DocAve 6: svchost (968) A significant portion of the database buffer cache has been written out to the system paging file

Problem

You administer a SharePoint 2013 farm.  You have deployed DocAve 6 Manager for SharePoint to a dedicated server to help manage the farm (Windows Server 2012, 8GB RAM). During routine checks, you see the following warning appear in the that server's Application log:

svchost (968) A significant portion of the database buffer cache has been written out to the system paging file.  This may result in severe performance degradation.
See help link for complete details of possible causes.
Resident cache has fallen by 4010 buffers (or 100%) in the last ? seconds.
Current Total Percent Resident: 0% (0 of 4011 buffers)

Reviewing the server Application log, you find that this warning occurs about every few days, sometimes several times in a day.  Checking current memory usage, you find it to be a steady 36%.

 

Solution

• Increase RAM

References

• TechNet
• A significant portion of the database buffer cache has been written out to the system paging file. This may result in severe performance degradation

Notes

• Virtualized Windows Server 2012.  Static memory.

SharePoint 2013: CREATE TABLE permission denied in database [farm config]

Problem

You installed this month's cumulative update for your SharePoint Server 2013 Enterprise farm.  That Monday, checking the farm's application server Application event log, you see the following error event, #5586, recurring hourly in blocks of 5:

Unknown SQL Exception 262 occurred. Additional error information from SQL Server is included below.
CREATE TABLE permission denied in database '[farm config]'.

You also see server application error event #5617, recurring hourly at at the exact same time as the other error:

There is a compatibility range mismatch between the Web server and database "", and connections to the data have been blocked to due to this incompatibility. This can happen when a content database has not been upgraded to be within the compatibility range of the Web server, or if the database has been upgraded to a higher level than the web server. The Web server and the database must be upgraded to the same version and build level to return to compatibility range.

Reviewing event logs of the web front servers (WFE), you find the same error event messages appearing in their server application logs.

The User for both these error event types is the DocAve SharePoint Administrator service account (eg, spDocAve).  You begin troubleshooting.

Troubleshooting

1. SQL Server server event logs: found no related events appearing in event logs.
2. SQL Server security login mappings: found DocAve service account was not mapped to farm configuration database; also found it was not mapped to other farm databases, including:  Config_CA, all content DBs, Profile, Social.
1. Remapped DocAve service account as db_owner to all farm databases.

Solution

• Remap DocAve service account as db_owner to appropriate farm databases.

References

• DocAve 6 Installation Guide: SharePoint Agent Account Permissions
• Plan for administrative and service accounts in SharePoint 2013

Notes

• Farm database server: SQL Server 2012.
• Occurred for October 2015 and November 2015 CUs.

DocAve 6: An error occurred while loading the node

Problem

You are using DocAve SharePoint Administrator.  You have a SharePoint Server 2013 Enterprise farm.  You are trying to configure a DocAve Security Search on a farm site.  You were able to successfully execute security searches just fine a few days ago.  You have not made any configuration changes to DocAve SharePoint Administrator since you last used it.  The only thing you have done since then is install the SharePoint cumulative update package for this month.  Now, you can't execute security searches and you experience unusual problems.  For example, when you try to expand the farm in the Scope pane, you see the following error message:

You also find that when you enter a user's name in the User and Group box, when configuring a Security Search on a user account known to be in the content database, you see this error message:

You then log into a farm server and review the server event logs.  You see the following event log occurring repeatedly at the same time as the above DocAve errors:

Log Name:      Application
Source:        Microsoft-SharePoint Products-SharePoint Foundation
Date:          [date/time]
Event ID:      5586
Task Category: Database
Level:         Error
Keywords:      
User:          DOMAIN\SPDOCAVE
Computer:      [a farm server]
Description:
Unknown SQL Exception 262 occurred. Additional error information 
from SQL Server is included below.
CREATE TABLE permission denied in database 'Farm_Config'.
Event Xml:
...

This error message seems to point to an access issue. Checking the AgentService.exe log on the farm application server, you find this error message recurring each time you attempt to configure the security search:

ERROR 10-17 17:01:12,435 8 AgentPreHostingService 0- An error occurred 
while registering the agent. Exception: 
System.ServiceModel.EndpointNotFoundException: There was no 
endpoint listening at 
https://[DocAveSvr]:14000/ControlCore/ControlCoreService.svc that could 
accept the message. This is often caused by an incorrect address or 
SOAP action. See InnerException, if present, for more details. ---> 
System.Net.WebException: The remote name could not be resolved: 'DocAveSvr'

You then launch SQL Server Management Studio and check the mapping of the DocAve service account: you find that it is not longer mapped as DBO to the farm configuration database and other databases.

