiceInstance > $null

 Write-Host “Creating Web Analytics Service and Proxy…”
$stagerSubscription = “”
$reportingSubscription = “”
New-SPWebAnalyticsServiceApplication -Name $WebAnalyticsSAName -ApplicationPool $saAppPoolName -ReportingDataRetention 20 -SamplingRate 100 -ListOfReportingDatabases $reportingSubscription -ListOfStagingDatabases $stagerSubscription > $null

New-SPWebAnalyticsServiceApplicationProxy -Name “$WebAnalyticsSAName Proxy” -ServiceApplication $WebAnalyticsSAName > $null
 
Get-SPServiceInstance | where-object {$_.TypeName -eq “Web Analytics Web Service”} | Start-SPServiceInstance > $null
 
Get-SPServiceInstance | where-object {$_.TypeName -eq “Web Analytics Data Processing Service”} | Start-SPServiceInstance > $null

 Write-Host “Creating Word Conversion Service and Proxy…”
New-SPWordConversionServiceApplication -Name $WordAutomationSAName -ApplicationPool $saAppPoolName -DatabaseServer $databaseServerName -DatabaseName “WordAutomationDB” -Default > $null
 
Get-SPServiceInstance | where-object {$_.TypeName -eq “Word Automation Services”} | Start-SPServiceInstance > $null
############################################## End Script

Now proceed to manually configuring your service applications (e.g. the Secure Store Service for Excel Services, Visio graphics, and performance point. The managed meta data service for a content type hub)

See this post starting at step 8 for steps to configure the  User Profile Service

Links to Software to create a home lab

Pre-requisite:  A server with at least 16 GB of RAM

 

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/evalcenter/hh670538  - Server 2012

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-US/evalcenter/hh973397  - SharePoint Server 2013

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-US/evalcenter/hh973403  - Project Server 2013

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-US/evalcenter/hh225126 -  SQL 2012

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/evalcenter/default - all Evaluation Software

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-US/evalcenter/dn407368 - previous editions (e.g. windows server 2008 R2, Sharepoint 2010, etc)

http://www.visualstudio.com/downloads/download-visual-studio-vs  90 day trials of Visual Studio

Here are your  high level steps:

On your server with 16-32 GB of ram and xeon processors, run up either Vmware, or install Windows Server 2012 Datacenter and install the Hyper-V role

Then create a VM and
Install DNS or just wait for active directory to install it on your first DC
Install Active Directory Domain Services,

Create another domain controller and join it into the domain for redundancy
Create some Host (A) records in DNS

Start creating your vm’s for your farm
Install Windows
Install SQL
Install SharePoint

What are Crawled Properties, iFilters, and Connectors in SharePoint 2010?

This post lists links to various TechNet resources, along with a brief  regarding each resource:


Crawled Properties:  this page details the properties that are included in the index by default.  You can modify the default properties to provide a richer index that is targeted in relation to your objectives.

For example, is a person's work phone or job title part of the default content that is indexed from MySites?  check this page to find out.

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/hh134087(v=office.14).aspx

to change that, click on Metadata Properties off the Search Service Administration page, available by navigating to Application management > Manage Service Applications

Default iFilters:  this page details the file types that are supported by default. And, it lists whether the file types are included in the search administration file types page under the "file type included by default" column.  If you don't see your file type listed, (e.g. adobe acrobat pdf), you have to download and install the iFilter, an image file for the crawl server to use next to pdf's, and then register the iFilter in registry.

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/gg405170(v=office.14).aspx

Default connectors:  this page explains the various types of connectors that are supported out of the box.  Ever wonder what sps3 was for?  check out this page.

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/gg153530(v=office.14).aspx

Move SharePoint Server IIS to a different drive

To move IIS to a different drive is a fairly straightforward procedure.

This blog - -> http://blogs.iis.net/thomad/archive/2008/02/10/moving-the-iis7-inetpub-directory-to-a-different-drive.aspx has detailed the steps very neatly.

In a nutshell, and to adapt them to a SharePoint install, here is what I recommend.

