Complete Guide to Install SharePoint in a Three Server Farm using AutoSPInstaller

Introduction

This article will be divided into three sections:

• Setting up the Environment and Service Accounts
• Getting Ready with AutoSPInstaller Online
• Configuring the XML using Online Editor and Installation

Setting up the Environment and Service Accounts

AutoSPInstaller Online is one great project that facilitates Automated SharePoint installation including Sharepoint 2010, 2013 and 2016.

Auto SP Installer provides a powerful way to deploy and configure a single-server development environment to multiple-server SharePoint farm.
Reference: https://autospinstaller.com/

Before doing anything, we will set up the environment for SharePoint three server Farm.

We will name these servers as:

• SPWFE - Share Point Front End Server
• SPAPP - Share Point App server
• SPDB - DB server

Please find the reference for SharePoint minimum requirement and practices from:

• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/SharePoint/install/install-sharepoint-server-2016-across-multiple-servers

For the medium segregation, we have to create the below list of service accounts.

Service Accounts for Active Directory

Service Account name: spadmin
Rights: Local Admin All Servers (DB,WFE,APP)
SQL DB Rights: SQL DB Creator and Security Admin Rights
Domain Privileges: Service User
Description: Use for set up and Configuration

Service Account name: spfarm
Domain Privileges: Service User
Description: sp timer service, Central Admin Application Pool, Other Configurations

Service Account name: spservices
Domain Privileges: Service User
Description: Service and Pool account user

Service Account name: spsqlservice
Domain Privileges: Service User
Description: Run services in SQL Server (MSSQLSERVER, SQLSERVERAGENT)

Service Account name: spsearch
Domain Privileges: Service User
Description: SP search service, crawlers, search related

Service Account name: spprofile
Domain Privileges: Need Replicating Directory Changes
Description: user profile synchronization account

User Profile User Configuration

Run dsa.msc in Run Windows or open Active Directory Users and Computers.

Then right click the domain and click delegate control.

Then click next and select spprofile user.

Then click next and select Custom Task Delegate and click next.

Then select This folder, Existing objects in this folder, and creation of new objects in this folder and click next.

In here, select Replicating Directory Changes and proceed to finish the wizard.

Configure SQL Server

After installing SQL server, you need to do the following configuration. Also, you might need to install .NET 3.5 manually in the server by specifying source path manually.

Setting Up DB Server (Login as spadmin)

I installed Windows Server 2012 in the DB server. After installing OS, you need to install the SQL server. Following are the steps you need to perform additionally.

In the feature selection, you can select Database Services and Management Tools – Basic , Management Tools – Complete. Other than these features, you can select other related ones if needed.

Then you can add spadmin as a Administrator for management.

And you should add spsqlservice as service accounts running credentials for MSSQLSERVER, SQLSERVERAGENT.

Then complete the installation and Enable TCP/IP, and start the SQL browser in SQL configuration management.

Getting Ready with AutoSPInstaller Online

First, download the latest build from https://autospinstaller.com/Download.

and copy, SP folder to C:\ drive (this can be any convenient location):

Now, you need to mount your SharePoint Image and copy all the content inside the folder:

2016 –> SharePoint

Then download the prerequisites files as required:

• SQL Microsoft SQL Server 2012 Native Client: http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=29065
• Microsoft ODBC Driver 11 for SQL Server: http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=36434
• Microsoft Sync Framework Runtime v1.0 SP1 (x64): http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=17616
• Windows Server AppFabric 1.1: http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=27115
• Microsoft AppFabric 1.1 for Windows Server (KB2671763): http//support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/2671763
• Microsoft Identity Extensions: http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=252368
• Microsoft Information Protection and Control Client: http//go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=528177
• Microsoft WCF Data Services 5.0: http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=29306
• Microsoft WCF Data Services 5.6: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=39373
• Microsoft .NET Framework 4.5.2: http://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/2934520
• Microsoft .NET Framework to disable RC4 in Transport Layer Security (KB2898850): http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=42883
• Visual C++ Redistributable Package for Visual Studio 2013: http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=40784

and copy under the prerequisites folder inside SharePoint 2016.

Server Set UP Servers

You need to install the following pre software in Servers in order to Set Up SharePoint.

Application Server Server, Web Front End Server

OS: Windows Server 2016

You might need to install l .NET Framework 3.5 to the server. Thus you need to install manually.

Reference: http://www.danielclasson.com/install-net-framework-35-server-2012/ Jump
http://en.community.dell.com/techcenter/os-applications/w/wiki/4146.installing-net-3-5-framework-on-microsoft-windows-server-2012.aspx Jump

DB Server

OS: Windows Server 2016
SQL Server 2017

After you install the basic required Software and Operating system, now you are ready to install the SharePoint.

Before installing SharePoint, you must configure the AutoSPinstallerInput file.

This is just an XML file, you can Edit using NotePad ++, but there is a great online tool provided by AutoSPInstaller Online, that you can use to configure the XML file.

• https://autospinstaller.com/FarmConfiguration

You can load the XML and enter your service account details and DB connection details and save the file for installation.

Configuring the XML using Online Editor and Installation

After you have set up everything, as per my previous articles, you need to go to Online Configuration Editor

• https://autospinstaller.com/FarmConfiguration

Then, you need to choose Load from my XML and choose the AutoSPInstallerInput file.

Then the below page will be visible:

We don't need to edit all the configurations for this scenario.

First, add the HOST name for the SharePoint Server. Since we have two SharePoint servers, we will insert two hostnames in both.

If you have a multiple domain environment, use the full domain name for the host.

Then, navigate to Install Section and Specify the SharePoint Product Key and the Version to 2016 if it is not selected.

then, Navigate to Main section:

Here, there are few sections you need to fill up.

First, you need to add the Security Phase for the Farm.

Then, we have to mention the farm account name, refer to my first article.

Service Account name: spadmin
Rights: Local Admin All Servers (DB, WFE, APP)
SQL DB Rights: SQL DB Creator and Security Admin Rights
Domain Privileges: Service User
Description: Use for set up and Configuration

Since we are not using any custom alias, remove the tick and mention the database server name and the prefix for SharePoint databases.

Central Administration will be a provision on the APP server, thus I selected it and remove the SSL because we will be running behind the WAF.

Then specify the other accounts which we have created before as below:

Service Account name: spfarm
Domain Privileges: Service User

Service Account name: spservices
Domain Privileges: Service User

Service Account name: spsearch
Domain Privileges: Service User

Service Account name: spprofile
Domain Privileges: Need Replicating Directory Changes

Then, navigate to services section and select web application to deploy in WFE server.

Then configure the email, setting, You can use the existing Email server.

All other sections are optional to configure.

Go to the Review and Download section to copy the configuration file.

Copy and paste the XML file to AutoSPInstallerInput file.

Now you are done with the configuration.

Just go to Automation Folder:

and Launch to install the SharePoint.

and do the same installation in SPApp server as well.