howto://install SharePoint 2010

windows This is Ed Fisher in the Pork Chop Express, and I’m talkin’ to whoever’s listenin’ out there. The latest version of SharePoint is out, and that means I have to go install it to see what the big deal is. Kidding aside, I’m a huge fan of SharePoint, Connie is a SharePoint admin, and there is no way we can let something like SharePoint 2010 be released without taking a peek. Since MOSS 2007 was such a joy to install, and I didn’t find anything worth following online about installing 2010 RTM, I figured this was a job for <♫> dramatic crescendo </♫> a RetroHack post. So in this post we’ll talk about some minimum requirements for installing, get the prereqs out of the way, and lay down a simple SharePoint farm. This will not be a single server post…we’re going for a little more scale this time. Read on if you are interested.

The ‘hardware’

We’re going to have a two server farm to start…one SharePoint server and one SQL server. With this as a starting point, we are creating a farm that we can add both web front ends, and SQL back ends to, should we decide to scale up. However, since this is going to be an internal only deployment (I reserve the right to publish it to authenticated users through TMG in the future) and a proof of concept, not a production farm, I am going cheap and cheerful with disk and service accounts. If you want to use this guide for production, deploy more disk space on a good, fast array, and create all the separate service accounts that the wizard will call for. That, or check into a psycho ward, whichever comes first, right?

This deployment will be on ESX, but will work just as well on Hyper-V. I can play both offence and defence when it comes to virtualisation, and ESX is what we have at the office. Speaking of…you’ll notice I don’t follow my own naming convention recommendations in this post…neither does my employer

Here’s what we’re using today to install SharePoint 2010.

Though it probably doesn’t need to be said, Windows 2008R2 is only available in a chocolate, vanilla, and 64bit flavours. SharePoint 2010 is a 64bit app, so this works out well. There is a SQL 2008R2 version that is 32bit, but you wouldn’t want to install that on a 64bit o/s, and SharePoint will fail on the prereq check if your database is not 64bit. Don’t be that guy.

Both servers are domain members, and the install is being done by a domain admin. Both servers are fully patched and Forefront antivirus is installed. If you are in roughly the same place, let’s begin.This is gonna take crackerjack timing, Wang. Well no, not actually, but everybody relax, I’m here.

Accounts

Remember what I said above…this is a POC for internal use only. As such, we will use one service account for all services, and that account will need admin rights for certain purposes. If you don’t want to do that, wait to create your accounts until you get to the point in the SharePoint wizard where it asks for each account. There are about thirty of them, and it is easier to keep them straight when you are looking at the wizard. Well, maybe there aren’t quite that many, but for this, we’re using just one.

Since we’re going to need an account to run things under, so go ahead and create one first. Here’s mine, with a supersecret password, and no group memberships.

That account needs to be a member of the local administrators group on both the SharePoint and SQL servers, so you may as well get that out of the way too. It’s all in the reflexes.

Getting the SQL server ready

Mount the SQL2008R2 disc (or iso) to your SQL server, and launch the autorun. Like everything else that Microsoft actually spends some time on, there is a wizard that will take you through most of it. The funny thing about this SQL install is that it looks purpose built for SharePoint. Watch as we go through it and see if you agree. The initial screen lets you check on requirements, read some docs, etc., but we’re going to

1. Click System Configuration Checker

That will run through a quick check to make sure all the pieces-parts are in place, and you have what you need to install. When that is done, click on the Installation link to launch the actual install.

2. For SharePoint, since this is a fresh, new install, we’re going to select the option to install All Features with Defaults. All features with defaults also means everything runs as network service, and your account (the one you are currently logged in as) is a sysadmin. This is as we want it.We can come back to this to install PowerPivot later if desired.

3. In Account Provisioning, we can add any other users or groups that we need for Analysis services. For now, we’re sticking with just the account we’re using.

4. SharePoint 2010 can use Reporting Services, which ties right into the SQL 2008 R2 setup. You’ll want to use the SharePoint integrated mode, and finish the configuration in SharePoint.

A couple of nexts to confirm your choices and SQL 2008 R2 is installed. For not being a SQL guy, this was relatively quick and painless. Post installation check your patches and then move on to SharePoint’s install.