1. Run the SharePoint pre-requisite installer and say no to running the SharePoint products and Technologies Wizard.

2. Run the MoveIIS7root.bat from the site above

3. Use xcopy to copy all content to the new location

4. Verify that E:\inetpub was created, and verify ACL's and content with what is on C:\InetPub

5. navigate to HKLM\Software\Microsoft\InetSTP and make sure physical path to IIS is set to the path you selected when running MoveIIS7root.bat and verify that it does not contain two \\'s.  it should read e:\ not e:\\

6. Verify that you can delete the C:\InetPub folder, and if you can not, then take ownership starting at the deepest directories and work your way up to the C:\inetpub, deleting as you go.

7. Stop and start www service (sc stop w3svc, sc query w3svc, then after is stopped, sc start w3svc - or via services.msc)

8. Stop and start IIS admin service (sc stop iisadmin, sc query iisadmin, sc start iisadmin)

9. Restart server, make sure recovery settings for services are set to restart on failures
.
10. Continue with the SharePoint install by running the SharePoint Product and Technologies Wizard

How to - IIS moving sites and applications

In this completely, hypothetical, situation, you are the web administrator for a website named ChiNet.  Chinet is an old, antiquated site, but you love it nonetheless and want to move it to a completely different server.  The URL to Chinet is http://chinet.yourdomain.com

1. Open inetmgr (iis manager)

2. Then right click on the web you want to move to another server, or right click on the entire server if you want

3. Click on deploy and if you dont see deploy, click here

4. Click on export application

5. Copy the zip file to your destination server

6. Make sure the physical path to your web exists, and any local users and groups exist, on the destination server (e.g. d:\inetpub\chihome\wwwroot  or whatever, and then the local users) - - this would be the relative same physical path where the site was stored, only now it is on the new server.

7. Open iis manager (inetmgr)

8. Create a new site that points to the physical path that you created in step 6

9. Right click on the site, click deploy, click import application

10. Navigate to the location where you placed the zip file

11. Place the contents of it in the root (watch this, it will try to double root you, maybe  chihome/chihome,   remove the second chihome)

12. Next through

13. Begin enjoying your website named chinet on the new server

14. Get the cname record in dns switched to point to this servers host name (A record)

A few Random development tricks - slighted trickery

CSS to block quicklaunch etc.


<style>
.ms-quicklaunch
{
display:none;
}
.ms-navframe
{
display: none;
}
.ms-globalTitleArea {
display: none;
}
</style> 

The following code is for a sharepoint redirect, just add it to a content editor web part

<meta http-equiv="refresh" content="10;url=http://MYSERVERNAME.com/Pages/default.aspx">

This code, below, taken from http://pathtosharepoint.com  will ADD the quicklaunch using a CEWP

<!-- Load and display Quick Launch - iframe version -->
<!-- Questions and comments: Christophe@PathToSharePoint.com -->
<!-- Paste the URL of the source page below: -->

< iframe id="SourcePage" style="display:none;" src="http://[YourSite]/default.aspx" onload="DisplayQuickLaunch()"></iframe>
<script type="text/javascript">
function DisplayQuickLaunch()
{
var placeholder = document.getElementById("LeftNavigationAreaCell");
var quicklaunchmenu = null;
var SourcePage = document.getElementById("SourcePage");
try {
   if(SourcePage.contentDocument)
      // Firefox, Opera

      {quicklaunchmenu = SourcePage.contentDocument.getElementById("LeftNavigationAreaCell") ;}
   else if(SourcePage.contentWindow)
      // Internet Explorer
      {quicklaunchmenu = SourcePage.contentWindow.document.getElementById("LeftNavigationAreaCell") ;}
   else if(SourcePage.document)
      // Others?
      {quicklaunchmenu = SourcePage.document.getElementById("LeftNavigationAreaCell") ;}
}
catch(err) { alert ("Loading failed");}
var allDescendants = quicklaunchmenu.getElementsByTagName("*");
for (i=0;i<allDescendants.length;i++) {
allDescendants[i].removeAttribute("id");
allDescendants[i].removeAttribute("onclick");
allDescendants[i].removeAttribute("onfocus");
allDescendants[i].removeAttribute("onmouseover");
}
placeholder.innerHTML = quicklaunchmenu.innerHTML;
}
</script>

Migrating to Windows 2008 R2 from a 32-bit (x86) Server

Overview

Since Windows 2008 R2 only comes in a 64-bit flavor it is impossible to perform an in place upgrade on a Server running on x86 architecture for P2V or for whatever reason.  As such, a migration to a new 64Bit server is required.  These are the two possible options:

• Deploy a new machine and manually copy, recreate share permissions, Local users, groups etc.
• Use Windows Server Migration tools to copy and create local users and groups, copy data, copy share and folder permissions, etc.

