SBS 2008 and SharePoint Errors 3760 and 27745

We have spent the better part of the day troubleshooting an SBS 2008 Companyweb that went offline this morning without any real indication of _why_ that happened.

The server has been up for about 30 days with no SharePoint updates applied for at least a couple of update cycles.

• Error 1: 3760 (A few of these just before things went offline)
  • SQL Database ‘ShareWebDb’ on SQL server instance ‘…’ not found.
• Error 2: 27745 (happens every second or more)

  Log Name:      Application
  Source:        Windows SharePoint Services 3
  Date:          09/06/2011 12:02:30
  Event ID:      27745
  Task Category: General
  Level:         Error
  Keywords:      Classic
  User:          N/A
  Computer:      xxxxxxxx.local
  Description:
  The description for Event ID 27745 from source Windows SharePoint Services 3 cannot be found. Either the component that raises this event is not installed on your local computer or the installation is corrupted. You can install or repair the component on the local computer.

  #50071: Unable to connect to the database SharePoint_Config_xxx-xxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx on xxxxxx\Microsoft##SSEE.  Check the database connection information and make sure that the database server is running.

We went through a very long process of trying to figure out the source of the problem.

Both Companyweb and the SharePoint Administration sites were offline.

Ultimately, the steps we took are to be found in this Experts Exchange Question:

• Experts Exchange: Sharepoint Sites Down /  Event ID 27745  Windows SharePoint Services 3 cannot be found error / SBS 2008

About two thirds of the way down is a transcript of the process Microsoft Product Support Services took to figure out what the problem was. The lines below are the ones relevant to our own situation with the lines starting with an asterisk (*) being steps we did on our own.

• Tried to browse companyweb, came up with error:  HTTP 404   The webpage cannot be found
• Tried to browse Sharepoint central Administration, get the error: HTTP 404   The webpage cannot be found
• Ran the PSconfig and gave the error: Unhandled exception has occurred in your application
• Checked if the database were attached in SQL and found them there.
• Ran PSconfig and failed again.
• We checked CLICONFG and found that TCP/IP was listed on enabled protocols.
• On a working machine, it was (sic) a disabled protocol.
• 
• Left = Bad | Right = Good
• We moved it to disabled protocol.
• * We restarted the Microsoft##SSEE service and SP Timer service.
• Ran psconfig and this time it was successful.
• Browsed to Sharepoint central admin and it was working.
• * Ran the Credential Management step in SP Operations.
• 
• * Restarted IIS: IISReset /Noforce
• NOTE: We had to manually shut IIS down and restart as it hung at “Stopping”.
• * Refreshed SP Admin site and all was good.
• Browsed companyweb and that was successful.

It is very important to note that an out-of-band management module such as the iDRAC Enterprise, HP iLO Advanced, Intel RMM, or other KVM over IP should be used.

The RD Gateway service consistently stopped and stayed down during our troubleshooting processes. An IP restricted direct to SBS RDP rule in the firewall would be a good second option though not perfect if the OS stops in its tracks!

While we tried to outline every step we took troubleshooting this process, there may be a few steps that we missed documenting in the process.

As always, have a backup of that server before making any changes!

Philip Elder
MPECS Inc.
Microsoft Small Business Specialists
Co-Author: SBS 2008 Blueprint Book

*Our original iMac was stolen (previous blog post). We now have a new MacBook Pro courtesy of Vlad Mazek, owner of OWN.

Resource – Migrating SBS 2003 v2 SharePoint to SBS 2011 SharePoint Foundation

Robert Crane has an excellent guide on the process of migrating the v2 SharePoint instance found in SBS 2003 to the SharePoint Foundation instance found in SBS 2011

We have added the description to the titles:

• SBS 2003 Companyweb migration – Part 1 – Caveats and Considerations
• SBS 2003 Companyweb migration – Part 2 – Preparation Steps on v2
• SBS 2003 Companyweb migration – Part 3 – Upgrading the v2 Db to v3
• SBS 2003 Companyweb migration – Part 4 – Attaching the now v3 Db to SP v3 
• SBS 2003 Companyweb migration – Part 5 – Check the v3 Site for Migration Readiness
• SBS 2003 Companyweb migration – Part 6 – Move Dbs from v3 to SBS 2011
• SBS 2003 Companyweb migration – Part 7 – Post Migration Clean-up
• The seventh part is not yet available as of this writing.

