SharePoint 2010 – How to create vanity URL for sub site

How to create a short URL or vanity URL for SharePoint Site, can be done, but it is NOT done through SharePoint. You would create it through IIS.

I don’t have my SharePoint installation in front of me so am doing this from memory, thus not entering the exact step by step at the detail I normally do. Email me if you have questions.

To understand what we are doing below, we are going to create one IIS virtual empty site for each sub-site you want a vanity URL for, and simply redirect that site to the exact absolute URL of the sub-site. We will create one application pool that is separate from the existing SharePoint application pools, and all vanity URLs share that one app pool to save resources.

1. Go to IIS.
2. Go to SITES right click and ADD a Web Site.
3. Name = SharePointVanityURLs  (This is so the App Pool can be named this, and they will all share the one app pool to save memory, you will rename this site to your first redirected hostname later)
4. Create New Application Pool = SharePointVanityURLs
5. Physical Path = c:\inetpub\wwwroot\wss\VirtualDirectories\1stVanityName
6. Host Name: 1stVanityName
7. OK
8. Click on your new web site.
9. Right click and select RENAME and change the name of the web site to 1stVanityName.
10. In the Actions Pane click Edit Permissions – Add Authenticated Users and click OK.
11. Click on your new web site.
12. In IIS section click Authentication – disable anonymous (unless using it) – enable Windows Authentication.
13. Still focused on the Windows Authentication in the right pane click Advanced Settings and deselect Enable Kernel-mode authentication.
14. Click on your new web site.
15. In IIS section, click HTTP Redirect.
16. Check Redirect requests to this destination.
17. Enter your absolute URL to your sub-site without the home page entered.
18. Check Redirect all requests to exact destination.
19. In the right pane click Apply.
20. Click on your new web site.
21. Right click and select Manage Web Site – Restart.
22. Enter a DNS record for this new vanity URL or short URL with an IP address that points to your Web Front End server or if using Load Balancing your VIP address.
23. Flush DNS server cache and client cache if needing to test right away. Client is Command Prompt type IPCONFIG /flushdns .

Repeat steps above for each vanity URL, but the remain web sites on #4 select to use the existing App Pool “SharePointVanityURLs” instead of creating new ones.

That’s it, it is that easy

SSRS Scale-out Deployment–How to remove Instance

If you need to remove a SSRS SQL Server database instance from Reporting Services Configuration Manager such as due to migrating a RS database from one server to another, you can do so by running the RSKeyMgmt command.

On your Report Server, open a command prompt and enter the following to find the GUID you want to remove.

RSKeyMgmt –l

The above parameter is a lower case “L” not a one.   That will return your list of machine instances. Mark and copy the GUID of the instance to remove. Then enter the following to remove that instance from that Report Server’s configuration.

RSKeyMgmt –r <GUID>

Yes or No: Y

Now your instance is removed from this RS configuration.

Reference Material:  http://msdn.microsoft.com/es-py/library/ms162822(v=SQL.110).aspx

SharePoint 2010 how to clear Config Cache.ini

There are many times you will need to clear your Configuration Cache ( Cache.ini ) on all your SharePoint servers, such as when a timer service is stuck in a stopping, starting or pausing state.

Personally I like to make clearly the Cache.ini on all servers apart of a monthly maintenance schedule along with applying windows updates. But in reality should not be neccessary regularly.

1. IMPORTANT STEP: Stop the Timer Service (OWSTIMER) service on ALL SharePoint servers in the farm.
2. Open windows on all SharePoint servers to the path Cache.ini is stored in, this can sometimes vary so search for it on C.
   
3. In SharePoint 2007 it is C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Microsoft\SharePoint\Config\GUID
   
4. In SharePoint 2010 it is C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\SharePoint\Config\GUID
   
5. Take a backup COPY of each cache.ini file and the XML folders and files.
   
6. Delete all the XML files from the directory, NOT the cache.ini.
   C: Drive:\ProgramData\Microsoft\SharePoint\Config\GUID
   
7. Open the cache.ini with Notepad and reset the number to 1 and press enter.
   
8. Save and close the file.
   
9. Perform the steps above on all SharePoint servers containing the cache.ini file.
   
10. Start the Timer Service OWSTIMER service on the SharePoint servers and wait for XML files to begin to reappear in the directory.

Important to remember that you cannot just do this on one server but all that contain the cache.ini file. Also you must delete the XML file prior to changing the cache.ini file.

After SharePoint 2010 upgrade–Excel Services does not work

After upgrading from MOSS 2007 to SharePoint 2010, I experienced the Excel Web Access web parts were no longer working and were producing the following error.