This document covers the second bullet point.

Prepare the Target:

1. Deploy the target machine from an approved template.
2. After target is joined into the domain, install Windows Server Migration tools feature:
3. Open Server manager click on features, then click on add features
4. Scroll down and select the migration tools option, as shown:
5.  After selecting the Windows Server Migration tools, install it.
6. Open a command prompt and navigate to c:\Windows\System32\ServerMigrationTools
7. Share out a folder that the administrator account will be able to access across the network from the source machine, create this migration folder on the target server.  In other words, Just create a folder named migration, share it so that you’ll be able to access it from the source.
8. Create the migration package, go back to your command prompt and into the server migration tools directory under system32 and input the following command.  Note: the shared folder used in this example is named Migration and is on the C:\

SmigDeploy.exe /package /architecture X86 /os WS03 /path C:\Migration

(Image of actual command being run in a window on  a machine that has the path to the servermigrationtools folder defined in its environment variable)

Prepare the Source

1. Install powershell v 1.0 or higher on the source, go to this site http://support.microsoft.com/kb/968929 scroll towards the bottom and download and install the appropriate version of powershell for your servers architecture.  (WARNING: don’t install x64 architecture onto x86 machines or vice versa).  A restart is not needed to complete the install for version 2.0 powershell.
2. Make sure .Net Framework 2.0 or higher is installed, if it isn’t go here and download the appropriate installer for you architecture: http://www.microsoft.com/net/download , A restart will be needed to complete the install.
3. Navigate to the migration shared folder that you created on the target
4. Copy the entire folder from within the migration folder to the C:\ drive of the source machine.  If you created a package to migrate from a windows Server 2003 32 bit machine the folder you will be copying in this step is named SMT_WS03_X86.
5. Open a command prompt with admin priviledges (e.g. right click cmd.exe and choose run as administrator)
6. Navigate into the folder that you just copied in step 2, (e.g. cd c:\smt_ws03_x86)
7. Run the following command to register the tools in the 2003 machines registry

.\smigdeploy.exe

8. This will register the migration tools and open a powershell command window allowing you to proceed to the next section.

Migrate Local users and groups

Migrate the local users and groups prior to migrating files, folders, IIS webs, ntfs permissions, and share permissions. 

Firewall Pre-Requisites

To do this you’ll need to run the following commands on your windows 2008 R2 target and might have to run one command on the 32 bit machine:

2008 or 2008 R2

netsh advfirewall firewall add rule name=ServerMigration(TCP-In) dir=in program=%windir%\System32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0\powershell.exe action=allow protocol=TCP localport=7000

 

netsh advfirewall firewall add rule name=ServerMigration(UDP-In) dir=in program=%windir%\System32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0\powershell.exe action=allow protocol=UDP localport=7000

The 2003 machine will more than likely not have the firewall enabled and as a result will not need this command.

2003

 

netsh firewall add allowedprogram program=%windir%\System32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0\powershell.exe name="ServerMigration" mode=ENABLE

 

1. In the powershell window that opened after you registered the migration package on the source computer enter the following command:

Export-SmigServerSetting -User All -Group -Path \\ServerName\Migration –Verbose

Notice: the –Path points to the server name and the migration share; so, if you shared your migration folder out as WindowsMigration, the path would be different.

