Preparing for SharePoint 2010 Installation (part 1)

Specifically, the sections that follow will discuss the following SharePoint 2010 installation requirements.

• Hardware requirements

  • WFE/application server

  • Database server

• Software requirements

  • Operating system

  • Database server

  • WFE/application server

  • Client computers

• Active Directory accounts

• SharePoint 2010 preparation tool

You must make sure these required components are installed prior to performing your installation of SharePoint to ensure a successful installation and implementation of SharePoint 2010.

Note:

BEST PRACTICES People often perform upgrades of existing operating systems and software applications. A best practice is to make sure that all components of your SharePoint farm are always fresh installs and not upgrades. Upgrades can bring problems from earlier installations and are normally not as reliable as a fresh installation. All of the required components for SharePoint 2010, including the operating system, SQL Server, IIS, Web front-end servers, and your client software, should be fresh installs to minimize integration problems.

1. Hardware Requirements

During the planning phase of your SharePoint 2010 deployment, you need to acquire the appropriate hardware to host your SharePoint implementation. There are two primary areas of concern when deciding what hardware to use that will support your SharePoint 2010 installation: the Web/application server and the database server. Choose these two components to provide optimal performance as well as reliability.

1.1. Web/Application Server

When choosing the servers that will perform the roles of Web front-end server or application server, make sure they meet the following hardware requirements.

• Processor 64-bit, 4 core, 2.5 gigahertz (GHz)

• RAM Minimum 4 gigabytes (GB); 8 GB recommended in production

• Disk space Minimum 80 GB

Note:

In a production environment, additional free space should equal at least two times the amount of RAM on the server to provide additional space for normal day-to-day operations and for memory dumps.

1.2. Database Server

The database server that is hosting your SharePoint SQL Server instance has the following minimum hardware requirements to ensure SharePoint is running efficiently.

• Processors 64-bit, dual processor, 3 GHz

• RAM Minimum 4 GB; 8 to 16 GB recommended in production

If you are deploying SharePoint FAST Search, the following hardware requirements should be met.

• Processor 64-bit, 4 CPU Cores, 2.0GHz; recommended 8 CPU cores

• RAM Minimum 4 gigabytes (GB); 16 GB recommended

• Disk Space 50 GB; 1 terabyte RAID5 across 6 spindles

2. Software Requirements

Prior to the installation of SharePoint 2010, you need to prepare the computer that is hosting SharePoint as well as any computers that will be accessing SharePoint. In the following sections, there are four primary areas of concern when you are preparing computers that will be used for the installation of SharePoint and those that will be accessing the SharePoint installation. These four areas include the operating system, the database server, the Web/application server, and client computers. By ensuring that these computers are properly configured before you begin, you will ensure a successful installation of SharePoint 2010 and provide both an optimal and reliable experience for your end users.

2.1. Operating System

As you saw in the hardware requirements, SharePoint 2010 will only run on 64-bit architecture, which means you have to install the appropriate 64-bit operating system on that hardware. SharePoint can run on either of the following 64-bit operating systems (with their required updates).

• 64-bit edition of Windows Server 2008 R2 Standard, Enterprise, or Datacenter editions and the WCF hotfix available at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=166231

• 64-bit edition of Windows Server 2008 Standard, Enterprise, or Datacenter editions with Service Pack 2 (SP2) and the WCF hotfix available at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=160770

Note:

If you are running Windows Server 2008 with Service Pack 1 (SP1), the Microsoft SharePoint 2010 Products Preparation Tool will automatically install Windows Server 2008 SP2.

These operating systems must be running on any computer where you want to install SharePoint 2010, regardless of the role that server is going to perform in the farm.

2.2. Database Server

SharePoint requires SQL Server databases and prefers Windows Authentication. SharePoint is hardware agnostic, so the hardware configuration, physical location of the SQL server, and location of the databases (such as a Storage Area Network or SAN) are acceptable to SharePoint if SharePoint can communicate efficiently with its databases. SharePoint is unaware of any non-SharePoint databases on the SQL server. If you have multiple named instances of SQL, you will need to identify the instance you are using for SharePoint as part of identifying the SQL server during the installation and creation of several other SharePoint components.