Robert is an excellent resource for SharePoint related issues. The above steps assume a fairly mundane SBS 2003 SharePoint v2 setup. For highly customized SharePoint sites, please e-mail Robert to arrange for him to consult or provide technical migration services.

Philip Elder
MPECS Inc.
Microsoft Small Business Specialists
Co-Author: SBS 2008 Blueprint Book

*Our original iMac was stolen (previous blog post). We now have a new MacBook Pro courtesy of Vlad Mazek, owner of OWN.

Windows Live Writer

SharePoint Foundation 2010 Preliminary Observations

Now that we have been able to work first hand with SharePoint Foundation 2010, we are beginning to _really_ like it.

• Learning curve is minimal due to already being used to using the Office Ribbon.
• Task placement on the ribbon is very intuitive.
• Site creation and management is a lot more intuitive.

We have begun to customize our in-house SharePoint Foundation 2010 Companyweb site around the way we have been wanting to work with SharePoint since version 3’s introduction.

Timing was such that we did not have any available to set up a separate server for a WSS v3 configuration. So, we stuck it out with a combination of file shares, SharePoint v2 on our SBS, and SharePoint v3 (our WWW) hosted by OWN.

Our current SBS 2003 R2 server which is now officially out of the SBS role was way too tired to take on the task of running SharePoint v2 and v3 side-by-side.

Given the fact that we will be using our Companyweb to store virtually all of our live documentation, archives, and more we have moved the SharePoint Foundation 2010 content database onto a dedicated SQL 2008 x64 server.

We did start working with the new Companyweb before the content databases were moved over to SQL so we saw a significant improvement in the Companyweb site’s performance after the move.

For those clients where SharePoint will be used a lot, a separate SQL server configuration would be an important performance consideration.

Have a great weekend and thanks for reading! :)

Philip Elder
MPECS Inc.
Microsoft Small Business Specialists
Co-Author: SBS 2008 Blueprint Book

*Our original iMac was stolen (previous blog post). We now have a new MacBook Pro courtesy of Vlad Mazek, owner of OWN.

Windows Live Writer

Windows 7, Windows Explorer, and SharePoint Foundation Allowing Quick Library Content Access

We have blogged about this subject before:

• MPECS Inc. Blog - With Windows 7 and SharePoint, Who Needs A VPN? And … It Network Drive Maps!

Here is a quick way to get a SharePoint Foundation library folder into Windows 7 to make it quickly available for content access via Windows Explorer or for saving content to the library without having to upload it.

In this example we will use the default Shared Documents folder while being accessed from _outside_ the SBS network that is via the Internet.

The process is the same for inside the SBS network, but one needs to keep in mind that the shortcut created should be aptly named.

1. Open the SharePoint Foundation site.
• 
2. Click on the library link Shared Documents.
3. Click on the Library link under Library Tools.
• 
4. On the menu that comes up, click on Open with Explorer.
1. 
5. A Windows Security box will pop up to authenticate.
1. \Username
2. My 1nsanely l0ng pass phraz3!
• 
• A Windows Explorer window will pop up.
6. Click in the Address Bar so that the Internet address for the library is shown.
• 
• Note the address URL.
7. Click on the folder icon just to the left of “http: . . .” and drag it down until a black bar shows under Favorites and the menu option Create link in Favorites comes up.
1. 
8. Right click on the newly created Favorite and click on Rename. Give it a name like WWW – Shared Documents.

Most of the recent Microsoft Office products will see the list of Favorites and allow for users to open or save content to the library.

But, some applications such as PDF readers or creators do not. So, one can click on the Favorites star folder to bring up the list of shortcuts then right click and hold on the newly created one and drag it over to Desktop. Left click on the Create shortcuts here menu item after releasing the right mouse button.

One can then use the application’s Save As dialogue to navigate to the Desktop and double click on the shortcut to the SharePoint library.

Philip Elder
MPECS Inc.
Microsoft Small Business Specialists
Co-Author: SBS 2008 Blueprint Book

*Our original iMac was stolen (previous blog post). We now have a new MacBook Pro courtesy of Vlad Mazek, owner of OWN.

