Reinstall the SBS 2008 CompanyWeb Website from scratch

Thanks to Patrick Sullivan !! http://www.blogger.com/profile/13187047311345638582

Original article here: http://www.thehelpdesk.co.nz/2011/03/reinstallrepair-sbs-2008-companyweb.html?showComment=1306952282408#c3272513388648154039

 

 

Overview
Something every engineer who has SBS fall within their brief dreads, is one day having to rebuild the Internal Database, Sharepoint, IIS and CompanyWeb components. Due to a recent natural disaster, we had to restore a client's server from backup, which required a new identical server be built and data restored into it from backup. The system state restore process restored the client's data, but broke pretty much every native component on our new SBS server. And, while there were documented procedures for some of the issues, even the SBS repair guide doesn't seem to have a procedure yet (03/07/11) for reinstalling the SBS 2008 CompanyWeb Website. It took a fair bit of trial and error to get it going. So, hopefully this will help someone stuck in the same situation.

This post will cover the below topics required to rebuild the core SBS 2008 Web Components from the ground up, all of which combine to reinstate the CompanyWeb website. However, you can pick and choose which parts might be relevant to your situation;

 

• Removing the Windows Internal Database.
  

  
   

• Reinstalling the Windows Internal Database
  

  
   

• Reinstall Windows Server Update Services 3.0 SP2.
  

  
   

• Reinstall Windows Sharepoint Services 3.0.
  

  
   

• Create a new SBS Sharepoint Web Application.
  

  
   

• Reinstall the SBS 2008 CompanyWeb Website.
  

  
   

• Testing
  

  
   

  IMPORTANT - Please ensure you have a backup of your system and proceed with caution. These steps should be used as a reference only, your individual situation may vary. The Windows Internal Database by default contains the WSUS and Sharepoint and Sharepoint Search databases. This procedure assumes there is no data in any of these databases that you wish to keep.
  
  IMPORTANT - Ensure your system is completely patched and up-to-date.
  
  IMPORTANT - Ensure you logon as the Domain Administrator account only for all of the below steps.
  

  
   

  Requirements
  What you will need...
  
  a. A backup of the server you are trying to repair.
  b. Another SBS 2008 Standard/Premium Server with a known good CompanyWeb Website.
  c. WSUS 3.0 SP2 x64 installation package.
  
  Procedure
  Keep in mind that you can skip any of these steps if they are not required for your situation, in my case the Windows Internal Database wouldn't even start, so we had to start with that. If your WID is working ok and you trust it then skip forward to the 'Reinstall Windows Sharepoint Services 3.0' step.
  
  Step 1 - Remove the Windows Internal Database
  The Windows Internal Database is nothing more than a rebadged instance of SQL 2005 Express. So with that in mind, we can treat it like all other instances of SQL Express right?...Well no, but similar :) It doesn't appear in the list of installed programs, so we need to uninstall it manually. First of all we need to remove WSUS and WSS.
  

  a. Remove WSUS > Control Panel > Programs and Features > Windows Server Update Services 3.0 SP2 > Uninstall.
  b. Select the checkboxes to remove Database, Log Files, and Update Files.
  c. Remove Sharepoint Services > Control Panel > Programs and Features > Windows Sharepoint Services 3.0 > Uninstall.
  d. Select Yes to the warnings that appear when removing Sharepoint.
  e. Restart the server.
  f. Open an elevated Command Prompt (right-click > Run as administrator) > and type;
  
  msiexec /x {BDD79957-5801-4A2D-B09E-852E7FA64D01} CALLERID=ocsetup.exe
  
  f. Click 'Yes' to confirm you want uninstall this product.
  g. Check the event log for 'Event ID 11724' which will inform you the Windows Internal Database was removed successfully.
  h. Restart the server.
  
  You now have an SBS 2008 Server without Sharepoint, WSUS, and the Internal Database. Scared yet? Well don't be... it's actually quite an easy process to get it to where it should be from here.
  
  Step 2 - Reinstall the Windows Internal Database 
  The Windows Internal Database for SBS 2008 is installed as part of the WSUS 3.0 and Windows Sharepoint Services 3.0 installations, if you plan on reinstalling these anyway (which I suspect most people will) proceed to Step 3 - Reinstall Windows Server Update Services 3.0 SP2. However for the purpose of this demonstation and to further demystify the Windows Internal Database we will install it manually in this step.
  
  a. Open an elevated command prompt (right-click Run as administrator) and type the below;
  
  ServerManagerCmd.exe -install Windows-Internal-DB
  
  b. Open Services, and confirm there is now a 'Windows Internal Database (MICROSOFT ##SSEE)' Service listed.
  c. Change the service startup type to Automatic.
  d. Restart the server. 
  

  Step 3 - Reinstall Windows Server Update Services 3.0 SP2
  a. Download WSUS 3.0 SP2 x64 from here and right-click > Run as administrator.
  b. Select the defaults or customise your installation. A detailed guide on how to setup WSUS can be found here.
  
