SharePoint 2013- Add new server to Farm and Configuring Services

SharePoint 2013 Installation

Install Prerequisite

Run Install software prerequisites

Once prerequisites installation completed successfully, restart the server.

Install SharePoint Server

Check the license installed on existing Farm and obtain the same product license key, e.g. if Farm server is running Enterprise CAL then obtain Enterprise Server license key.

Run setup.exe and it will prompt product Key.

Provide the setup key and click continue to start the installation process.

Select I accept the term of this agreement and click continue.

Select “Complete- Use for production environments” and click Install Now

Once installation completed, unchecked the run configuration wizard now.

Configure SQL Server Alias

Follow the link to create SQL Server alias.

https://veronicageek.com/sharepoint/sharepoint-2013/configure-sql-aliases-for-sharepoint-server/2018/04/

Run cliconfg utility on SharePoint Server

· Run cliconfg on new server

· Open Alias Tab and add new Alias: SQLServerAlias (same name as used in Server Farm installation).

Check and Install Patches

Check updates installed on existing server for SharePoint Server 2013 and list down all the KBs installed on the existing server for Microsoft SharePoint Server 2013.

Following patches found missing (dated 25/09/2019) in new server and need to install them before running configuration wizard.

Download and install all the patches on new server.

Add New Server in Existing SharePoint Farm

Run SharePoint Configuration Wizard

Run SharePoint configuration wizard.
Click Next
It will prompt to restart services, click “Yes”.
Select “Connect to an existing server farm” and click next.
Provide database name and click on “Retrieve Database names”, select SharePoint_Config and click next.
Database Name: SQLServerAlias
Provide the Passphrase set for SharePoint Farm during First Server Installation.
SharePoint Farm Passphrase: ********
Next Screen will display the existing SharePoint Farm’s configuration, click on Advance Settings:
Select “Use this machine to host the web site” option to host Central Administration Web Application on this server and click OK.
Check the configuration Settings and click Next
Configuration Database Server: SQLServerAlias
Configuration Database Name: SharePoint_Config
Host the Central Administration Web Application: Yes
Central Administration URL: http://sp2012server:2013
Configuration wizards will start configuring SharePoint server. Wait for it to complete. No downtime required.
Once wizard completes all the task, it’ll display Configuration Successful window.
Go to Central Administration -> System Settings -> Manage Servers in this Farm and check if SP2013Server is listed in the server

Configure Services to run on new server

Go to Central Administration -> System Settings -> Manage services on server and then select SP2013Server server.

Now we can see all services running on this server. If we want to run a service on this server, we simply click start next to the service that is in stopped mode.

Excel Calculation Services
Machine Translation Service
Managed Metadata Web Service
PerformancePoint Service
PowerPoint Conversion Service
Visio Graphics Service
Word Automation Services
Work Management Service
Secure Store Service
Business Data Connectivity Service

Excel Service Application

Add http://sp2013server in Trusted File Locations with HTTP location type and trust children checked.
Central Administration → Manage Service Applications → Excel Service Application → Trusted File Locations → Add Trusted File Location
Leave the default values and click OK.

Secure Store Service

To add the secure store service start the service.

Go to Central Administration → Manage service applications → Secure Store application.

If Farm displays all the keys configured then do nothing.
If “Unable to obtain master key” error is displayed (just as if it was when adding the first server) then In order to join the new server and configure the Secure Store service correctly select Refresh Key.Enter the passphrase used when creating the Secure Store service.
Passphrase: *******

Once complete the following screen should appear.

Business Data Connectivity Service

Once Secure Store Service started running, and then start “Business Data Connectivity Service” from Services on this Server.

User Profile Service

Start the User Profile Service on this Server.

User Profile Synchronization Service can run on only one server so in our case in SP2013Server.

Search Service Application

Create a new Topology and configure search components to run on new server.

Manage search components in SharePoint Server

Follow the MSDN link to create new topology https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sharepoint/search/manage-search-components#start-a-search-service-instance-on-a-server

#Start Search Service Instance

$ssa03 = Get-SPEnterpriseSearchServiceInstance -Identity "<Search Service GUID>"

Start-SPEnterpriseSearchServiceInstance -Identity $ssa03

#Get Search Topology

$ssa = Get-SPEnterpriseSearchServiceApplication

$active = Get-SPEnterpriseSearchTopology -Active -SearchApplication $ssa

$active

#Retrieve a list of search components

Get-SPEnterpriseSearchComponent -SearchTopology $active

#Clone the Active Search Topology

$clone = New-SPEnterpriseSearchTopology -SearchApplication $ssa -Clone -SearchTopology $active

