SPS NYC: Search Driven Design Patterns for SharePoint 2013

Event:
SharePoint Saturday NYC
Saturday, July 27, 2013

Session Title:
Search Driven Design Patterns for SharePoint 2013

Abstract:
First, we will step back and examine some SharePoint related deficiencies, common portal design flaws, and challenges that exist in the enterprise.  Next, we will align ourselves with an overarching Enterprise Architecture strategy and redefine the role of SharePoint Search in the organization.  From there, we will design a SharePoint 2013 portal that is optimized and ready for Search Driven design patterns.  Finally, we will construct Search Driven components using creative techniques and reflect on the benefits of the overall approach that we followed.

Slides:

To be posted after the event.

Blindly Diagnosing a RAM Issue affecting SharePoint 2010 W3Wp.exe and SQL Server 2005 Enterprise Edition

I received limited information about an issue.  Here are some ideas.

Description

A SharePoint Server 2010 Farm with a SQL Server 2005 Enterprise Edition database server has RAM issues which are affecting affecting both the Web front end (w3wp.exe) and SQL Server.

Would be Helpful to Know

Is it 32-bit or 64-bit? How much physical RAM is assigned to each server role? What version and patch level is the OS?  What version and patch level is SQL Server? How is SharePoint being used?  How many users?  Are there custom Web parts? Custom Web pages? What are the SQL Server performance counters reading?  When does a memory spike occur?  How long does it last?  When did it start?  What recently changed in the environment?  Are the systems physical or virtual?  What is the server farm topology?

Possible Causes

Need a Service Pack/Patch for OS:  self-explanatory, but need the current information to know if this is a possibility.

Antivirus:  Investigate antivirus software running on the servers.  IIS Forums reported that McAfee Enterprise V8  had a buffer overflow protection feature that was causing problems with w3wp.exe (IIS Forums, 2008).

Incorrectly disposed objects:  Unmanaged memory can lead to memory problems (MSDN, 2010).

Scheduled jobs:  SQL Server maintenance plans, SQL agent jobs (e.g. backups), SharePoint full or incremental crawl schedules can create noticeable degradation while running.

On the SQL Server side of things:  Resource bottlenecks, TempDB bottlenecks, or a slow running user query (less likely in this situation) (MSDN, 2010).  Query the sys.dm_os_memory_clerks and sys.dm_exec_query_memory_grants DMVs to get an idea how SQL Server is utilizing memory.

Reference

IIS Forums(July, 2008).  W3wp.exe memory usage is out of control.  Retrieved March 10, 2013 from http://forums.iis.net/t/1150494.aspx

Microsoft TechNet (2005).  Troubleshooting Performance Problems in SQL Server 2005.  Retrieved March 10, 2013 from http://technet.microsoft.com/library/Cc96654

MSDN (2010).  Disposing Objects.  Retrieved March 10, 2013 from http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ee557362.aspx 

MSDN (2010).  SharePoint Dispose Checker Tool.  Retrieved March 10, 2013 from http://archive.msdn.microsoft.com/SPDisposeCheck

SPS Boston: Search Driven Design Patterns for SharePoint 2013

Event:
SharePoint Saturday Boston
Saturday, April 27, 2013

Session Title:
Search Driven Design Patterns for SharePoint 2013

Abstract:
First, we will step back and examine some SharePoint related deficiencies, common portal design flaws, and challenges that exist in the enterprise.  Next, we will align ourselves with an overarching Enterprise Architecture strategy and redefine the role of SharePoint Search in the organization.  From there, we will design a SharePoint 2013 portal that is optimized and ready for Search Driven design patterns.  Finally, we will construct Search Driven components using creative techniques and reflect on the benefits of the overall approach that we followed.

Slides:

To be posted after the event.

NYESUG: Search Driven Design Patterns for SharePoint 2013

Event:
The NY Enterprise Search User Group
Wednesday, January 9, 2013

Session Title:
Search Driven Design Patterns for SharePoint 2013

Abstract:
First, we will step back and examine some SharePoint related deficiencies, common portal design flaws, and challenges that exist in the enterprise.  Next, we will align ourselves with an overarching Enterprise Architecture strategy and redefine the role of SharePoint Search in the organization.  From there, we will design a SharePoint 2013 portal that is optimized and ready for Search Driven design patterns.  Finally, we will construct Search Driven components using creative techniques and reflect on the benefits of the overall approach that we followed.

Slides:

Search Driven Design Patterns for SharePoint 2013

Error: SharePoint 2013: Adding ContentDB with No Free Space

Description

When attempting to add a Content Database to a SharePoint Web Application, an error occurs:
"Sorry, something went wrong..."


The error message is self explanatory.  It states that "There is not enough disk space on disk".

Solution

Make free space and then recreate Content Database.  It is time to investigate the reasons why free disk space was drawn down to zero.  This situation should not be allowed to occur on the SQL Server data file partition.  Therefore, an activity plan following the error message should be aim towards preventing this situation from occurring in the future. 

Some initial questions to ask might include:

• Was the initial storage allocation sufficient?
• Is the server storage partitioned properly?
• What is consuming space?
• Are backups configured for the SQL data file partition?
• Are database backup cleanup jobs scheduled?
• Is there any logging on the partition?
• What is the logging retention?

Error: SharePoint 2013: Central Administration - Service Unavailable: HTTP Error 503

Description


When attempting to open the SharePoint 2013 Central Administration Web site, the site does not come up, and there is an error:

"Service Unavailable.  HTTP Error 503. The Service is unavailable."