Windows Live Writer

SharePoint Designer 2010 x64 and x86 Downloads Are Available

The free SharePoint Designer 2010 RTM downloads for both CPU architectures are available on Microsoft’s download site:

• Microsoft SharePoint Designer 2010 (64-bit)
• Microsoft SharePoint Designer 2010 (32-bit)

As we have noted in a previous post, SharePoint Designer 2010 will only work with the current SharePoint 2010 versions (previous blog post).

We need to have SharePoint Designer 2007 installed in order to work with Windows SharePoint Services v3 or Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007.

Philip Elder
MPECS Inc.
Microsoft Small Business Specialists
Co-Author: SBS 2008 Blueprint Book

*Our original iMac was stolen (previous blog post). We now have a new MacBook Pro courtesy of Vlad Mazek, owner of OWN.

Windows Live Writer

SharePoint Designer 2010 Beta Error – Cannot Work On Sites Prior to SharePoint Server 2010.

After downloading the beta to check it out, we received the following when opening our SharePoint based Web site:

Microsoft SharePoint Designer

Microsoft SharePoint Designer cannot be used to edit web sites on servers prior to Microsoft SharePoint Server 2010. To edit these sites, you need to use SharePoint Designer 2007.

Well, we can get it here: SharePoint Designer 2007 Download.

SharePoint Designer 2007 is now a free download.

Philip Elder
MPECS Inc.
Microsoft Small Business Specialists
Co-Author: SBS 2008 Blueprint Book

*Our original iMac was stolen (previous blog post). We now have a new MacBook Pro courtesy of Vlad Mazek, owner of OWN.

Windows Live Writer

Two Service Packs NOT To Install At This Time

Currently, we are abstaining from installing the Windows SharePoint v3 Service Pack 2.

The second service pack we are holding off on installing is Exchange 2007 Service Pack 2 on our SBS 2008 installs.

• Official SBS Blog: Microsoft Exchange 2007 SP2 installation is blocked on Windows SBS 2008.
• Microsoft Knowledgebase: KB973862: You cannot install Exchange Server 2007 Service Pack 2 on a Windows Small Business Server 2008-based computer.

While the KB article contains some content addressing things that break when Exchange 2007 SP2 gets installed on SBS 2008, there is no real need at this point to install the Service Pack.

Also, there will be an SBS 2008 specific Exchange Service Pack 2 package released at some point that will allow us to install the Service Pack without it breaking things.

Philip Elder
MPECS Inc.
Microsoft Small Business Specialists
Co-Author: SBS 2008 Blueprint Book

*All Mac on SBS posts will not be written on a Mac until we replace our now missing iMac! (previous blog post)

Windows Live Writer

SBS 2008 – Hang On Before Installing WSS SP2

We have just had our freshly installed SBS 2008 Companyweb get toasted by the Windows SharePoint Services Service Pack 2 update.

One of the lessons we have learned, whether we are talking about SBS 2003 or SBS 2008, is to make sure we backup the server before running each product group updates (previous blog post).

In this case, WSS v3 SP2 was the second last update to be run along with an SBS 2008 specific update.

So, we are fortunate that this particular server has not gone into production yet.

To save time, we are restoring the entire box from backup, which is the last optional step on our checklist anyway, and then running with the SBS 2008 update only.

While this is our first Companyweb SharePoint site toasted by WSS v3 SP2, it is not the first we have heard of the Companyweb site getting toasted.

The Official SBS Blog:

• Companyweb Inaccessible After SharePoint 3.0 Service Pack 2.
• Microsoft Knowledgebase: KB 944267: How to troubleshoot common errors that occur when you run the SharePoint Products and Technologies Configuration Wizard on a computer that is running Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 or SharePoint Server 2007
• Files in Companyweb are Opening Read-Only After SBS 2008 UR2.

The troubleshooting steps did not work for us. Given the speed of this particular box, a restore is only going to take about 15-25 minutes. That will be a lot quicker and safer than:

• TechNet SBS Repair Gide: Reinstall SharePoint Services

Philip Elder
MPECS Inc.
Microsoft Small Business Specialists
Co-Author: SBS 2008 Blueprint Book

*All Mac on SBS posts will not be written on a Mac until we replace our now missing iMac! (previous blog post)

Windows Live Writer

SBS 2008 – During Setup Do Not Update

The setting in the Answer File Generator:

SBS Answer File – Get Installation Updates disabled

If the SBS setup is being run without an Answer File, then click:

Install – Do not get the most recent installation updates

There are a lot of updates that have been released since SBS first RTMd. Some of them will cause the server install to choke.