#Add SearchComponents to Clone Topology

$ssa03 = Get-SPEnterpriseSearchServiceInstance -Identity "<Search Service GUID>"

#Admin Component

New-SPEnterpriseSearchAdminComponent -SearchTopology $clone -SearchServiceInstance $ssa03

#Analytics Processing Component

New-SPEnterpriseSearchAnalyticsProcessingComponent -SearchTopology $clone -SearchServiceInstance $ssa03

#Conent Processing Component

New-SPEnterpriseSearchContentProcessingComponent -SearchTopology $clone -SearchServiceInstance $ssa03

#Crawl Component

New-SPEnterpriseSearchCrawlComponent -SearchTopology $clone -SearchServiceInstance $ssa03

#Query Processing Component

New-SPEnterpriseSearchQueryProcessingComponent -SearchTopology $clone -SearchServiceInstance $ssa03

#Verify that the new search component was added to the clone topology

Get-SPEnterpriseSearchComponent -SearchTopology $clone

#Activate Clone Topology

#Set-SPEnterpriseSearchTopology -Identity $clone

#Verify that your new topology is active

$active = Get-SPEnterpriseSearchTopology -Active -SearchApplication $ssa

Manage the index component in SharePoint Server

Follow the MSDN link to create replica of Index Component https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sharepoint/search/manage-the-index-component#add-an-index-replica-to-an-existing-index-partition

#Index Components

$ssa = Get-SPEnterpriseSearchServiceApplication

$active = Get-SPEnterpriseSearchTopology -SearchApplication $ssa -Active

$clone = New-SPEnterpriseSearchTopology -SearchApplication $ssa -Clone -SearchTopology $active

#Add a new index component and associate it with a partition

$ssa03 = Get-SPEnterpriseSearchServiceInstance -Identity "<Search Service GUID>"

New-SPEnterpriseSearchIndexComponent -SearchTopology $clone -SearchServiceInstance $ssa03 -IndexPartition 0

#Set-SPEnterpriseSearchTopology -Identity $clone

#Verify that your new topology is active

Get-SPEnterpriseSearchTopology -Active -SearchApplication $ssa

#Monitor the distribution of the existing index to the new replica. The added index replica will have the state Degraded until the distribution is finished.

Get-SPEnterpriseSearchStatus -SearchApplication $ssa -Text

Updated Topology

Updated topology show the search components running on both servers.

Workflow Manager

Workflow Manager support one or three nodes in farm. Therefore, in our case it is one node, no need to install workflow manager/service bus on new server.

Workflow Manager Client

Each server in the SharePoint Server farm must have the Workflow Manager Client installed.

Install the Workflow Manager Client on new server. Download and install the Workflow Manager Client here: https://www.microsoft.com/en-in/download/details.aspx?id=35375 and install workflow manager CU4 (KB4019220 LDR) update for client.

Issues:

Configuring Application Server Role, Web Server (IIS) Role

If you receive the "Configuring Application Server Role, Web Server (IIS) Role" error then follow this MSDN article (it is a MS known issues)

Resolution:

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-ca/sharepoint/support/migration-tool/products-preparation-tool-not-progress-past-configuring-application

Microsoft Knowledge Base (KB) article 2771431

Windows Server 2012 installation media (ISO) to drive D of the server. Then, open an elevated Windows PowerShell prompt on the SharePoint server (that is, Run as Administrator), and execute the following commands:

Import-Module ServerManager

Add-WindowsFeature NET-WCF-HTTP-Activation45,NET-WCF-TCP-Activation45,NET-WCF-Pipe-Activation45 -Source D:\Sources\sxs

Add-WindowsFeature Net-Framework-Features,Web-Server,Web-WebServer,Web-Common-Http,Web-Static-Content,Web-Default-Doc,Web-Dir-Browsing,Web-Http-Errors,Web-App-Dev,Web-Asp-Net,Web-Net-Ext,Web-ISAPI-Ext,Web-ISAPI-Filter,Web-Health,Web-Http-Logging,Web-Log-Libraries,Web-Request-Monitor,Web-Http-Tracing,Web-Security,Web-Basic-Auth,Web-Windows-Auth,Web-Filtering,Web-Digest-Auth,Web-Performance,Web-Stat-Compression,Web-Dyn-Compression,Web-Mgmt-Tools,Web-Mgmt-Console,Web-Mgmt-Compat,Web-Metabase,Application-Server,AS-Web-Support,AS-TCP-Port-Sharing,AS-WAS-Support, AS-HTTP-Activation,AS-TCP-Activation,AS-Named-Pipes,AS-Net-Framework,WAS,WAS-Process-Model,WAS-NET-Environment,WAS-Config-APIs,Web-Lgcy-Scripting,Windows-Identity-Foundation,Server-Media-Foundation,Xps-Viewer -Source D:\Sources\sxs

Run the Products Preparation Tool - PrerequisiteInstaller.exe again.

