Author Archives: Vladilen.com

SharePoint Updates Qiuck Guide

(this article is under development)

It is important to test the update process in a test environment. Test environment must be as much as possible similar to production.

 

Applying SharePoint updates to a server farm

Safest update method

The safest method to update a SharePoint farm is to take the entire farm offline, update all servers, and then bring the farm back online. This method requires a maintenance window that might not be practical for all organizations.

High availability updating

High availability updating involves more planning, testing, and coordination. The general outline for the process includes the following steps.

Continue reading →

SharePoint BC, HA and DR

(the article is under development)…

In short, keeping SharePoint online means designing a fault-tolerant architecture, coding customisations & apps in a well designed and tested manner, and implementing good SharePoint governance. First though, the architecture…

 

(SharePoint PLA – Product Line Architecture)

 

References:

Continue reading →

SharePoint Distributed Cache

Distributed Cache should be patched separately from SharePoint (DC updatess will not come with SharePoint CUs…).

Do not use SharePoint Distributed Cache with your custom code.

 

Useful commands

Connect-AFCacheClusterConfiguration
Get-CacheHost
Get-AFCacheClusterHealth
Get-SPServiceInstance | ? {($_.service.tostring()) -eq "SPDistributedCacheService Name=AppFabricCachingService"} |fl
Get-AFCacheHostConfiguration -ComputerName XXX -CachePort "22233"
$svc=$f.Services | ? {$_.Name -eq "AppFabricCachingService"}
$svc.ProcessIdentity
Get-AFCacheAllowedClientAccount
#Stop-SPDistributedCacheServiceInstance –Graceful
#Update-SPDistributedCacheSize -CacheSizeInMB 1024
#Add-SPDistributedCacheServiceInstance
#Grant-AFCacheAllowedClientAccount -Account "domain\upsa_runas_account"
get-command -module DistributedCacheAdministration

 

=======================

Continue reading →

SharePoint Workflow Manager setup

(see also Part1: SharePoint Workflow Manager Review)

Installation (offline) step-by-step

Ensure hardware/software requirements. Ensure/configure your server (time, time zone, IP, hostname, domain, language, region, ESC, updates, event log).

Accounts you need (for example):

  • Svc-WFM-FarmAdm – domain users + local admin on WFM Servers, DBCreator and SecurityAdmin on SQL
  • Svc-WFM-SBAcc – domain users
  • Svc-WFM-WFAcc – domain users

DNS: wfm.contoso.kz points to Workflow Manager Server (or load-balancer)

On an Internet connected machine:

Continue reading →

SharePoint 2013 and Certificates. Quick Guide.

 

SharePoint Apps

wildcard SSL cert (*.contosoapps.com) is needed

$trustCert = Get-PfxCertificate "c:\wfm.cer"
New-SPTrustedRootAuthority -Name "Workflow Manager Farm" -Certificate $trustCert

Continue reading →

SharePoint 2013 Configure an environment for apps Quick Guide

Configure App Management Service Instance and Service Application

purchase a domain name from a domain name provider for your apps, for example, ContosoApps.com
create a forward lookup zone for the app domain name (ContosoApps.com)
create a wildcard Alias (CNAME) record for the new domain name (*.ContosoApps.com -> Portal.contoso.com)
create a wildcard SSL certificate for app domain (*.ContosoApps.com)

Start App Management and Microsoft SharePoint Foundation Subscription Settings services.

Continue reading →

SharePoint Workflow Manager quick review and setup guide

What is Workflow Manager

  • Formerly Azure Workflow Server/Services (AWS)
    – Same “code base” as Windows Azure Service Bus
  • Windows Workflow Foundation – .NET 4.5
  • Scalable and reliable workflow engine
  • REST based
  • Multi-tenant capable – logical construct of “scopes” provides partitioning

SharePoint 2013 Workflow Manager in comparison with 2010

  • Future of WF
  • Decoupled from SharePoint, and supporting other consuming platforms
  • Declarative only
  • On Premises or Cloud
  • Consistent with .NET Framework Workflow
  • Much more capable
  • App friendly
  • Available in SharePoint Server only

Topologies

One or three servers (Service Bus and quorum implementation)

Continue reading →