Once the server has run through the setup routines successfully, we would run the available MU/WSUS updates after we have completed the server’s preliminary configuration steps.

We would update in the following order along with the requisite reboots:

• Exchange Updates and the latest Rollup.
• Windows Server 2008 x64 updates.
• SharePoint, WSUS , server component specific updates.
• SQL Server updates.

When it comes to SQL updates, there are some newly released service packs that may not get offered via MU/WSUS before the prior incremental updates do. Keeping the latest service pack level for the install SQL instance versions in mind and only choosing the needed updates will facilitate a more efficient update process.

One practice we have taken up since our struggles with the recent SQL updates causing issues with SharePoint v3 is to run the SBS Backup prior to running each update stage.

If an update causes the server to choke, we are only a restore away to the point we were prior to running the updates.

Philip Elder
MPECS Inc.
Microsoft Small Business Specialists
Co-Author: SBS 2008 Blueprint Book

*All Mac on SBS posts will not be written on a Mac until we replace our now missing iMac! (previous blog post)

Windows Live Writer

SBS 2008 - Companyweb + Outlook Anywhere = Smooth

This is just too kewl:

Companyweb and Outlook Anywhere

Take a look at the content in the Outlook Reading Pane. The highlighted document in the list above it is actually in the Companyweb\Shared Documents folder back in the office.

The edit to the Word document was accomplished by opening it through Outlook 2007 that is connected back to SBS via Outlook Anywhere (RPC/HTTPS). We opened it in Offline Mode, and edited the file while in Offline Mode. Keep in mind that if there will be a need to edit files in Offline Mode, they should be checked out for the duration of those offline edits.

Now that we are diving into SBS 2008 installs on a larger scale, supporting SBS 2008, and along with the writing of the SBS 2008 Blueprint book, there has been a need to discover as many of the "hidden" features SBS 2008 has to offer. Given the vast number of features in the product, many can remain "hidden" for years! ;)

Outlook 2007 plus the SBS 2008 Companyweb Internal Web site certainly demonstrates a very powerful reason to upgrade. Things operate very smoothly between them.

Time savings can be another reason to consider an upgrade for a small company especially when the cost for support runs over one hundred dollars per hour. When Office 2007 is installed on a workstation in an SBS 2008 network and Outlook is fired up for the first time, it picks up the user's setup via the server.

Yes, okay, Outlook 2003 does that too. But, Outlook 2007 actually goes one step further and picks up the Outlook Anywhere settings (RPC/HTTPS) and puts them in place for us. There is at least a couple minutes of time saved, one possible post Office install step the tech can no longer forget, and thus a support call that has been avoided. It is one less step on that setup checklist.

Further Reading:

• SharePoint and Outlook – The Perfect Link

Philip Elder
MPECS Inc.
Microsoft Small Business Specialists

*All Mac on SBS posts are posted on our in-house iMac via the Safari Web browser.

Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 Books Released

With the advent of Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 (WSS), there has been a relatively small pool of resources available for those of us who need to install and configure WSS sites.

We have:

• Product Site: Windows SharePoint Services 3.0
• Product Help: Help for Windows SharePoint Services 3.0
• TechNet: Windows SharePoint Services TechCenter
• Microsoft Download Search: SharePoint Services
• 5W/50 Series - Windows SharePoint Services Version 3.0 and 40 New Templates - Introduction and Overview (Part 1 of 3)
• 5W/50 Series - SB: Installation and Configuration of Windows SharePoint Services v3.0 (Part 2 of 3)
• 5W/50 Series - Customizing Windows SharePoint Services Version 3.0 and building a practice around WSS 3.0 (Part 3 of 3)

The 5W/50 series is an excellent overview and run through the install and configuration of WSS.

While the Web sites can be very helpful, there is still a huge need to fill in the gaps.

