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Clone a SharePoint standalone installation

A new challenge to face! An X number of SharePoint 2010 standalone installations must be installed within a specific configuration in short time. Let´s try cloning a SharePoint standalone installation!

Our scenario:

•  Virtualization under Hyper-v system.

• A new virtual machine was created with Windows 2008 R2 operating system.
• First of all we installed SQL 2008 R2 (default instance), a clean SharePoint 2010 + SP1 + 2 language packs + extra software (visual studio..)
• All security updated applied.

·         And the following SharePoint service applications:

  

• Access Services
• Business Data Connectivity Service
• Excel Service
• Search service Application
• Secure Store Service
• State Service
• Visio Service
• Web Analytics Service
• Word automation Service

Let´s call this machine the master server.

We saved the master server as template and produced X of new virtual machines. New IPs must be setup.

A recommend you to keep the master machine shutdown to avoid any confusion.

X new virtual machines were created based on the template. And here our work starts! We split the tasks into 2 phases and a validation part:

1. Before changing server name
2. After changing server name
3. Validation of the new SharePoint servers

 Note:

Along the procedure some restarts of the server and the IIS will be necessary.

Use the farm account for running these steps. 

You will need:

• Farm account and password
• Security token application: pass phase in case you configured the key for access and visio

 A.   Before changing server name

•  Adding a new entry for the Central Administration AAM (alternate access mapping) with the new server name.

• Add entry for the backconnectionhostname in the registry.
• Changing the name of the configuration database name:

 Run powellshell:

"Stsadm -o renameserver -newservername {YourNewServerName} -oldservername {YourOldServerName}"

               

>>>> server name change and sysprep <<<<<

• (Start->Administrative Tools->Server Manager.  From the Server Summary section, select "Change System Properties."  Click the "Change" button from the "Computer Name").
• Restart the virtual machine.
• Sysprep.
• Apply the new IP address.

 B.  After server name changed (sysprep)

• Access de virtual machine. Try opening Central Administration console. If you receive a "503 service unavailable"  error change the account for the application pool for localserver. Apply changes, recycle the pool and change back for the farm/setup account. Now you should be able to access. Detailed steps:

access to IIS >> application pool: SharePoint Central administration  v4> advanced settings>> process model: identity: Select built-in account: local service. OK

Now change the identity back to it´s original, which should be the setup farm account (domain\account). You need the password also.

Apply the same procedure to the "SecurityTokenServiceApplicationPool" pool.

Now you will be able to access to the Central Administration. Let´s continue with the steps:

•  Remove the old AAM entrance (from the master server)

• Verify that the new configuration database server appears in "servers in farm"
• Start the windows service: Claims to windows Token Service. That´s due to the event id error:8306

• SQL configuration: Be sure you have changed both, the server name and the IP. The second case is only affecting those scenarios where we will need to access from outside of the server, but we should keep it clean though.

SQL server configuration manager > SQL server Network configuration: protocols: TCP/IP: Ip addresses: IP address: Introduce the new IP. You must restart the instance to apply the changes but we don´t need it immediately, you might wait until next restart of the server.

• SQL alias: from cliconfg.exe apply the SQL alias (be careful with the version 32-64bits, both are presented in 64bits servers)

•  Certificate of the Security Token Service.

o   Export  the certificates from the master server  related to Sharepoint > STS

o   Import these 3 certificates into the copied machines.

• Provision the general configuration for the web applications. Open SharePoint 2010 management shell and run the following commands:

$h = Get-SPServiceHostconfig 

$h.Provision() 

• Provision all the service applications:

$services = Get-SPServiceApplication 

foreach ($service in $services) { $service.provision(); 

write-host $service.name

• Reset the IIS:  IIsreset /noforce

 Table with the tasks

Tasks	Notes
Tasks Before changing server name
Adding a new entry for the Central Administration AAM	Central Administration > AAM
Changing the name of the configuration database name	Stsadm -o renameserver -newservername {YourNewServerName} -oldservername {YourOldServerName}"
Add entry for the backconnectionhostname in the registry	Registry: Server Server.domain
Server´s name change and sysprep
Tasks after changing server name
Access to Central Administration	Error 503?
Remove the old AAM entrance (from the master server)	Central Administration > AAM
Verify that the new configuration database server appears in "servers in farm"	Central Administration
Start the windows service: Claims to windows Token Service	windows service
Adding SQL alias	Cliconfg.exe
Certificate of the Security Token Service	Import from the master machine
Provision the general configuration for the web applications	$h = Get-SPServiceHostconfig  $h.Provision()
Provision all the service applications	$services = Get-SPServiceApplication  foreach ($service in $services) { $service.provision();  write-host $service.name
Reset the IIS	IIsreset /noforce
Validation of the new SharePoint servers
Event log: application and system	Revision
Health analyzer	Revision
Service applications: revision every single application to validate the access and the availability (start)	Revision
Creating a new web application and a site collection and check the event log	Revision

A.   Validation of the new SharePoint servers

Many things must be taken into account when cloning a SharePoint server, too many things to pass by hence the way to be sure is checking deeply the server status. Some points to take care of are:

• Event log: application and system
• Health analyzer
• Service applications: revision every single application to validate the access and the availability (start)
• Creating a new web application and a site collection and check the event log.

The sumup of this experience is that the main issue found along the procedure was related to the token service and security certificates. The token service is created during the installation of the product and the only way of re-creation is running the SP wizard of through power shell. We decided avoiding this step. If you might found an easier or better way of procedure please share :-) we´d be grateful.