Building the Perfect SharePoint 2010 Farm; A Walkthrough of Best Practices from the Field

http://www.sptechcon.com/SanFrancisco2011

Michael NoelConvergent ComputingTwitter: @MichaelTNoel


Author of SAMS Publishing titles “SharePoint 2010 Unleashed,” “SharePoint 2007 Unleashed,” “SharePoint 2003 Unleashed”, “Teach Yourself SharePoint 2003 in 10 Minutes,” “Windows Server 2008 R2 Unleashed,” “Exchange Server 2010 Unleashed”, “ISA Server 2006 Unleashed”, and many other titles .

Partner at Convergent Computing (www.cco.com / +1(510)444-5700) – San Francisco Bay Area based Infrastructure/Security specialists for SharePoint, AD, Exchange, Security


Examine various SharePoint 2010 farm architecture best practices that have developed over the past year

Examine SharePoint Best Practice Farm Architecture Understand SharePoint Virtualization Options Explore SharePoint DR and HA strategies using

Database Mirroring Explore other common best practices (IPv6, SSL, NLB) Learn how to Enable Kerberos for Best Practice Security A large amount of best practices covered (i.e. Drinking

through a fire hose), expectation is that you can take away 2-3 useful pieces of information that can be used in your environment


‘All-in-One’ (Avoid)

DB and SP Roles Separate


2 SharePoint Servers running Web and Service Apps

2 Database Servers (Clustered or Mirrored)

1 or 2 Index Partitions with equivalent query components

Smallest farm size that is fully highly available


2 Dedicated Web Servers (NLB)

2 Service Application Servers

2 Database Servers (Clustered or Mirrored)

1 or 2 Index Partitions with equivalent query components


Multiple Dedicated Web Servers

Multiple Dedicated Query Servers

Multiple Dedicated Crawl Servers, with multiple Crawl DBs to increase parallelization of the crawl process

Multiple distributed Index partitions (max of 10 million items per index partition)

Two query components for each Index partition, spread among servers


Allows Organizations that wouldn’t normally be able to have a test environment to run one

Allows for separation of the database role onto a dedicated server Can be more easily scaled out in the future


High-Availability across Hosts

All components Virtualized

Uses only two Windows Ent Edition Licenses


Highest transaction servers are physical

Multiple farm support, with DBs for all farms on the SQL cluster


Start with a distributed architecture of content databases from the beginning, within reason (more than 50 per SQL instance is not recommended)

Distribute content across Site Collections from the beginning as well, it is very difficult to extract content after the face

Allow your environment to scale and your users to ‘grow into’ their SharePoint site collections


Farm1

home.companyabc.com

/dept

(Mg Path)

mysite.companyabc.com SP Central Adminssp1.companyabc.com

ABC_Farm1_SSP1_Content ABC_Farm1_SPCA_ContentABC_Farm1_Dept1_Content ABC_Farm1_Dept3_Content

ABC_Farm1_Dept2_Content

ABC_Farm1_Config

ABC_Farm1_Root_Content

Additional

Deptartmental

Site Collections,

each with

Separate

content

databases

ABC_Farm1_MySite2_Content










ABC_Farm1_SSP1

ABC_Farm1_Search

/dept1 /dept3/dept2

Shared Services Provider (SSP1)


New in SQL 2005, available in both Standard and Enterprise editions, improved in SQL 2008

Works by keeping a mirror copy of a database or databases on two servers

Can be used locally, or the mirror can be remote Can be set to use a two-phase commit process to

ensure integrity of data across both servers Can be combined with traditional shared storage

clustering to further improve redundancy


High Performance (Enterprise Edition only) Asynchronous Mirroring Safety level = OFF Failure of principal server may result in data loss

High Availability Synchronous Mirroring Safety level = ON Dual-commit process ensures no data loss Third witness server required

High Protection Synchronous Mirroring Safety level = ON Manual failover, no witness server


Single Site HA Mirrored Farm

Synchronous Replication

All Servers in one Physical Location

Cross Site Mirrored HA Farm

Synchronous Replication

Servers split across highly connected physical sites

Two Farm / Mirrored Content DBs

Asynchronous Replication

Content Databases Mirrored Only

Manual Failover Process


Single Site Synchronous

Replication Uses a SQL

Witness Server to Failover Automatically

Mirror all SharePoint DBs in the Farm

Use a SQL Alias to switch to Mirror Instance


Two Sites 1 ms

Latency 1GB

Bandwidth Farm

Servers in each location

Auto Failover


Two Sites Two Farms Mirror only

Content DBs

Failover is Manual

Must Re-index

More details…


SQL Database role requires a great deal of space, especially if versioning is turned on in Document Libraries. Don’t underestimate!

