Appendix A: Installing in Larger Environments

Published: February 28, 2008

 

The instructions provided in Chapter 2, “Installation and Deployment,” describe how to install the External Collaboration Toolkit for SharePoint (ECTS) in a single server environment running Microsoft® Windows® SharePoint® Services 3.0. However, the ECTS can also be installed in other environments, such as:

  • Multi-server environments where Microsoft SQL Server®, Active Directory® Application Mode (ADAM), and Windows SharePoint Services run on different servers.
  • Single-server environments running Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 instead of Windows SharePoint Services.
  • Multi-server environments running Office SharePoint Server.

If you want to install in one of these types of environments, you will need to modify the instructions presented in Chapter 2, “Installation and Deployment.” This appendix describes those modifications.

Use ISA Server    

In larger environments, you should consider using Microsoft Internet Security and Acceleration (ISA) Server to improve the security of your external collaboration site. For more information, see the Microsoft Internet Security and Acceleration Server site.

Use a Domain-based Service Account

The primary difference between a single server ECTS installation and installing ECTS in an Office SharePoint Server or multi-server environment is that a domain-based service account is required for all application pools. To do so, you must create a service account in your Active Directory domain. This account will be used by Windows SharePoint Services or Office SharePoint Server for its application pools and its connections to the SQL Server database where the SharePoint information is stored.

After you create this service account, you should follow the instructions in Chapter 2, “Installation and Deployment,” except when you:

  • Set up the SharePoint Database and Central Administration.
  • Create your Web application

Set up SharePoint Database and Central Administration

The approach to setting up the SharePoint Database and Central Administration differs from the process outlined in Chapter 2, “Installation and Deployment,” if you are deploying in a multi-server Windows SharePoint Services environment or an Office SharePoint Server environment.

Multi-server Windows SharePoint Services Environment

When you install in a multi-server Windows SharePoint Services–based environment, you must deviate from the guidance in Chapter 2, “Installation and Deployment,” in a few ways. First, you must choose the Advanced option, and do a Web Front End installation. Next, you should run the SharePoint Products and Technologies Configuration Wizard, and choose to create a new server farm. On the Specify Configuration Database Settings page, enter the database server name and the domain-based service account name and password. This will ensure that Windows SharePoint Services uses the proper account to access the database server.

Office SharePoint Server 2007 Environment

When you install in an Office SharePoint Server–based environment, you must deviate from the guidance in Chapter 2, “Installation and Deployment” in a few ways. First, you must choose the Advanced option, and do a Full installation. Next, you should run the SharePoint Products and Technologies Configuration Wizard, and choose to create a new server farm. On the Specify Configuration Database Settings page, enter the database server name and the domain-based service account name and password. This will ensure that Office SharePoint Server uses the proper account to access the database server.

Create Your Web Application

In both a multi-server Windows SharePoint Services and Office SharePoint Server 2007 environment, you must not use the default application pool that runs as the Network Service account. Instead, you should choose to create a new application pool when you create your Web application. You must also choose to configure the security account (rather than taking the default), and enter the name and password of the service account as appropriate. It is especially important to set this up correctly or your users will not be able to create site collections.

Note   For more information about configuring service accounts, see Plan for administrative and service accounts (Office SharePoint Server) and Plan for administrative and service accounts (Windows SharePoint Services).

Install Appropriate ECTS Components on Each Server

When you install the ECTS software on your servers, you should only select the components that need to be installed on that particular computer. For example, if you have chosen to use a stand-alone SQL Server, only install the SQL Server Setup feature when you install the ECTS software. This ensures that the ECTS Setup Wizard only does the appropriate set up tasks on that server.

Grant Appropriate Permissions in SQL Server

Next, you must grant the service account read and write access to the ECTS database on the SQL Server. To do this, run the ECTS SharePoint setup script, and use the following command:

cscript grant_sql_perms.vbs SQL_Server service_account

Where SQL_Server is the appropriate SQL Server instance and service_account is the domain-based service account in the form domain\userid.

Grant Appropriate Permissions in ADAM

The final step is to give the service account administrator rights to the user store in ADAM. This allows this account to create new user entries in ADAM and is required for the user provisioning capability of the ECTS.

To grant administrator rights to your service account, follow these steps while logged on as an administrator on the ADAM server:

  1. Click Start, click All Programs, point to ADAM, and then click ADAM ADSI Edit.
  2. Right-click ADAM ADSI Edit, and then click Connect to.
  3. Select Distinguished name (DN) or naming context, in the text box, type your LDAP container name, and then click OK.
  4. Double-click the My Connection object in the tree, double-click your LDAP container name, and finally click the CN=Roles folder.
  5. In the right pane, right-click CN=Administrators, and then click Properties.
  6. In the Attributes list, select member, then click Edit.
  7. Click Add Windows Account.
  8. Under Enter the object names to select, enter the domain and userid of the service account (domain\userid), and then click Check Names.
  9. To finish, click OK, then click OK again.

Complete the Configuration Process

After you have finished installing everything, you will need to configure the ECTS as described in Chapter 3, “Configuration and Operations.” When you have completed all the configuration steps, your Office SharePoint Server or multi-server Windows SharePoint Services collaboration environment should be fully functional.

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