Cause


The SQL Server services are stopped because the domain Service Account used to run the SQL Server services is locked out.  This is visible from All Programs, Microsoft SQL Server 2012, Configuration Tools, SQL Server Configuration Manager.

Solution

In Active Directory Users and Computers, perform the following:

• Unlock the Service Account
• Ensure that the Service Account is not set to require user to change password at next login
• Ensure that the password never expires
• Verify Group Policies on the Organizational Unit to ensure that the account password is not being expired as a result of an effective policy.  If so, change the policy inheritance on the OU.
• If possible, reboot the SQL Server or manually start all of the services that were affected by the account lockout.

SharePoint 2013: How to Configure Subscription Settings Service Application using PowerShell

1)  Create and register a service account to run the Subscription Settings Service Application.

Subscription Settings Service Account:  Domain\SvcAccount


2)  Determine a naming convention for each of the Subscription Settings Service Application components.

Subscription Settings Application Pool:  FarmID_SvcApp_SubscriptionSettings_01_AppPool_01
Subscription Settings Application:  FarmID_SvcApp_SubscriptionSettings_01
Subscription Settings Database:  FarmID_SvcApp_SubscriptionSettings_01_Database_01


3) Open the SharePoint 2013 Management Shell as Administrator.


4)  Create the Service Application Pool and register it to the Service Account.

$AppPool = New-SPServiceApplicationPool -Name FarmID_SvcApp_SubscriptionSettings_01_AppPool_01 -Account (Get-SPManagedAccount Domain\SvcAccount)


5)  Create the Service Application and assign it to the Application Pool.

$App = New-SPSubscriptionSettingsServiceApplication -ApplicationPool $appPool -Name FarmID_SvcApp_SubscriptionSettings_01 -DatabaseName FarmID_SvcApp_SubscriptionSettings_01_Database_01


6)  Create the Service Application Proxy and assign it to the Service Application.

$proxy = New-SPSubscriptionSettingsServiceApplicationProxy -Name FarmID_SvcApp_SubscriptionSettings_01_AppProxy_01 -ServiceApplication $App


7)  Start the Service Instance.

Get-SPServiceInstance | where{$_.TypeName -eq "Microsoft SharePoint Foundation Subscription Settings Service"} | Start-SPServiceInstance


8)  Verify Application Pool.

PS C:\> Get-SPServiceApplicationPool | Select Name

Name
----
FarmID_SvcApp_SubscriptionSettings_01_AppPool_01


9)  Verify Service Application.

PS C:\> Get-SPServiceApplication | Select Name

Name
----
FarmID_SvcApp_SubscriptionSettings_01


10)  Verify Service Application Proxy.

PS C:\> Get-SPServiceApplicationProxy | Select Name

Name
----
########-####-####-####-############


References

Microsoft TechNet (2012).  New-SPSubscriptionSettingsServiceApplication.  Retrieved November 27, 2012 from http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ff607823.aspx.

Microsoft TechNet (2012).  Service application cmdlets in SharePoint 2013.  Retrieved November 27, 2012 from http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ee906561.aspx.

Microsoft TechNet (2012).  SharePoint 2013 - Service Applications.  Retrieved November 27, 2012 from http://social.technet.microsoft.com/wiki/contents/articles/12512.sharepoint-2013-service-applications.aspx.

SharePoint 2013: How to Configure State Service Application using PowerShell

1)  Determine a naming convention for each of the State Service components.

State Service Database:  FarmID_SvcApp_StateService_01_Database_01
State Service Application:  FarmID_SvcApp_StateService_01
State Service Application Proxy:  FarmID_SvcApp_StateService_01_AppProxy_01


2)  Open the SharePoint 2013 Management Shell as Administrator.


3)  Run the command below to create the State Service Database, State Service Application, and State Service Proxy.

PS C:\> New-SPStateServiceDatabase -Name FarmID_SvcApp_StateService_01_Database_01 | New-SPStateServiceApplication -Name FarmID_SvcApp_StateService_01 | New-SPStateServiceApplicationProxy -Name FarmID_SvcApp_StateService_01_AppProxy_01 -DefaultProxyGroup


4)  Verify State Service Database.

PS C:\> Get-SPStateServiceDatabase | Select Name
Name
----
FarmID_SvcApp_StateService_01_Database_01


5) Verify State Service Application.

PS C:\> Get-SPStateServiceApplication | Select Name
Name
----
FarmID_SvcApp_StateService_01


6) Verify State Service Application Proxy.

PS C:\> Get-SPStateServiceApplicationProxy | Select Name
Name
----
FarmID_SvcApp_StateService_01_AppProxy_01



References

Microsoft TechNet (2012).  New-SPStateServiceApplication.  Retrieved November 27, 2012 from http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ff608084.aspx.

Microsoft TechNet (2012).  Service application cmdlets in SharePoint 2013.  Retrieved November 27, 2012 from http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ee906561.aspx.

Microsoft TechNet (2012).  SharePoint 2013 - Service Applications.  Retrieved November 27, 2012 from http://social.technet.microsoft.com/wiki/contents/articles/12512.sharepoint-2013-service-applications.aspx.

Microsoft TechNet (2012).  State service and session state cmdlets in SharePoint 2013.  Retrieved November 27, 2012 from http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ee890113.aspx.