Today, according to popular book sellers, we have a couple of excellent new book based WSS resources available to us:

• SMB Nation: Microsoft Small Business Specialist Primer: Your Certification Path to Success!
• Microsoft Press: Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 Inside Out

As soon as we found out about the MSBS Primer from SMB Nation we placed an order for some.

With the release of the MS Press book apparently being today, we will be ordering a copy or two of it as well.

Having the books around for reference, or to take along for a working trip to read and study, is an excellent way to delve into a product's install, configuration, and management methodology as well as a great way to discover the "why" things work the way that they do.

Philip Elder
MPECS Inc.
Microsoft Small Business Specialists

*All Mac on SBS posts are posted on our in-house iMac via the Safari Web browser.

SBS - SharePoint Version 3 - Service Pack 1 Released

We have some WSS v3 sites that will be updated soon with Service Pack 1.

Microsoft released Service Pack 1 for Windows SharePoint Services on December 8.

• WSS v3 SP1 x86 Edition Download - Full WSS + SP1
• WSS v3 SP1 x64 Edition Download - Full WSS + SP1
• WSS v3 SP1 Only (download page)
• WSS v3 SP1 x86 Download File Link (link to file)
• WSS v3 SP1 x64 Download File Link (link to file)
• SBS - Side-by-Side documentation for WSS v3 on SBS
• MS KB 936998: Description of Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 Service Pack 1 and of Windows SharePoint Services Language Pack 3.0 Service Pack 1

Some install related issues:

• During Install
• MS KB 942101: You receive an error message when you try to apply any of the 2007 Office Service Pack 1 packages on a computer that is running Windows XP Service Pack 2
• MS KB 942618: The /log command-line switch and the /passive command-line switch do not function as expected when you run the installation package that contains Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 and Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 Service Pack 1
• MS KB 942621: The SharePoint Products and Technologies Configuration Wizard unexpectedly runs when you use quiet mode to install 2007 Microsoft Office System Servers or Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 and you apply a service pack, an update, or a hotfix
• After Install
• MS KB 942619: After you apply Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 SP1, an event is logged in the Application log on the server: "User, group, or role 'WSS_Content_Application_Pools' already exists in the current database"
• MS KB 942995: You are prompted unexpectedly to restart the computer after you install a 2007 Office service pack or a 2007 Office update
• MS KB 944447: After you install the 2007 Office System Servers SP1 or Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 SP1 on a server that has the Foxit PDF IFilter installed, .pdf document types are not indexed

As always, read through the documentation to make sure none of the client's infrastructure will be impacted by the application of the service pack.

And, have a good backup in place and a recovery plan "B" in place before running the service pack on the server or server farm.

Philip Elder
MPECS Inc.
Microsoft Small Business Specialists

*All Mac on SBS posts are posted on our in-house iMac via the Safari Web browser.

SBS - Installing Windows SharePoint Services 3 on SBS

Some How To articles:

• The Official SBS Blog: WSS 3.0 Installation on SBS 2003.
• TechNet: Installing Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 on a Server Running Windows Small Business Server 2003.
• Official SBS Blog: Trouble Installing SharePoint 3.0 after WSUS 3.0.
• Which points to KB 934790: Description of the Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 hotfix package: April 12, 2007.

To quote from the Official SBS Blog on the proper order of things:

How to install SharePoint 3.0 and then WSUS 3.0.

1. Install SBS R2 including WSUS 2.0.
2. Install WSS 3.0 using the side by side installation steps in the white paper. Complete all steps.
3. Upgrade to WSUS 3.0.

If you install WSS 3.0 after WSUS 3.0, the SharePoint setup will complete, but the SharePoint Products and Technologies Configuration Wizard that runs after setup will fail to create a configuration database and WSS 3.0 will not be functional.

To obtain the above mentioned KB 934790 hotfix if WSS 3.0 was installed after WSUS 3.0, one is required to call Product Support Services.

This post is further to step 13 (reordered), install WSS 3.0 in side-by-side mode, in the previous blog post: SBS 2K3 R2 - Setup steps and resources.

UPDATE: Missed an important link!

Installing Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 on a Server Running Windows Small Business Server 2003 (Link to download SBSWSSv3.doc).

Philip Elder
MPECS Inc.
Microsoft Small Business Specialists

*All Mac on SBS posts are posted on our in-house iMac via the Safari Web browser.