Install SharePoint 2010 with SQL Authentication

Hello,

last time i get a nice question on my desk and could not find any documentation for this. That’s the reason why i create this post.

Normally it’s not difficult to create a SQL authentication for one web application but for the whole farm we need to enter sql authentication settings in the psconfig wizard during farm creation. Unfortunately i couldn’t find a way  over the UI in sharepoint 2010 but it’s still possible and not difficult with using psconfig command shell.

 

1. go to the 14-Hive folder of SharePoint 2010, and start the help command for configdb

Psconfig.exe –help configdb

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For SQL Authentication it’s important to define to parameter:

- -dbuser

- -dbpassword

2. create Configdb and FARM

a. here you can find this screenshot of my psconfig command to create the farm.

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in a better readable version:

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3. now the farm will be created, (only 3 important steps to create the farm, create configdb and Central Admin are done)

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4. Check:

a. SQL dbs on SQL Server

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The Central Admin path is set automatically on Port: 20270 (in my case), but not deployed on IIS Server. (check IIS Manager and you will see no central admin is deployed, the Farm is also only created on WSS v4 level because the SharePoint Server Features are not installed & deployed)

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To provision the central admin on IIS you can execute:  psconfig –cmd adminvs -provision

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Now check your IIS and you will see the central admin web application:

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Attention: who is farmadmin on my example?

In the screenshot above i was logged on as demo\administrator and the central admin was created from this account. With my first psconfig command i define another account to be farm administrator (demo\farmadmin). So demo\farmadmin is not the account who can access the central administration.

So that’s my fault, it’s always necessary to logon as farmadmin account to create the sharepoint farm and central administration

To access the central admin i need to use now demo\administrator

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While browsing over the central admin you will see some missing features like: create service application, services to start etc. That’s okay because until now we only create WSS Farm.

Now we have two options to start the next 6 steps to complete the feature installation, deployment process  etc. to get a SharePoint Server Farm. Therefore we can start the next commands via psconfig…, but i don’t like that.

Let’s use the easiest way and start the PSconfigUI.exe (SharePoint 2010 Configuration Wizard). Because the farm is already created the wizards will reset the configuration for us and install all not installed features for us. Because the farm is already created i don’t lose sql authentication setting.

5. Run SharePoint 2010 Configuration Wizard:

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Now we can see in central administration Server Feature like Service Applications are available:

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6. Evidence that SQL Authentication is in use: start SQL Profiler Trace and check which access is in use:

It’s my SQL-authentication account: (sql_SharepointAccount)

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regards

Patrick