Servers running the Search Service Application Index or Query need hard drive space to store the Index files, which can be 5%-30% of the size of the items being indexed.

The more memory and processor cores that can be given to SharePoint the better, in the following priority: Database Role Search Service Application Role Other Service Application Roles Web Role


Highly recommended: Windows Server 2008 R2 for security, performance (client/server traffic improvements), and ease of setup.

Windows Server 2008 SP1 is also possible, but requires some custom configuration (Kerberos, etc.)

Enterprise Edition of Windows only required for very large SQL instances (More than two cluster nodes, high transaction volume, etc.) Standard edition of Windows is adequate in nearly all other cases.


SQL Server 2008 R2 Recommended, particularly if you have high security requirements, as it allows for transparent encryption of databases and PowerPivot(R2 only)

SQL Server 2005 x64 also supported Enterprise edition of SQL only required for more than

two nodes in a cluster, Asynchronous database mirror replication, and/or greater than 32GB RAM

Separate Reporting Services server may be required for intensive reporting

Separate Analysis Services server may be required for PowerPivot

Create exception in Windows Firewall policy for port 1433


Yes, it is a good idea. IPv4 range has just recently been exhausted on

the Internet (but ISPs will still give out addresses for a while)

Enabled by Default with Windows 2008/2008 R2 Prepare for the future. Consider DHCP Reservations of IPv6 addresses

for the Primary IP of the SharePoint servers…technical reasons for it are many.


Service Account Name Role of Service Account Special PermissionsCOMPANYABC\SRV-SP-Setup SharePoint Installation Account Local Admin on all SharePoint

servers

COMPANYABC\SRV-SP-SQL SQL Service Account Local Admin on Database

Serverr(s)

COMPANYABC\SRV-SP-Farm SharePoint Farm Account;

Application Pool Identity account

for the Central Admin App Pool

N/A

COMPANYABC\SRV-SP-Services Managed Services Account N/A

COMPANYABC\SRV-SP-Search Search Account N/A

COMPANYABC\SRV-SP-Content Default Content Access Account Read rights to any external data

sources to be crawled

COMPANYABC\SRV-SP-Prof Default Profiles Content Account Member of Domain Users (to be

able to read attributes from users

in domain.

COMPANYABC\SRV-SP-MySite Application Pool Identity account

for the MySite App Pool

N/A

COMPANYABC\SRV-SP-Home Application Pool Identity account

for the Home App Pool

N/A


For most flexibility, choose ‘Complete’ Installation, even if not installing all of the roles on the server. This will allow for the addition of roles in the future as needed.

Be sure not to select ‘Stand-Alone’, unless you plan on having a very small farm with a limited database (SQL Server Express)


Highly recommended to choose the final destination for the Index/Query to live (i.e. if it’s on a different drive, enter that during installation). It’s difficult to change index location later.

Remember, after installing the binaries, the server is not a farm member yet…it can be added to any farm. Good concept to use to pre-stage servers.


Good to understand how to install SharePoint from the command-line, especially if setting up multiple servers.

Allows for options not available in the GUI, such as the option to rename databases to something easier to understand.

User PowerShell


Function Configure-SPSearch {PARAM($AppPool, $FarmName, $SearchServiceAccount)

$searchServiceInstance = Get-SPEnterpriseSearchServiceInstance -localStart-SPEnterpriseSearchServiceInstance -Identity $searchServiceInstance

$dbName = $FarmName + "_SearchServiceApplication"

$searchApplication = New-SPEnterpriseSearchServiceApplication -Name "$FarmName Search Service Application" -ApplicationPool $AppPool -DatabaseName $dbName$searchApplicationProxy = New-SPEnterpriseSearchServiceApplicationProxy -name "$FarmName Search Service Application Proxy" -SearchApplication

$searchApplication

Set-SPEnterpriseSearchAdministrationComponent -SearchApplication $searchApplication -SearchServiceInstance $searchServiceInstance

$crawlTopology = New-SPEnterpriseSearchCrawlTopology -SearchApplication $searchApplication$crawlDatabase = Get-SPEnterpriseSearchCrawlDatabase -SearchApplication $searchApplication

New-SPEnterpriseSearchCrawlComponent -CrawlTopology $crawlTopology -CrawlDatabase $crawlDatabase -SearchServiceInstance $searchServiceInstance

while($crawlTopology.State -ne "Active"){

$crawlTopology | Set-SPEnterpriseSearchCrawlTopology -Active -ErrorAction SilentlyContinueif ($crawlTopology.State -ne "Active"){