Solution

• Verify that the DocAve agent service account has been mapped as DBO for all farm databases, particularly the farm configuration database.

References

• None

Notes

• The AgentService.exe.log is located in C:\Program Files\AvePoint\DocAve6\Agent\Logs.

DocAve 6: Installation Rule Scanning: TCP Port Sharing Services Failed

Problem

You are installing the DocAve 6 agent onto a SharePoint farm server.  After the pre-installation scan completed, you see a rule failure for the Net Tcp Port Sharing Service:

This problem is easily resolved.  By default, the Net TCP Port Sharing Service Startup Type is Disabled.  Just switch it to Automatic.

Solution

1. Launch the Services applet.  
2. Scroll down to the Net. TCP Port Sharing Service.
3. Change the Startup Type to Automatic:
   
   .
4. Start the service manually.
5. Restart the DocAve 6 Agent scan and continue with the installation.

References

• How to: Enable the Net.TCP Port Sharing Service

Notes

• I experienced this issue while installing the agent on the farm's SQL Server - the one server I overlooked when verifying that the Port Sharing Service was up and running on the farm's servers.

DocAve Manager 6: The username or password is invalid

Problem

You are installing the DocAve agent to a new node that you want to add to your DocAve management group, and you experience the following error while configuring the agent account:

 

This can occur when the DocAve user agent service account has inadequate permissions on the node you are adding it to. 

Solution

• Add the DocAve user agent service account to the local Administrators group.

References

• DocAve 6 Administrator User Guide (p9)
• DocAve 6 Installation Guide (p22)

Notes

• This is the easiest way to resolve this is error.

DocAve 6 Administrator: An error occurred while loading the node. You may not have enough permissions.

Problem

You administer a SharePoint 2013 farm.  You are working in DocAve 6 SP4 Administrator for SharePoint 6.  You want to view the SharePoint topology and are preparing to select the scope in the Scope panel at left.  You click on the top farm heading to expand it, and this reveals all of the web applications in your farm.  Next, you click on one of the web applications to expand it.  When you do this, an error message is displayed:

You also notice that the node does expand, but that not all of the site collections under this node are listed.

This can occur when the DocAve agent service account is not properly mapped to one or more web application content databases.

Solution

1. Launch SQL Server Management Studio as administrator.
2. Expand Security\logins.
3. Double-click the DocAve agent service account.
4. Select the User Mapping page.
5. Scroll down the list of databases until you find the web application content databases.
6. Verify that the DocAve agent service account is mapping as db_owner to each of these.  If it isn't, make it so.
7. Click OK.

References

• DocAve 6 Administrator User Guide (p10)
• DocAve 6 Installation Guide (p9)

Notes

• None

DocAve 6 Manager for SharePoint 2013: Installation Guide

Introduction

This posting walks through the process of preparing for and installing DocAve 6 Manager for SharePoint 2013.  Preparing for DocAve Manager involves configuring account permissions in three areas: local, SQL and SharePoint; and adding the Web Server Role to the prospective server to be used for hosting DocAve Manager.  This guide presents steps for installing to Windows Server 2012, on Hyper-V 2012, where servers are configured with both external and private networking.

Step 1: Identify Resources

1. Identify the server that you want to use as the DocAve Manager management server.
2. Verify that this server meets the following technical requirements:
1. 54-bit, 4 cores
2. 4 GB RAM
3. 60 GB HD

Step 2: Create new domain account for DocAve Manager agent service

1. Create new domain account for DocAve SharePoint Agent, for example, spDocAve

Step 3: Provision DocAve agent service account

1. Provision local permissions for account
1. Add the DocAve agent service account to local Administrators group on each farm server.
2. Provision SQL Server permissions
1. Grant dbcreator and securityadmin roles on farm SQL Server
2. Grant db_owner role on all farm databases
3. Provision SharePoint permissions
1. Add to Farm Administrators group
1. Central Administration > Security > Manage the farm administrators group
2. Grant Full Control and Operates as System account all web applications
1. Central Administration > Application Management > Manage Web Applications
3. Grant Create Personal Site, Follow People and Edit Profile and Use Tags and Notes permissions to the User Profile Service Application.
1. Central Administration > Application Management > Mange Service Applications > User Profile Service (click on it) > People > Manage User Permissions
4. Grant Term Store Administrator to Managed Metadata Service
1. Central Administration > Application Management > Mange Service Applications (select, don't click) > Administrators
5. Grant Full Control to Search Service application
1. Central Administration > Manage Service Applications > Search Service (select only) > Administrators

Step 4: Configure Firewall

1. If your farm has both external and private networks (with private unrestricted), configure exception for port 14000 on external NIC to enable management interface access.
2. If the farm has only one network, need to configure port exceptions as indicated in DocAve documentation.

