Tag Archives: SharePoint 2016
FIXED – SPDActivities Custom Action (SharePoint 2016 )
After troubleshooting an issue with SharePoint Designer, I wanted to document the fix for others. Installing the “DP.CustomActions” WSP from CodePlex worked well on SharePoint 2010 and 2013. However, with 2016 an issue occurs which requires additional [web.config] modification. Details below. Cheers! 
Issue
- WSP is fully deployed and installed
- Custom Action workflow steps are visible in SharePoint Designer
- Click action then suggestion menu disappears. No action sentence is visible on designer.
Resolution
- Locate </targetFx> in [web.config] file
- Add below XML code both before AND after </targetFx>
<authorizedType Assembly=”DP.Sharepoint.Workflow, Version=1.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=0298457208daed83″ Namespace=”DP.Sharepoint.Workflow” TypeName=”*” Authorized=”True” />
- IISRESET
- Clear SharePoint Designer client cache https://stackoverflow.com/questions/43113666/how-to-clear-cache-in-sharepoint-designer-site
- Test
Root Cause
- Appears that SharePoint 2016 leverages more Dot Net Framework versions (3.0, 3.5, 4.0, 4.5) and has a larger [web.config] to support backward compatibility with multiple Dot Net versions.
‘New-SPExcelServiceApplication’ is not recognized as the name of a cmdlet
Recently I was building a new SharePoint 2016 farm and came across the below error with older PowerShell SharePoint 2013 install scripts. Expected error as Microsoft moved the functionality to Office Online Server. Cheers! 
Error Message
- The term ‘New-SPExcelServiceApplication’ is not recognized as the name of a cmdlet, function, script file, or operable program. Check the spelling of the name, or if a path was included, verify that the path is correct and try again.
Root Cause
- Microsoft removed the Excel Service Application from SharePoint Server.
- Office Online Server has the functionality going forward.
- https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/mt346112(v=office.16).aspx
FIXED – stsadm upgrade command has been replaced by psconfig.exe
Recently I came across the error below when upgrading a SharePoint 2016 farm. Expected product behavior and simply a case of training SharePoint Administrators to use PSCONFIG.EXE command line instead. Cheers! 
Error Screenshot
stsadm -o upgrade -inplace b2b –force Command line error. Invalid parameter. stsadm –o upgrade command has been replaced by psconfig.exe -cmd upgrade
New Command
PSCONFIG -cmd upgrade -inplace b2b -wait -cmd applicationcontent -install -cmd installfeatures -cmd secureresources -cmd services -install
References
How to install Office Online Server for SharePoint 2016 (OOS)
Recently I wanted to create a SharePoint 2016 lab environment. With Excel Services moving out of the SharePoint 2016 product, we now need to plan for an instance of OOS. Below are the steps I followed and screenshots of the process.
Cheers! 
Steps
- Install Windows Server 2012 R2 (en_windows_server_2012_r2_with_update_x64_dvd_6052708.iso)
- NOTE – Windows Server 2016 seems to be missing Ink and Handwriting Support.
- Run PowerShell to install IIS
# Always
Import-Module ServerManager
# from https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/officeonlineserver/deploy-office-online-server
# Win 2012 R2
Add-WindowsFeature Web-Server,Web-Mgmt-Tools,Web-Mgmt-Console,Web-WebServer,Web-Common-Http,Web-Default-Doc,Web-Static-Content,Web-Performance,Web-Stat-Compression,Web-Dyn-Compression,Web-Security,Web-Filtering,Web-Windows-Auth,Web-App-Dev,Web-Net-Ext45,Web-Asp-Net45,Web-ISAPI-Ext,Web-ISAPI-Filter,Web-Includes,InkandHandwritingServices,NET-Framework-Features,NET-Framework-Core,NET-HTTP-Activation,NET-Non-HTTP-Activ,NET-WCF-HTTP-Activation45,Windows-Identity-Foundation,Server-Media-Foundation
# Win 2016
Add-WindowsFeature Web-Server,Web-Mgmt-Tools,Web-Mgmt-Console,Web-WebServer,Web-Common-Http,Web-Default-Doc,Web-Static-Content,Web-Performance,Web-Stat-Compression,Web-Dyn-Compression,Web-Security,Web-Filtering,Web-Windows-Auth,Web-App-Dev,Web-Net-Ext45,Web-Asp-Net45,Web-ISAPI-Ext,Web-ISAPI-Filter,Web-Includes,NET-Framework-Features,NET-Framework-45-Features,NET-Framework-Core,NET-Framework-45-Core,NET-HTTP-Activation,NET-Non-HTTP-Activ,NET-WCF-HTTP-Activation45,Windows-Identity-Foundation,Server-Media-Foundation- Install Windows Identity Foundation
