Setting SQL Server Alias Names in SharePoint 2010

Setting up a SQL Alias name is useful if you have multiple farms in virtual environments. It helps as you always reference the same SQL alias and when you are moving DB's between different SQL Servers.

Ideally this needs to be done on all WFE & App servers, before installing SP and setting up your Farms.
Not required on your SQL server though.

1. Start “C:\windows\system32\cliconfg.exe”
Select the tab “Alias” and click the button “Add”.
Select “TCP/IP” and define the name of the alias "SPSQLSrv". The fill in the hostname of your database server and select the “Dynamically determine port”-checkbox. After that click “OK”.

If you running 64 bit, Start “C:\windows\syswow64\cliconfg.exe”
personally even though running 64 bit, i have had it working just using the 32bit version. never hurts to be thorough though.

2. Now on each SharePoint Server, create your new farm using the Sharepoint Products Configuration Wizard. Use the defined sql alias name as your database server. "SPSQLSrv"

SharePoint Website Warm up options

There are many warm up scripts and exe's that can run against your SharePoint environments to speed up the first time access to any site. These options have worked the best for our infrastructure. personally the first works well and has useful options.

Setup a scheduled windows task which launches your selection, running under an account that has relevant access, every morning before start of business. The web application is hit and every page iterated in the site.




SPWakeup : http://spwakeup.codeplex.com/
A simple application that touches each site and site collection on a Sharepoint or WSS server to rebuild the IIS cache.
This is compatible with Win 2008 R2 and SharePoint 2010, nice touch is the email letting you know it's been run.

Powershell Script : http://www.jonthenerd.com/2011/04/19/easy-sharepoint-2010-warmup-script-using-powershell/
The script loads the SharePoint plugin, enumerates the zones, and sends a request to each one.


MS Application Warm-up : http://forums.iis.net/t/1176740.aspx
The MS IIS team had a nice warm up optiont that i've used before, but this has been removed at present (19/03/2012)
Keep an eye on any new developments as it was a good option.
SP George had a good how to : http://sharepointgeorge.com/2010/warm-sharepoint-web-applications-windows-2008-r2-iis-75-application-warmup-module/



For reasons on why we get IIS resets and reasons to use Warm up scripts check out this link : http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/sharepointadmin/thread/8547eaed-5420-4cca-af29-206d71898322/

AD Permissions on SharePoint Administrative accounts.

A common mistake that produces the various errors below on install or when adding service accounts to SharePoint.

Solution :
"Authenticated Users" should have "read" permissions on all Service accounts you add to SharePoint.
From the AD consol > edit the AD service account object > Security tab > Select "Authenticated Users" > ensure "Read" permissions are enabled.

Error on SP installation : 

Failed to create the configuration database.
An exception of type System.Collections.Generic.KeyNotFoundException was thrown.  Additional exception information: The given key was not present in the dictionary.
System.Collections.Generic.KeyNotFoundException: The given key was not present in the dictionary.
at System.ThrowHelper.ThrowKeyNotFoundException()
at System.Collections.Generic.Dictionary`2.get_Item(TKey key)

Error on adding AD account as managed SharePoint account : 
The given key was not present in the dictionary.