  Step 4 - Reinstall Windows Sharepoint Services 3.0
  NOTE - If you have skipped forward to this step, ensure you remove Sharepoint first using Programs and Features > Windows Sharepoint Services > Uninstall.
  
  a. Open DNS Management > Administrative Tools > DNS > Forward Lookup Zones > Ensure there is a 'CompanyWeb' Alias (CNAME) listed and that it maps to your server, if not create this now.
  b. Open IIS > Administrative Tools > Internet Information Services IIS Manager > Sites > Ensure the SBS Sharepoint and Sharepoint Central Administration websites are not present, if they are > right-click and Remove.
  c. Open Registry Editor, navigate to >
  
  HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\VSS\VssAccessControl\
  
  d. Find the entry named: NT Authority\NETWORK SERVICE, and then, if needed, change the value from 0x0 to 0x1.
  e. Reinstall Sharepoint > Browse to > C:\Program Files\Windows Small Business Server\Bin\CMPNENTS\WSS.
  f. Right-click Setup.exe > Run as administrator. Select the option to Run the Sharepoint Products and Technologies Configuration Wizard.
  g. When the wizard completes, restart the server.
  h. Open the Sharepoint Central Administrator Console > Administrative Tools > Sharepoint 3.0 Central Adminstration > Open Application Management > select Remove Sharepoint from IIS Website > ensure SharePoint - 80 (Default) is selected in the IIS Website and zone to remove option > Select Yes to Delete the IIS Web sites and > Click OK.
  i. Go back to Application Management Tab > Select Delete Web Application > in the Web Application: drop down box, ensure the Sharepoint - 80 site is select (by default this will be http://server/, drop down and select 'Change Web Application to be sure).
  j. Select Yes in the option to 'Delete content databases' and Yes to 'Delete IIS Web Sites' > click 'Delete'.
  k. From within 'Application Management' select > View Application List > Ensure the 'Sharepoint - 80' Website no longer exists and only the 'Sharepoint Central Administration' Site remains.
  g. Open IIS > Sites > And start the Default Website.
  h. Update the machine using Windows Update > Ensure you check the option to 'Check online for Updates'.
  
  Step 5 - Recreate the SBS Sharepoint Site and Application Pool in IIS
  a. Open the Sharepoint Central Administration Console > Administrative Tools > Sharepoint 3.0 Central Administration.
  b. Open the Application Management Tab > select Create or extend Web Application > select Create a new Web application.
  c. Create a new IIS web site > description: SBS Sharepoint.
  d. Port: 80
  e. Host Header: Companyweb
  f. Path: C:\Program Files\Windows Small Business Server\Bin\WebApp\InternalWebSite
  g. Authentication provider: NTLM
  h. Allow Anonymous: No
  i. Use Secure Sockets Layer (SSL): No
  j. URL: http://companyweb:80
  k. Create new Application Pool: SBS Sharepoint
  l. Select a security account for this application pool: Network Service
  m. Database Server: \Microsoft##SSEE (leave as default).
  n. Database Name: WSS_Content (leave as default).
  o. Database Authentication: Windows Authentication (recommended).
  p. Select Windows Sharepoint Services Search server: 
  q. Click 'OK' to proceed and wait while changes are processed, can take some time.
  r. Open IIS > click on > then in the right hand Actions column > select Restart.
  s. Expand Sites > and press F5 > the Default Website will now likely be stopped and you will have an 'SBS Sharepoint' site listed.
  t. Right-click on the SBS Sharepoint site > select Edit Bindings > click on http and 'Edit' > add the Host name 'Companyweb' (without quotes).
  u. Right-click on the Default Website > Manage Web Site > Start.
  

  
   

  Step 6 - Reinstall the SBS 2008 CompanyWeb Website
  a. Connect to another SBS 2008 server that has a known working Companyweb website.
  b. Open an elevated Command Prompt (right-click Run as administrator).
  c. To export the CompanyWeb website from the known good server, type the below commands.
  
  cd c:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\Web Server Extensions\12\BIN 
  stsadm –o backup –url http://companyweb –filename C:\backup.bak -overwrite
  
  

  NOTE - If the source server has a different URL configured for the Companyweb site, you will need to change this in the above command. To check which URL the source server is using open Sharepoint Central Console > Application Management > Web application general settings > and check the 'Web Application: URL' at the top of the page and type it exactly as it appears, i.e. using https and :987 if non-standard. For example, SBS 2008 servers are configured to use https://fqdn:987 for the Companyweb site.
  
  NOTE - For some weird reason, you may have to type the stsadm commands manually.
  
  d. Copy the exported 'backup.bak' to the server you are attempting to repair. 
  e. This step is important, as it ensures your Sharepoint is patched and up to date > Completely patch the machine using Windows Update > Ensure you select the option to 'Check online for updates from Windows Update'.
  e. Once patching is complete > Restart the server.
  f. Open an elevated command prompt on the destination server and type the below (on separate lines).
  

  
   

  cd c:\program files\common files\microsoft shared\web server extensions\12\bin
  stsadm -o restore -url http://companyweb -filename c:\backup.bak -overwrite
  

  
   

  NOTE - If you receive the 'Your backup is from a different version of Windows Sharepoint etc...' error you will need to go back and update the server using Windows Update and ensure it is completely up to date. Ensure you use 'Check online for udpates from Windows Update'. Restores can only be done to the same of newer versions of Sharepoint than the source server had installed.
  
  g. Next you need to set the correct admin rights on the new CompanyWeb site.
  

  
   

  cd c:\program files\common files\microsoft shared\web server extensions\12\bin
  stsadm –o siteowner –url http://companyweb –ownerlogin YOURDOMAIN\Administrator
  
  h. Login to CompanyWeb as the Administrator > open your Internet browser > http://companyweb > browse to > Site Settings > People and Groups > Delete the Administrator Account from the server you copied the CW template from.
  i. Add the Domain Users group with Design rights.
  j. Open IIS Manager again > Configure an SSL Binding on port 987 for the SBS Sharepoint Website using your companies certificate.
  
  Step 7 - Testing
  a. Check the 'Site Collection List' and ensure all settings are ok.
  b. Browse to http://companyweb and ensure access is ok for Administrators and Domain Users.
  c. Access Remote Web Workplace and connect to Company Site, this ensure the https://companyweb:987 binding is also working properly.