Build a SharePoint 2007 Two-Tier Farm on Windows 2003

Introduction

This posting walks through the process of building a small two-tier SharePoint Server 2007 farm on Windows Server 2003 R2 that can be used for testing and development.  Performed on VMware Workstation 7.X.  Components of this environment will include:

• Windows Server 2003 R2 Enterprise (trial version)
• SharePoint Server 2007
• SQL Server Express version 2005
• .NET Frameworks 2.0 and 3.0
• Domain controller
• DNS server

Building the environment involves the following discrete steps:

1. Build servers
2. Configure DC and DNS
3. Join Domain
4. Install SQL Server Express
5. Install SharePoint Server 2007

Step 1: Build Servers

• Build two Windows Server 2003 R2 Enterprise instances using the clone developed in a previous posting.
• Launch first server:
• during mini-setup, set name to spdev21.
• Launch second server:
• During mini-setup, set name to spdev23.

Step 2: Configure DC and DNS

• On the first server (spdev21):
1. On Manage Your Server, click Add or remove a role.  The Configure Your Server wizard is launched.
2. Configure domain as AdventureWorks.Com.
3. After completion, verify that new forward lookup, pointing to this DNS, was automatically created.
4. Reboot (automatic).
5. Verify Internet connectivity and access.
6. From Administrative Tools, launch Active Directory Users and Computers.
7. Add SharePoint service accounts: sp_admin, sp_web and sp_app.

Step 3: Join Domain

• On the second server (spdev23):
1. Configure network adaptor IP and DNS.
2. Verify Internet connectivity and access.

Step 4: Install SQL Server Express

1. On spdev21:
1. Install .NET Framework 2.0 SP2.
2. Install SQL Server Express (2005).
3. Add account sp_admin:
• Add roles: dbcreator, securityadmin.
4. Add own account as sysadmin.
5. Note the SQL Server instance name: SPDEV21\SQLEXPRESS.

Step 5: Install SharePoint Server 2007

1. Install .NET Framework 2.0.
2. Install .NET Framework 2.0 SP2.
3. Install .NET Framework 3.0.
4. Open a command window and navigate to: C:\WINDOWS\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v2.0.50727.
5. Run this command:
• aspnet_regiis -I
6. Verify that the SQL Server Browser service is running.  If it isn't, start it.
7. Perform an installation of SharePoint Server 2007 per a previous posting.
8. Install WSS SP1 and Office Server 2007 SP1; to version 12.0.0.6219.
9. Reboot (optional).
10. Install WSS SP2 and Office Server 2007 SP2; to version 12.0.0.6421.
11. Reboot (optional).
12. Install WSS SP3 and Office Server 2007 SP3.

References

• AlsTechTips: Build a Windows Server 2003 R2 (32) Clone Template
• AlsTechTips: Installing SharePoint 2007 on Windows Server 2003 Step-by-Step
• Microsoft Support: How To Create an Active Directory Server in Windows Server 2003
• Computer Networking Notes: How to configure ADS Active Directory Service Step by Step Guide
• Novell Knowledgebase: Installing IIS and ASP.NET v2.0
• Microsoft Download Center: Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0 Service Pack 2
• Microsoft Download Center: Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Express Edition Service Pack 4
• Microsoft Download Center: Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Service Pack 4 RTM
• MSDN Archive: SharePoint on the Web
• How to troubleshoot common errors that occur when you run the SharePoint Products and Technologies Configuration Wizard on a computer that is running Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 or SharePoint Server 2007
• MSSQLServer Event ID: -1 - Cannot connect to [SQL Server Express instance]
• Matthew McDermott's Blog: Adventure Works Travel Site and Hands-on-Labs
• MSDN Archive: SharePoint on the Web (AdventureWorks site and labs)
• Microsoft office Updates: Office 2007 and SharePoint 2007 Service Pack 3 Availability
• Updates for SharePoint Products and Technologies
• Deploy software updates for Office SharePoint Server 2007
• Description of Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 SP3 and of Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 Language Pack SP3
• Description of the 2007 Office Servers SP3 and of the 2007 Office Servers Language Pack SP3
• Windows Installer 3.1 Redistributable (v2)
• Microsoft Office Updates: Announcing Service Pack 3 for Office 2007 and SharePoint 2007
• Microsoft Download Center: Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5
• Microsoft Download Center: Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 Service Pack 1
• Microsoft Download Center: Microsoft® Silverlight™ 2 Software Development Kit
• SharePoint Server 2007 Sample: Creating a Custom User Site Provisioning Solution with Office SharePoint Server 2007

Notes

• Step 2: no roles were added to the clone template, during the clone template build process for Windows Server 2003 R2 Enterprise.  When adding a role to the machine for the first time, the Configure Your Server wizard will conveniently launch into adding the DC, DNS and DHCP roles.  It will also check the network adaptor settings and conveniently configure DNS forwarding automatically, based upon the settings it detects.
• Step 4: Windows Server 2003 R2 Enterprise has .NET Framework 2.0 already installed.  Verify this by downloading and running dotNETInspector.
• Step 5: I'm not sure why yet, but formally installing .NET 2.0 framework adds features and capabilities not originally there, even though Windows Server 2003 R2 is supposed to have .NET 2.0 already installed and this is verified by running .NET Inspector.
• Step 5: installing a more recent copy of the SharePoint Server 2007 requires not only .NET Framework version 2.0 but also .NET framework version 3.0.
• Step 5: installation of SP1 isn't necessary as it's rolled up into SP2. However, still good as an exercise.