Deploy SharePoint Server 2010 to a test environment

Earlier this week, I paved my test machine and followed the excellent instructions in Deploy Project Server 2010 to a test environment to install my new SharePoint Server 2010 test environment. While this series of articles is intended for a Project Server audience, they will also lead you to a successful test deployment of SharePoint Server 2010 (which is a prerequisite to Project Server 2010). In this blog post, I’m including notes on what to do differently if you are using these instructions to deploy SharePoint Server 2010 without Project Server 2010.

By following the instructions in the following links with the revisions indicated in my notes, you should end up with a virtual test environment that includes the following servers:

• A domain controller for the virtual domain (Litware-DC)
• A server that is running Microsoft SQL Server 2008 (Litware-SQL)
• A server that is running Microsoft SharePoint Server 2010 (Litware-SP2010)

A couple of notes:

• These instructions are for deploying a test environment only. Be sure to read Virtual machine guidance (SharePoint Server 2010) if you are deploying SharePoint Server 2010 on virtual machines in a production environment.
• If you just want to deploy a single server without using Hyper-V, see Deploy a single server with SQL Server (SharePoint Server 2010) or Deploy a single server with a built-in database (SharePoint Server 2010).

These instructions assume that you have the software on a CD or DVD, or that you have it in an ISO file. Your computer should have 8GB of RAM and at least 60GB of disk space. To start with, your computer should be running Windows Server 2008 or Windows Server 2008 R2 with Hyper-V. You can use other virtualization solutions, too, as long as they can run 64-bit Windows Server 2008 virtual machines.

1. Read Hyper-V quick start for creating a Project Server 2010 test environment and perform the steps in the article. You can also watch the video (I highly recommend watching it). These steps include:

a. Enable Hyper-V.

b. Configure an internal virtual network so the virtual machines can communicate with each other.

c. Configure an external virtual network so the virtual machines can communicate with the corporate network and the Internet (so that SharePoint Server 2010 can download prerequisites).

d. Create three virtual machines. The article names them Litware-DC (domain controller), Litware-SQL (SQL Server 2008), and Litware-Proj (SharePoint Server 2010 and Project Server 2010). You can use whatever names you want; you might want to use Litware-SP2010 or something similar as the name for the last virtual machine.

e. Load operating systems on the virtual machines.

2. Follow the instructions in Setting up a domain controller for a Project Server 2010 test environment for the first virtual machine (Litware-DC, or the name you gave it in the first step). You can also watch the video (again, highly recommended). These instructions include:

a. Configure a static IP address.

b. Configure Litware-DC as the domain controller. This also creates the forest root domain litware.local.

3. For the other two virtual machines (Litware-SQL and Litware-SP2010, or the names you gave them in the first step), follow the instructions in Adding a virtual machine to the virtual domain in a Project Server 2010 test environment. You can also watch the video. These instructions include:

a. Configure a static IP address.

b. Connect to the domain litware.local.

4. Follow the instructions in Setting up accounts for a Project Server 2010 test environment. If you are not deploying Project Server 2010, you do not need to set up the last two accounts, LitwareWFProxy and LitwareProjDataAccess. These instructions include:

a. Create an Active Directory service account for SQL Server Administrator, Farm Administrator, and Service application accounts.

b. Create an Active Directory group (only if you’re deploying Project Server 2010).

5. Follow the instructions in Setting up SQL Server for a Project Server 2010 test environment. You can also watch the video. These instructions include:

a. Configure a local administrator.

b. Install SQL Server 2008.

c. Install SQL Server 2008 SP1.

d. Install SQL Server 2008 SP1 CU2.

e. Create a login for the Farm Administrator account.

6. Follow the instructions in Installing SharePoint Server 2010 on a Project Server 2010 test environment. You can also watch the video. These instructions include:

a. Add a local administrator.

b. Install SharePoint Server 2010 prerequisites.

c. Install SharePoint Server 2010.

This gets you to a test deployment of SharePoint Server 2010. For additional information about requirements, deployment scenarios, and additional configuration, see the following TechNet articles:

• Prepare for deployment (SharePoint Server 2010). Provides information about hardware and software requirements, administrative and service accounts required, and hardening SQL Server.
• Deployment scenarios (SharePoint Server 2010). Provides information about deploying single and multiple servers, deploying in a virtual environment, and installing SharePoint by using Windows PowerShell.
• Initial configuration (SharePoint Server 2010). Provides information about deploying language packs, configuring farm settings, configuring sservices, and deploying SharePoint in a hosted environment.

 -- Andrea Bichsel, writer

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