2. Go to the target server, open a Windows PowerShell session with elevated user rights. To do this, click Start, click All Programs, click Accessories, open the Windows PowerShell folder, right-click Windows PowerShell, and then click Run as administrator.
3. Enter the following:

Add-PSSnapin Microsoft.Windows.ServerManager.Migration

(Note: this loads the server migration tools snap in into powershell)

Then enter,

Import-SmigServerSetting -User All -Group -Path c:\Migration –Verbose

Notice: the –Path points to C:\ drive and the migration folder since it is on this server

4. Wait for the task to complete and then verify local users and groups from the source to the target
5. Once you have verified that all users and groups were migrated, you’re ready to migrate files, folders, shares, etcetera

Migrate Files and folders

Source server – Step One

1. In the elevated powershell window enter the following:

Send-SmigServerData -ComputerName <DestinationServer> -SourcePath d:\users -DestinationPath d:\ users -Recurse -Include All -Force

Note: <DestinationServer> = the netname of your destination server and there is a space in between/ in front of -, but it is hard to see.

Hint: If you make the source path the same as the destination path, the migration will create the folder on the destination and copy all files into the destination folder while creating all permissions, share permissions, and webs.  We found that running the send-smigserverdata prior to the receive works better in SSANet.

If this fails, reverse steps one and two.

Target Server – Step Two

2. In an elaveted powershell window make sure you have the migration tools snap in loaded (see step 3 from the previous section).  Note: if you didn’t close the powershell window from the import you’re good to go.
3. Enter the following within 5 minutes of kicking off the send

Receive-SmigServerData

All progress will be shown on the source server, don’t restart the server or close the powershell windows on either source or target.

References:

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd379474(v=ws.10).aspx  - Contains detailed instructions, including what was described in this document.

Technet Video on Migration tools install into a 32 bit or 64 bit server. - http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/windowsserver/ee914657.aspx

Good luck and Cheers, Stacy

Convert a classic based authentication SharePoint 2010 web application into a claims based web application that will use forms based authentication

This blog post attempts to bridge the gap between creating a claims based authentication web application versus converting a classic web application to claims, essentially step 1 of this blog: http://blogs.technet.com/b/mahesm/archive/2010/04/07/configure-forms-based-authentication-fba-with-sharepoint-2010.aspx


 New-SPAuthenticationProvider - http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ff607878.aspx

Here's how you create a new web application that uses claims based authentication, using powershell (step one of the first link in this blog).   Notice how $ap variable, below,  substantiates the new authentication provider and provides the membership provider and role provider names?

$ap = New-SPAuthenticationProvider -ASPNETMembershipProvider "membership" -ASPNETRoleProviderName "rolemanager"

Set-SPWebApplication -Name "Claims Windows Web App" -ApplicationPool "Claims App Pool" -ApplicationPoolAccount "redmond\appool" -Url http://<servername> -Port 80 -AuthenticationProvider $ap


Then notice how the set spweb application actually creates the new web app using that variable $ap

The user running these commands should be a member of the SharePoint_Shell_Access role on the config DB, and a member of the WSS_ADMIN_WPG local group on all front end servers.

Finally, When you provision\create a web application in SharePoint 2010 you get the option to enable Claims based authentication. However, after the provisioning there's no option in the GUI to turn it on if you wanted to switch from classic to claims.. PowerShell to the rescue once, again with the option to change from classic to claims based authentication using the lines below.

$App = get-spwebapplication “http://sp1:8000”
$app.useclaimsauthentication = “True”
$app.Update()

then set the membership and role providers

see this blog for the rest of the steps, and remember that this is a one way street and you cant go back to classic




http://blogs.technet.com/b/mahesm/archive/2010/04/07/configure-forms-based-authentication-fba-with-sharepoint-2010.aspx

 

An error has occurred after removal of an extended zone

Let's say you've applied the advice from unextending an extended zone and are now either getting a blank page after re-using the the vanity url or you're receiving a message that "Something has went wrong" or "An error has occurred". 

You ran Get-SPWebApplication http://sitename.com | Remove-SPWebApplication http://sitename.com -Zone "Intranet" and then the Intranet choice was available on the web application, the alternate access mapping for http://sitename.com was no longer associated with said web application and the world seemed right. 

It seemed right until that vanity url was re-extended the web application.  It was at this point that an error occurred.  Or if you re-extended the same vanity URL on a different web application you are now getting a blank page and no semblance of your SharePoint site.