This product requires Microsoft .Net Framework 4.5

Resolution:

This error occurs if .Net framework 4.6 is installed (check in windows updates). Follow the MS Support article to resolve this issue (it is a known issue).

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sharepoint/support/installation-and-setup/setup-error-if-.net-framework-4.6-is-installed

Error occurred when trying to access SQL Server in Configuration Wizard:

This error occurred if you try to use different database server name/alias. If Alias name was used to install the SharePoint farm then use the same Alias to connect new server to SharePoint Farm.

Resolution:

Create SQL server alias, then re-run the configuration wizard and use the database server alias.

Missing Patches:

SharePoint Configuration Wizards displays Server Farm product and Patch status

Resolution:

List down all the updates with missing locally. Download and install those patches.

If displays any message with missing on existing server then you might have installed the patch that was not installed on your existing SharePoint Farm. In this case, uninstall the SharePoint Server (as there is no option to remove the installed SharePoint patch) and install again with the missing local patch only.

The license state for the current server doesn't match the farm's license state

“An exception of type System.InvalidOperationException was thrown. Additional exception information: The current server cannot be joined to this farm because the set of installed products does not match the products installed in the farm. The license state for the current server doesn't match the farm's license state.”

“System.InvalidOperationException: The current server cannot be joined to this farm because the set of installed products does not match the products installed in the farm.”

“The license state for the current server doesn't match the farm's license state.

at Microsoft.SharePoint.Administration.SPFarm.Join(Boolean skipRegisterAsDistributedCacheHost)

at Microsoft.SharePoint.PostSetupConfiguration.ConfigurationDatabaseTask.CreateOrConnectConfigDb() at Microsoft.SharePoint.PostSetupConfiguration.ConfigurationDatabaseTask.Run()

at Microsoft.SharePoint.PostSetupConfiguration.TaskThread.ExecuteTask()”

https://sharelockpoint.wordpress.com/2014/01/09/sharepoint-2013-installation-error-the-current-server-cannot-be-joined-to-this-farm/

Resolution:

Check the installed product and change the license key on new server according to the Server Farm License.

Current Farm: - B7D84C2B-0754-49E4-B7BE-7EE321DCE0A9 – “SharePoint Server 2013 Enterprise”

New Server: - C5D855EE-F32B-4A1C-97A8-F0A28CE02F9C – “SharePoint Server 2013”

Need to buy Enterprise License key.

Distributed Cache Service not starting

When click on start button in Services on server, Distribute cache service not started and does not show any error. AppFabric service keep disabling after manual start.

Resolution:

· Check the status of service using below command

Get-SPServiceInstance | ? {($_.service.tostring()) -eq "SPDistributedCacheService Name=AppFabricCachingService"} | select Server, Status

· Remove the existing service using below command

o Remove-SPDistributedCacheServiceInstance

· Add distributed cache service again

o Add-SPDistributedCacheServiceInstance

COM Exception while running Set-SPEnterpriseSearchTopology

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sharepoint/support/administration/800703fa-illegal-operation-error

This problem typically occurs after an administrator uses a service account to log on to the server for an interactive session, and then logs off. For example, an administrator may log on to a Web Front End (WFE) server by using the farm account, and then log off. This activity forces the registry keys to be unloaded in the profile of that account. This condition makes the keys unavailable for future use.

Resolution:

Do not log on to the server for interactive sessions by using a service account. Instead, use user account to log on to the server and run the command.

Search Content Source throw error in TEEIS10Share03

On clicking Crawl Log, Content Sources, and Crawl Rules etc. in left navigation of Search Administration throws error:

Retrieving the COM class factory for component with CLSID {0FF1CE15-0005-0000-0000-000000000000} failed due to the following error: 800703fa Illegal operation attempted on a registry key that has been marked for deletion. (Exception from HRESULT: 0x800703FA).

Resolution:

This MSDN article describes the issue: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sharepoint/support/administration/800703fa-illegal-operation-error

Resolution is to enable “Do not forcefully unload the user registry at user logoff” group policy setting on Server and then reboot the server.

Search Administration shows All Error Status in SP2013Server

Search Administration page shows All Errors in Administrative Status, Crawler background activity and Default content access account.

Resolution:

The previous issue with COM component causes this issue and resolved after enabling “Do not forcefully unload the user registry at user logoff” group policy setting on Server and then reboot the server.