MOSS Three Server Farm Install

So, we want to deploy the classic three-server farm and found this nice link here from SharePointForum and another from TechNet here.

So I've got MyDBServer that's running SQL Server 2005. 

My other two servers are called MyWFEServer and MySSPServer.   I want MyWFEServer to run the CA website and my user site collection(s) while I want MySSPServer to run everything else.

I installed SharePoint on both and, before I ran the Configuration Wizard, I took virtual snapshots so I can roll back at any time.

Then I ran the Configuration Wizard on MyWFEServer.  I pointed to MyDBServer and selected Kerebos Authentication.  That ran and eventually opened up the CA web site.

Then I ran the Configuration Wizard on MySSPServer.  I pointed it to the SharePoint_Config database on MyDBServer, selected Kerebos Authentication and it ran and ended up pointing to the CA website on MyWFEServer.

Great, I've got three servers in my farm.

If you're like me, when you get CA running, you'd just like to stare at it for a while before you do something that screws it up.  Well, no time for fun, we must move on.

The question I have is where do I tell SSP to live on the other server?

Well, CA has a list of Adminsitrative Tasks and I started at the top.

1. Read the Quickstart Guide – This has a link to a web page that includes a section called Learn how to deploy Office SharePoint Server 2007 in a server farm environment.  It says to do what I've already done, install SharePoint on all the Front End Web Server.  Now at this point, I don't know if my SSP server will be a front-end web server or not but it's got SharePoint installed all the same.  The instructions tell me to configure farm services and to start with MOSS Search.  It has a link to a page called Configure the Office SharePoint Server Search service

That page will direct you to the Services on Server page and it tells you to click on the Office SharePoint Server Search link in the list of services on the page.  It did not tell me to select MySSPServer from the pull down list at the top of the page but I did.  So it takes me to a page titled Configure Office SharePoint Server Search Service Settings on server MySSPServer.  Great.

I tell it to use MySSPServer, an eMail address, MOSSAdmin@MyDomain.com and I give it my MyDomainMOSSSearchSvc account and password.  Then I told it not to use all WFE servers for crawling but just MySSPServer.  I click OK and it takes me back to the list.  I click on Start and it takes me back to the configuration page where I have to enter the password again and click OK again.  Then it takes me back to the list but the Status has changed from the red Stopped to the green Starting.  When I refresh the page, it says Started.

I go back to the instruction page and I see, at the bottom, this:

Tip: If your index server is dedicated and is not running any other shared services, activate the Web front-end role on the index server and specify the index server as the dedicated Web front-end computer for crawling.

And then, since I'm done with the Search Index set up page and I go back to the Learn How page and the next step on it says this:

The Windows SharePoint Services Web Application service must be running on any server that acts as a Web server and renders Web content. This service is started by default on servers that you set up by using the Web Front End option during Setup. If you set up a server using the Complete option during Setup, and you want that server to act as a Web server and render Web content, you must start the Windows SharePoint Services Web Application service on that server.

This does not appear to be a "Service" like you see in Computer Management | Serivces but it does appear in the list of services in the Services on Server page and it says it's running.

There doesn't seem to be any instructions that have anything to do with the other services.  Instead, the "Learn How…" page rolls onto Configure the Shared Services Provider.  This provides a blurb that says:

Before you create the SSP, you must create a Web application for the SSP administration site.

So, while the SSP might be running on another server, the SSP Admin Web site might be on another.  There's a link that says Manage a farm's Shared Services Providers

Now, I've got two identical WFEs except that one of them is also my index server.  I wonder if I can get more services to run on that server and eliminate that burden from the WFE.  In fact, I'd like for one server to only be a user content site collection server and have everything else run on a different server. 

-robot

 


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