- Install Ink and Hand Writing Services
- Get latest Windows Updates
- Generate Self Signed Certificate
- Start > Run > INETMGR > Server > Server Certificates > Generate self signed certificate with “OOS” Friendly Name
- Start > Run > INETMGR > Server > Server Certificates > Export “OOS” to PFX file
with password - Start > Run > CERTLM.MSC > add Local Machine certificates > import PFX to “Personal” folder
- Start > Run > CERTLM.MSC > add Local Machine certificates > import PFX to “Trusted Root Certificate Authorities” folder
- Install Office Online Server (en_office_online_server_may_2016_x64_dvd_8484396.iso)
- Create new OOS farm
md "D:\Logs\ULS"
md "D:\ProgramData\Microsoft\OfficeWebApps\Working\d"
md "D:\ProgramData\Microsoft\OfficeWebApps\Working\waccache"
New-OfficeWebAppsFarm -InternalURL "https://offlineonline" -CertificateName "OOS" -EditingEnabled -LogLocation "D:\Logs\ULS" -CacheLocation "D:\ProgramData\Microsoft\OfficeWebApps\Working\d" -RenderingLocalCacheLocation "D:\ProgramData\Microsoft\OfficeWebApps\Working\waccache"
Screenshots
Error
- Resolves the PowerShell error “New-OfficeWebAppsFarm : It does not appear that this machine is part of an Office Online Server farm.”
References
- http://social.technet.microsoft.com/wiki/contents/articles/34289.install-configure-office-online-server.aspx
- https://www.sslshopper.com/article-how-to-create-a-self-signed-certificate-in-iis-7.html
- https://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/2de9cc6a-b321-48c2-9239-63d481f5bc62/office-web-apps-office-web-apps-was-unable-to-find-the-specified-certificate?forum=sharepointadmin
I Wanna Patch FAST
Want to patch your SharePoint farms faster? Try running https://github.com/spjeff/sppatchify
The latest version (0.42) includes new PowerShell code for parallel execution of “Upgrade-SPContentDatabase.” This was implemented with “Get-Job” and PowerShell job management to remote sessions.
The more user content databases you have, the greater the time savings. Below are summary statistics from patching a 9 server SharePoint 2013 farm with 200 SQL content databases in just 4 hours. Each of the 9 servers will spawn 4 PowerShell remoting runspaces for “Upgrade-SPContentDatabase.” With 36 concurrent worker threads, the queue of 200 content databases now becomes only 6 deep.
Instead of waiting 200 units of time to process content databases serially, we now only wait 6 units of time for the upgrade database phase.
Larger farms with more user content (and databases) will see significant overall time savings considering how a majority of the traditional patching timeline is processing all content databases. The binary EXE phase runs with all content databases removed (Dismount-SPContentDatabase ) so PSCONFIG can complete sooner. After that is done, content is introduced again (Mount-SPContentDatabase) and upgraded (Upgrade-SPContentDatabase).
Amazing speed!!! Cheers 
Charts
SPPatchify
Ready for SharePoint 2016?
As we get closer to the August release of SharePoint 2016 Preview I wanted to create a local virtual machine and try things out. Below are steps with dozens of screenshots. Now I’m ready for the big day to install.
Ideally matching the latest generation of all Microsoft products will give a more integrated experience. Often in the past I’ve seen where features are disabled or less than optimal if another software layer is older. For example, SharePoint 2013 Business Intelligence has many features which only work with SQL 2012. Yes, you can run older SQL 2008R2 but some features will be missing.
Here’s counting down to the SP2013 release … cheers! 
References
- http://autospinstaller.codeplex.com
- http://virtualbox.org
- https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/subscriptions/downloads/
Prepare ISO and VHD
Windows Server – Technical Preview
Rename PC
Server Manager – AD and GUI
Promote Domain
Create Service Accounts
Install SQL 2016
Ready for SharePoint 2016
Planning SharePoint 2016 Large Intranet
Below is a Visio poster diagram I created outlining how I might propose a large scale collaboration Intranet running SharePoint 2016. MinRole will give more granular control to “unit scale” servers out as individual roles show high utilization. Monitor, scale, repeat? Can’t wait to try the beta later this year.
Hope this helps! 