Start-Sleep -Seconds 10}

}

$queryTopology = New-SPenterpriseSEarchQueryTopology -SearchApplication $searchApplication -partitions 1$searchIndexPartition = Get-SPEnterpriseSearchIndexPartition -QueryTopology $queryTopologyNew-SPEnterpriseSearchQueryComponent -indexpartition $searchIndexPartition -QueryTopology $queryTopology -SearchServiceInstance $searchServiceInstance

$propertyDB = Get-SPEnterpriseSearchPropertyDatabase -SearchApplication $searchApplication

Set-SPEnterpriseSearchIndexPartition $searchIndexPartition -PropertyDatabase $propertyDB

while ($queryTopology.State -ne "Active"){

$queryTopology | Set-SPEnterpriseSearchQueryTopology -Active -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue

if ($queryTopology.State -ne "Active"){

Start-Sleep -Seconds 10}

}}


Due to bugs in SharePoint, certain Service Apps will need to be manually configured, they won’t work in PowerShell yet, hopefully fixed in later versions

This includes the following:

PerformancePoint Service Application

User Profile Service Application

Web Analytics Service Application


Consider using an easy to remember port for the Central Admin service (i.e. 8888). Change to 443 later.

You are welcome to change the Config Database name to match a common naming convention

Your database access account is the SP Service account, which only needs DBCreator and Security Admin rights on SQL. Don’t give it more!

Run the wizard on additional servers as necessary


A SQL Alias will help you if you need to change your DB location. For example, if your SQL server name is ‘SQL1’, use something like ‘SPSQL’ to connect, and have DNS point to the proper server location. This makes it MUCH more flexible.

Use the SQL Native Client 10.0 Configuration (32bit) node to create the alias


Install SQL Client Tools, including the Backwards Compatibility Client Tools.

Launch the SQL Server Configuration Manager and create three SQL aliases using the 32bit Alias section: spdbcontent.companyabc.com spdbfarm.companyabc.com spdbservices.companyabc.com

Point all to the SQL server name, port 1433. Launch the SQL Server Client Network Utility

(\System32\cliconfg.exe) and create the same 3 aliases as above using TCP/IP and port 1433. Make sure to map the alias to the SQL netbios name (or cluster netbios name) as above


Hardware Based Load Balancing (F5, Cisco, Citrix NetScaler – Best performance and scalability

Software Windows Network Load Balancing fully supported

If using Unicast, use two NICs on the server, one for communications between nodes.

If using Multicast, be sure to configure routers appropriately

Set Affinity to Single (Sticky Sessions)


Best Practice – Create Multiple Web Apps with Load-balanced VIPs (Sample below) Web Role Servers

▪ sp1.companyabc.com (10.0.0.101) – Web Role Server #1

▪ sp2.companyabc.com (10.0.0.102) – Web Role Server #2

Clustered VIPs shared between SP1 and SP2 (Create A records in DNS)▪ spnlb.companyabc.com (10.0.0.103) - Cluster

▪ spca.companyabc.com (10.0.0.104) – SP Central Admin

▪ spsmtp.companyabc.com (10.0.0.105) – Inbound Email VIP

▪ home.companyabc.com (10.0.0.106) – Main SP Web App (can be multiple)

▪ mysite.companyabc.com (10.0.0.107) – Main MySites Web App


Infrastructure Security and Best Practices Best Practice Service Account Setup Kerberos Authentication

Data Security SharePoint Security ACLs and Role Based Access

Control (RBAC) Transparent Data Encryption (TDE) of SQL Databases

Transport Security Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) from Server to Client IPSec from Client to Server Inbound Internet Security (Forefront UAG/TMG) / Certs

Rights Management


External or Internal Certs highly recommended

Protects Transport of content 20% overhead on Web Servers Can be offloaded via SSL offloaders if

needed Don’t forget for SPCA as well!


Most complex part of a SharePoint installation Uses the Forefront Identity Manager (FIM)

subcomponent on the server to synch My Site Profiles with external directory source such Active Directory

Would take an entire session to describe the process, but best blog on the topic is SharePoint MVP Spencer Harbar’s (harbar.net)


To configure diagnostic logging On the Central Administration Home page, click Monitoring. In the Reporting section, click Configure diagnostic logging. On the Diagnostic Logging page, verify that Enable Event Log Flood

Protection is selected. If not, click the corresponding check box to enable this feature.

Leave default values for other items Click OK to save your changes.

To configure usage and health data collection: On the Central Administration Monitoring page, click Configure usage and

health data collection. Click the check box to Enable Usage Data Collection. Click the check box to Enable Health Data Collection. Name database Leave all other settings at default Click OK.