Here's what to do:  Navigate to the physical storage for each site on each server that is a member of your web garden \ SharePoint Farm, barring the SQL boxes, and make sure that the site was removed from IIS. 

If you see the folder located there in the virtual directory, go back and first remove the site from IIS, as it is more than likely still there, then delete this folder.
 
In other words after unextending the site, navigate to inetpub\wwwroot\wss\virtualdirectories and make sure that the folder is gone, then look in IIS and make sure that the site is also not hanging around, if they are, delete them.  Repeat on each server that is a member of your farm (web garden) and then reset IIS on all servers in the farm.

Sorry about not including that in the original post, good luck and cheers!  Stacy

Speed up that slow team site, make it publish and harness the output cache

The steps below turn your team site into a team site that is capable of using publishing features and capabilities.  But all they really do, from an end user perspective, is optimize how the page loads.

These steps are needed to speed up load times for sites built off the Publishing Portal web template\BlankInternet#0 and/or the Team Site Template\STS#0 to get the desired snappiness affect. 

In other words, these steps will have a positive impact on both publishing portals and/or team sites; since, neither site has the output cache enabled by default.

Pre-requisites:  Site collection Administrator

1.       Open the site and go to top level site settings, _layouts/settings.aspx

2.       Then make sure you’re in the top site, aka the site collection’s first site or parent site and click on Site Collection Features under Site collection administration.  If you see “go to top level site settings” click it and then click on Site collection features.

3.      Make sure you didn’t click on Site features, check that the url is not ending in _layouts/ManageFeatures.aspx but rather  _layouts/ManageFeatures.aspx?Scope=Site

4.       Now Turn on (activate) SharePoint Server Publishing Infrastructure

5.       Now remove the ?Scope=Site and turn on SharePoint Server Publishing

6.       Now go back to the settings  (_layouts/settings.aspx) page of the top level site

7.    Click on Site collection cache profiles and examine the various profiles, especially the Intranet (Collaboration site)

8.       Go back to settings, and click on Site collection object cache and examine the settings

9.       Go back to settings, click on site collection output cache, enable the output cache by checking the box, choose the Intranet (Collaboration site) for anonymous cache profile and for authenticated cache profile, check the boxes under Page output cache policy and if you want debug info, check that one as well

10.   Go back to settings, and under Site Administration, click site output cache, click apply these settings to all sub sites, and then click ok

11.   Close your sites, clear your browser cache, flush your history of visitied sites from your machines DNS cache (ipconfig /flushdns)

12.   Ok, now the site will be tested as to how fast it opens, open it

Enable and Use Developer Dashboard to see how your page loads and view metrics.

Pre-requisites:

Site-collection administrator

Follow these steps, or ask your admin, to enable the developer dashboard in on demand mode:

(green-can use your own values, red-controls outcome, black-don't change it)


1.  Open the SharePoint Management Shell as an admin

 

2. Type the following commands:

 

$service=[Microsoft.SharePoint.Administration.SPWebService]::ContentService

$devdashsetting=$service.DeveloperDashboardSettings

$devdashsetting.DisplayLevel=[Microsoft.SharePoint.Administration.SPDeveloperDashboardLevel]::OnDemand

$devdashsetting.Update()

This script enables the Developer Dashboard in OnDemand mode.

You could also, as an alternative way of enabling this, add those commands to a text file, save the file as a .ps1 and then execute the ps1 on your farm. 

 

Then once the dashboard is enabled for on-demand use, developers that are members of the site collection admins can enable the dashboard by clicking the icon located next to their user name.

After the dashboard is enabled, the metrics are shown at the bottom of the page that is loaded, refresh the page to see how fast it loads, HTTP Handler events for the HTTP request, Web Server Stats, Asserts and Critical Events, Database Queries, Service Calls, SPRequest Allocations, and WebPart Events Offsets.

To turn it off

$service=[Microsoft.SharePoint.Administration.SPWebService]::ContentService

$devdashsetting=$service.DeveloperDashboardSettings

$devdashsetting.DisplayLevel=[Microsoft.SharePoint.Administration.SPDeveloperDashboardLevel]::Off

$devdashsetting.Update()