TheScarfedOne

Best Practice for Sharepoint Configuration

Steve Smith (MVP):
Owner Combined Knowledge

Steve@combined-knowledge.com
Twitter stevesmithck
UK Sharepoint User Group

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Link/Upload of slide deck to follow...

Agenda:
Sharepoint Terminolgy
Dont we just put the CD in the server
Its not just about Sharepoint
SQL Config Demo
Best Practice Summary
Resources

Sharepoint Logical Terminology

Sharepoint Farm:

Shared -------------------------
Services | Web Apps
| ----------------------
| | Site Collections
| |
| | [SITE A] [SITE B]


Associate Web Apps (IIS Web Sites) to Shared Services

Site Collections are the first level of management. See later blog.... Andrew Woodward

Sites are where the Collabs take place...

Management and config at the Farm/SSP/Web apps affect everything down the road.

Dont we just put the CD in...

Installing the binaries is the easy part. Consider the factors:

::Location of files (eg Index file/Seach DB)
Default install goes to C:\Prog Files....

These files grow massively.... configure for a specific location. You can sort this later, but best to do it at the start.


:: Type of Install
Always use Complete (unless for demo). Use front ends for dedicated web apps hosting. You cannot turn on the services after if you choose WFE.

:: Consider how you access management sites.Assign SSL to Central Admin and SSP. Whitepaper to follow.

Use Kerberos for Authentication

:: Use PSConfig commandline for total command, of config params. Located in Common Files\Web Server Extensions. Good recovery tool too....

:: Service Accounts
Minimum 4
Should not be admins
Least privs.

Hard to do... depends on environment.

Separate accounts for:
:: Central Admin
:: Search
:: SSP
:: Collaberation Sites
Whitepaper on Technet (LINK)

SQL permissions is the one to watch....


Planning your Database
Remember all your data is stored in SQL DB

Plan your storage:
-How many content DBs
-Quotas
-Site collection to db mapping, allowing for growth
-Create in SQL then define in SP.

Plan for recovery, not just storage.

Plan for Concurrent user load:
-Reuqest per second
-Page load
-Load balancing
-Number of NICs
-IIS load times... asp.net queue on front end.
-IIS is the bottleneck not SQL


Plan for AD:
-Service Accounts
-Location of DC
-Kerberos

Understand IIS
-Performance
-Troubleshooting

64 Bit Hardware
-OS (and version)
-Sharepoint
-SQL
-No. Servers

SQL DB Mapping

HR DB Project DB
V V
[Site Coll] [Site Coll]
V V
[Quota] [Quota]
50GB 30GB

75GB is really a maximum.... DB gets fragmented. Remember to run your maintenance tasks in SQL Man. Studio.

Best practice for SQL DBs Demo

DB Names.... MOSS_name
New DB....
-Initial Size, autogrowth (size each time), and also max file size. Doubles for the SP Quota-ing...

Set DB owner (ie. the WebApplication owner service account). That account now doesnt need SQL Create DB rights.

Summary:
-Index File location
-Data Growth
-Maximise data throughput (i.e. correct disk hardware, versions of OS/SQL/SP)
-Pre-create DBs where poss
-Consider how you will do restores
-Kerberos (for performance and security)
-Use FQDNS for Web Apps
-Plan Service Account
-Plan Search DB and Location
-Install SP as Farm Admin
-Get to know PSConfig
-SSL on management sites
-Shared Services on Port 80??? look up about BDC errors....

-Dont use AD Admin accounts for Service Accs
-Training

Resources
www.combined-knowledge.com
-How tos and Whitepapers
-Training/Adoption Info

www.mindsharpblogs.com
-Useful info

www.sukug.uk
-Community