Step 5: Configure Server

1. Roles
1. Add Web Server (IIS)
1. Application Development
1. ASP.NET 3.5
2. .NET Extensibility 3.5
3. ISAPI Extensions and ISAPI Filters
2. Management Tools
1. IIS Management Console
2. IIS6 Management Compatability
3. IIS6 Metabase Compatability
2. Features
1. .NET Framework 3.5.1
2. HTTP Activation
3. Non-HTTP Activation
4. WCF Services
5. TCP Port Sharing (and started)
6. Common HTTP Features
1. Static Content
2. Default Content
7. PowerShell 2.0 or greater
3. Services
1. Windows process Activation Service
1. Started
2. Process Model, .NET Environment and Configuration APIs installed
2. WWW Publishing Service
1. Started
3. IIS Admin Service
1. Started

Step 6: Install DocAve Manager

1. login to the prospective DocAve management server using the SharePoint Setup User Administrator account (eg, spAdmin).
2. Download the DocAve Management software (zip), and save locally.
3. Extract locally.
4. Right-click Setup.exe and run as administrator.

Step 7: Intall DocAve Agent

1. Login to a SharePoint farm server using the SharePoint Setup User Administrator account (eg, spAdmin).
2. Verify that your designated DocAve agent service account has been added to the local Administrators group.  If it's not, add it.
3. Download the DocAve Management software (zip), and save locally.
4. Right-click Setup.exe and run as administrator.

Step 8: Setup Administrator Access to DocAve (for NTLM)

1. Launch the DocAve management interface.
2. Login (default: admin/admin).

   OOTB, there is a single local administrative account, admin, that enables you to access the DocAve Control Panel. To add domain accounts, you must first configure DocAve to recognize NTLM authentication.

3. Click a Control Panel link.
4. In the Authentication Manager group, click Authentication Manager.
5. On the Ribbon, in the Integration group, click Windows Authentication.
6. From the Authentication Type dropdown, select NTLM.
7. Click OK.
8. On Control Panel, in the Account Manager group, click Account Manager.
9. On the Ribbon, in the View group, click Users.
10. On the Ribbon, in the Actions group, click Add User.
11. From the User Type dropdown, select Windows User/Group Name.
12. In the Windows User/Group Name box, enter a user account as DOMAIN\UserName.
13. In the Group area, select the Add user to administrators group radio button.
14. Click OK.

References

• TCP Port Sharing and Web Server(IIS) Under Application Server in Windows Server 2012
• IIS Admin Service ‘missing’ in Lync

Notes

• The Installation UI is buggy.  You'll find that if you use the TAB key, the cursor focus can disappear, even when tabbing from one adjacent field to the next.  It's also possible to put the installation wizard into a permanently ambiguous state, from which the only exit is to terminate it and start over.
• Invalid username/password.  I found that during the intsallation, at the Control Service Configuration panel, after entering the username and password I wanted to use for a new application pool, I kept experiencing invalid username/password errors.  On a hunch, I added the DocAve agent service account to the local Administrators group and then tried again: success. This is mentioned in the DocAve Installation guide at page 23, first sentence.
• Installation Rule Scanning: Web Server (IIS) Role: Failed.  If you see this rule violation,
  
  it is likely due to not installing the IIS 6 Management Compatibility and the ASP.NET 3.5 features, which are not default role features installed automatically.  This rule violation will be accompanied by the IIS Admin Service rule violation.  This is because the IIS Admin Service is only installed when IIS 6 compatibility features are installed.  It's easy to check.  Just launch the Add roles and features tool.  Then expand Web Server (IIS) > Web Server > Application Development.  ASP.NET 3.5, ISAPI Extensions and ISAPI Filters won't be installed. Checking the box for ASP.NET 3.5 will automatically also select the other two.  Next, expand Web Server (IIS) > Web Server > Management Tools > IIS 6 Management Compatibility:
  
  Check the box for IIS 6 Management Compatibility; then complete installation.
• Page Not Found!!  If you see this when you fire up the DocAve UI for the first time, don't panic. Check the IE Enhanced Security Configuration setting.  If it's enabled, this will block the UI scripts from executing.  Disabled this setting and try again.