Installing the SharePoint 2010 server

Mount the iso (or disk) for SharePoint on your SharePoint server and either autorun or double-click the setup.exe in the root to get to the splash screen. Sure, you can go through the documentation in the Prepare section, or, you can be like Ed and click "Install software prerequisites." Come on, be one of us…

5. Yes! You did it. Good for you. There are several add-ons that we need to install for SharePoint 2010. Fortunately they are all on the DVD and will be installed by the wizard. You can see the list in the screenshot below. We’re not dealing with optionals here, so just click Next and go get some coffee.

Mmmm…coffee.

6. Okay, once that’s done, you do need to reboot. Click Finish, and let it do its thing.

7. Once the reboot completes, log on and the prerequisite install resumes, and completes. The only thing I would wish for would be that setup.exe would auto-launch. It didn’t.

8. Relaunch setup.exe.

9. You are presented with the choice of a standalone server (all components on one box, including the light-weight SQL database) or server farm. Since you just spent all that time building a SQL server (great job by the way!) you probably ought to go ahead and click Server Farm here.

10. Strangely, the next screen seems to give you radio buttons asking basically the same thing, but in a different order. I guess that’s to make sure you’re awake? Make sure Complete is selected and click Install Now.

11. There isn’t much else to do for the SharePoint install. If your monitor can’t be seen from the aisle, I suggest you spend a little "you time" while the progress bar crawls along. Here, try my latest addiction.

Play more free flash games at 1Cup1Coffee.com!

12. When the install is done (check it after level 5…that is probably where you will first get stumped anyway,) you’ll be prompted to run the SharePoint configuration wizard. This is different from the one you may be thinking of in SharePoint central admin. Click close get rid of this wizard and to launch the new wizard.

Why, yes, it is kind of like trading Gandalf the Grey for Gandalf the White. Good catch.

13. Now we have that out of the way, we are going to get to the parts where you need to remember the user accounts you set up, and the servername of the SQL box you just built. That should not be too challenging though, right?

14. Since this is a new install, we need to create our farm. Make sure that is selected and then click next.

15. I like this part, and I hate it, at the same time. While it’s a good idea to put some security into place so just anyone can’t plug a new server into the farm, this is the kind of thing you will type something into now, and six month from now when you need to add servers, you won’t remember it. So…write it down and stash it somewhere safe! Then type it in and click next.

16. Here you specify the port for Central Administration, and at this point I urge you to stick with NTLM. Kerberos rocks, but we can do that later. For now, NTLM is good enough.

17. Confirm your settings, and click next.

18. Give it a few minutes (scroll back up and play another couple of rounds of destructive fun) and then check back to see your configuration was successful.

19. Clicking Finish closes the wizard and launches your browser to the Central Administration page, where you can then launch another wizard (hmm, web-based wizard, obviously Saruman.)

20. Run through the wizard, setting up your domain service account that you create way back at the top of this post. All but the Lotus Notes connector will be selected by default. Yes, I had to click that too. My Exchange-Fu is currently only at home..at the office I am condemned to Hell of 10,000 Notes. IT guys have a lot of Hells.

This will take forever once you hit next. Go to lunch, or maybe rack up another 4 or 5 levels on the game.

21. Finally…you get to the part where you can brand your shiny new SharePoint 2010 site and pick a template for the main page.

There are a lot of templates in there. You might want to scope this post to read about the differences. From there you should be doing most of your stuff either in your browser, or in SharePoint Designer. In fact, from what I have seen so far, you will want to install SharePoint Designer if you plan on doing any serious customisation of your site.

Now when some wild-eyed, eight-foot-tall IT director grabs your neck, taps the back of your favorite head up against the barroom wall, and he looks you crooked in the eye and he asks you if ya can get a SharePoint 2010 server farm up and running by start of business tomorrow morning, you just stare that big sucker right back in the eye, and you remember what ol’ Ed Fisher always says at a time like that: "Have ya paid your dues, Ed?" "Yessir, the check is in the mail." Okay, so maybe I was a little liberal with the movie quotes this post, but if you love Big Trouble in Little China like I do, then you probably got a chuckle. If you didn’t, you obviously have never seen the film. Check the trailer below, then add it to your Netflix queue. Tell ‘em Jack Burton sent you.