For Email enabled content, create a dedicated OU for Email enabled contacts and distribution lists and give the SP Admin account rights to create and modify contacts and groups in that OU.

Don’t forget Alternate Access Mappings if connecting to the content in more than one way (i.e. https://home.companyabc.com vs. just http://home)

If using SSL on a web app, it must have a dedicated IP address, not just a host header

Don’t forget to install Antivirus (MS Forefront Protection for SharePoint recommended)

Don’t forget a comprehensive backup solution (MS System Center Data Protection Manager (DPM) 2010 recommended)

https://home.companyabc.com/

http://home/


When creating any Web Applications for Content, USE KERBEROS. It is much more secure and also faster with heavy loads as the SP server doesn’t have to keep asking for auth requests from AD.

Kerberos auth does require extra steps, which makes people shy away from it, but once configured, it improves security considerably and can improve performance on high-load sites.


Use the setspn utility to create Service Principle Names in AD, the following syntax for example: Setspn.exe -A HTTP/mysite.companyabc.com

DOMAINNAME\MYSiteAppAccount Setspn.exe -A HTTP/mysite DOMAINNAME\MYSITEAppAccount Setspn.exe -A HTTP/home.companyabc.com

DOMAINNAME\HOMEAppAccount Setspn.exe -A HTTP/sp DOMAINNAME\HOMEAppAccount


Use setspn to create SPNs for SQL Service Account SPNs need to match the name that SharePoint uses

to connect to SQL (Ideally SQL Alias, more on this later)

Syntax similar to following: Setspn.exe -A MSSQLSvc/spsql:1433 COMPANYABC\SRV-SQL-DB

Setspn.exe –A MSSQLSvc/spsql.companyabc.com:1433 COMPANYABC\SRV-SQL-DB

MSSQLSvc = Default instance, if named instance, specify the name instead

In this example, SRV-SQL-DB is the SQL Admin account


Required for Excel Services and other impersonation applications.

On all SP Computer accounts and on the Application Identity accounts, check the box in ADUC to allow for delegation. In ADUC, navigate to the

computer or user account, right-click and choose Properties.

Go to the Delegation tab

Choose Trust this user/computer for delegation to any service (Kerberos)


Go to Application Management – Authentication Providers Choose the appropriate Web Application Click on the link for ‘Default’ under Zone Change to Integrated Windows Authentication - Kerberos

(Negotiate) Run iisreset /noforce from the command prompt If creating Web App from scratch, this step may be

unnecessary if you choose Negotiate from the beginning


Logon to SharePoint Web Front-End as the setup account Launch the SQL Management Studio At the Connect to Server screen, connect to one of the

alias names (spdbcontent, sbdbservices, spdbsearch) Make sure you are able to connect to the SQL server

instance Login to the SQL server as SQL Admin account Launch Server Manager View Security event log under Diagnostics Look for Event ID 4624/Logon Open the event and look under the Detailed Authentication

Information section which should read Kerberos for both Logon Process and Authentication Package for the Setup account


Bonus #1: Enable Kerberos Add the SPNs for SPCA

▪ HTTP/spca.companyabc.com, HTTP/spca (Add to App Pool Identity Account for SPCA)

Configure Kerberos as defined in this presentation

Bonus #2: Configure for SSL Encrypts traffic and Admin passwords Create and install Web certs for spca.companyabc.com

Bonus #3: Load Balance SPCA Install SPCA on multiple web role servers Enable either Hardware NLB or Software Windows Network Load Balancing Requires DNS A record (spca.companyabc.com), registry key and AAM modification (below)

Bonus #4: Setup SPCA on port 443/80 Delete default IIS Web Site Assign dedicated IP (VIP if load balancing) to SPCA Web App Run STSADM to change the port(s)

▪ stsadm –o setadminport –port 80▪ stsadm –o setadminport –ssl –port 443

Change Port to 80 and 443 in IIS, Assign Cert (if using SSL) Modify SPCA URL on SP Servers - “HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Shared Tools\Web Server

Extensions\14.0\WSS\CentralAdministrationURL” (REG_SZ) = https://spca.companyabc.com/

Change your default AAM to https://spca.companyabc.com


Use multiple service accounts, definitely don’t mix Application Pool identity accounts with the farm admin accounts

Use Kerberos when at all possible Use a SQL DB Alias for greatest flexibility with

a SP Farm Consider DB Mirroring as a DR option A five server farm is the smallest that is highly

available One last best practice – Don’t forget Antivirus

and Backup


Michael NoelTwitter: @MichaelTNoel

www.cco.com

Building the Perfect SharePoint 2010 Farm; A Walkthrough of Best Practices from the Field

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