The workbook cannot be opened.

I turned all logging to verbose, and still did not receive any errors in the logs related to this.

After ensuring all of my farm settings were correct, I found another article of this being an issue with the service account for Excel Services not having the proper permissions on the databases. I have done many upgrades and never had this issue before. But with this being a DBA managed environment it was sure a possibility.

To fix it run the following PowerShell command on your SharePoint server granting access to your Excel Services account. It does require an IISreset, or at least did for me.

Add-PSSnapin Microsoft.SharePoint.PowerShell -EA 0

$webApp = Get-SPWebApplication http://WebApplicationURL

$webApp.GrantAccessToProcessIdentity("DomainName\ExcelServicAccountName")

SharePoint 2010 User Profile Import–How to filter only Enabled Accounts

When you create a User Profile Synchronization Connection in SharePoint, by default it will import all accounts in the containers you specify enabled and disabled.  If you only want to import enabled accounts, then after your connection is created add the following filter.

1. Logon to Central Administration with a Farm Administrator account.
2. Click on Manage Service Applications.
3. Scroll down to and click on User Profile Service Application.
4. On the Manage Profile Service page, click Configure Synchronization Connections.
5. On the Synchronization Connections page, click the Active Directory connection that you want to edit, and then click Edit Connection Filters.
6. On the Edit Connection Filters page, follow these steps:
1. In Exclusion Filter for Users, change the Attribute drop-down to userAccountControl.
2. In Exclusion Filter for Users, change the Operator drop-down to Bit on equals.
3. In the Exclusion Filter for Users, select Filter box typeto 2.
4. Click Add.
7. Click OK.

Meeting Workspace links do not work after upgrade to SharePoint 2010

Links in a Meeting Workspace break after upgrading to SharePoint 2010. This is a known issue.

This is because Meeting Workspace sites have a different site template called MWSdefault.master in 2007. In 2010 it is MWSdefaultV4.master.  When you upgrade it needs to be repointed to MWSdefaultV4.master when you change to 2010 UI mode.

You can do this with SharePoint Designer, or you can go to a sub-site Site Settings – Master Page Gallery, and download a copy of MWSdefaultV4.master locally, then upload it to the Site Collection Master Page Gallery.  Then you can go back to your site and change it’s master page to MWSdefaultV4.master.

The URL for changing the site’s Master Page is /_layouts/ChangeSiteMasterPage.aspx .

How to customize the Access Denied page

How to I customize the Access Denied page?

You would create a new custom page using the existing pages as templates, then copy them to that same directory. Then use the Powershell command below to repoint SharePoint to it.

Set-SPCustomLayoutsPage -Identity AccessDenied | Confirmation | Error | Login | RequestAccess | Signout | WebDeleted> -RelativePath -WebApplication [-AssignmentCollection ] [-Confirm []] [-WhatIf []]

Here is the Microsoft article: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ff607768.aspx

SharePoint 2010 FREE training

Here are some links to free training for SharePoint 2010.

1. Productivity Hub  http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/en/details.aspx?FamilyID=4aaa9862-e420-4331-8bc3-469d7bae0ff1
2. Training Videos  http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/sharepoint-server-help/CL100315293.aspx
3. Online Training Course Videos  http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/sharepoint-server-help/CH010372432.aspx?CTT=97
4. SharePoint 2010 Resources For End Users  http://sharepoint.microsoft.com/en-us/resources/Pages/End-User-Training-Guide.aspx
5. Web Based Training  http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/support/training-FX101782702.aspx?CTT=5&origin=HA101901726
6. Getting Started Training  http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/sharepoint-server-help/sharepoint-server-help-and-how-to-FX101834344.aspx
7. MSLibrary Videos (more for SharePoint Admins and Engineers, but some Power User) http://mslibrary/video/pilothousesp2010/content/Template/TOC.htm
9. SharePoint Professionals  http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sharepoint/ff420396.aspx
10. SharePoint Professionals How Do I Videos http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sharepoint/ee410529
11. Developer Downloadable Training Kit http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/en/details.aspx?displaylang=en&FamilyID=bfd1603b-7550-4b8e-be85-4215a5069b90
12. Developer Getting Started  http://msdn.microsoft.com/sharepoint/ee513147.aspx
13. Developer Advanced Training http://msdn.microsoft.com/sharepoint/ff420377.aspx
14. Developer Training  http://sharepoint.microsoft.com/en-us/resources/Pages/Developer-Training-Guide.aspx
15. Developer Training on Channel 9 http://channel9.msdn.com/learn/courses/SharePoint2010Developer/
16. Additional IT Pro Videos http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc262880.aspx