The database server that is hosting your SharePoint SQL Server instance has the following minimum software requirements to ensure SharePoint 2010 will install and run correctly.

• Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2

• 64-bit edition of Microsoft SQL Server 2008 with SP1 and cumulative update 2 for SQL Server 2008 SP1

• The 64-bit edition of Microsoft SQL Server 2005 with Service Pack 3 (SP3) and cumulative update 3 for SP3

2.3. Web/Application Server

If you have multiple WFEs, multiple application servers, or have chosen to separate your WFE role from your application server role, each of the servers will have additional software requirements. In addition to the operating system, the following software also must be installed on the computer before you can complete an installation of SharePoint 2010.

• Web Server (IIS) role (activated manually through Server Manager)

• Application Server role (activated manually through Server Manager)

• Microsoft .NET Framework version 3.5 SP1

• Microsoft Windows Identity Framework

• Microsoft Sync Framework Runtime v1.0 (x64)

• Microsoft Filter Pack 2.0

• Microsoft Chart Controls for the Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5

• SQL Server 2008 Native Client

• Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Analysis Services ADOMD.NET

• ADO.NET Data Services v1.5

• Windows PowerShell 2.0

Note:

For Windows Server 2008 with SP2, the Microsoft SharePoint 2010 Products Preparation Tool cannot install Windows PowerShell 2.0 if Windows PowerShell 1.0 is already installed on the computer. Therefore, you must uninstall Windows PowerShell 1.0 before you run the Microsoft SharePoint 2010 Products Preparation Tool.

If you are deploying SharePoint FAST Search you should deploy it on 64-bit Windows Server 2008 SP2 or on 64-bit Windows Server 2008 R2.

There is also some additional software you can install to provide additional functionality in SharePoint 2010. Some of the most commonly installed optional software includes

• SQL Server Reporting Services Add-in for Microsoft SharePoint Technologies 2010

• Microsoft Speech Platform

• Speech recognition language for English

• Speech recognition language for Spanish

• Speech recognition language for German

• Speech recognition language for French

• Speech recognition language for Japanese

• Speech recognition language for Chinese

Note:

BEST PRACTICES Decide what to install only after thorough analysis, so that you will be able to determine what software is necessary for the most optimal SharePoint 2010 installation for your organization.

2.4. Client Computers

SharePoint 2010 supports several commonly used Web browsers. However, certain Web browsers may cause some SharePoint 2010 functionality to be downgraded, limited, or only available through alternative steps. In fact, there are some cases in which functionality is unavailable for noncritical administrative tasks.

As part of planning for your SharePoint deployment, review the Web browsers used in your organization to ensure that your end users experience optimal performance with SharePoint 2010. Web browser support in SharePoint 2010 is divided into two levels: level 1 and level 2. Although there is support for both levels of Web browsers, the administrative tasks for sites are optimized for level 1 Web browsers, and it is recommended you use level 1 Web browsers if possible.

2.4.1. Level 1 Web Browsers

Level 1 Web browsers take advantage of advanced features provided by ActiveX controls and also provide the most complete experience for the user. Level 1 Web browsers provide full functionality on all SharePoint sites, including your Central Administration website. Table 1 lists the operating systems and supported level 1 Web browsers for SharePoint 2010.

Note:

Some ActiveX features, such as List Datasheet view and the feature that displays user presence information, do not work in Mozilla Firefox 3.5.

2.4.2. Level 2 Web browsers

Level 2 Web browsers provide basic functionality so users can read and write in SharePoint 2010 sites and can perform basic site administration. However, because there are no ActiveX controls in level 2 Web browsers, and because there is different functionality in different browsers, those in level 2 may provide users with a different—and not necessarily optimal—experience compared to the experience level 1 browsers provide. Table 2 lists the operating systems and supported level 2 Web browsers for SharePoint 2010.

If a browser is not listed in either Table 4-1 or Table 4-2, it is not supported in SharePoint 2010. For instance, Internet Explorer 6.x, Internet Explorer for Macintosh, and versions of third-party Web browsers that were released earlier than the Web browsers listed in Table 2 are not supported in SharePoint 2010.

2.5. Microsoft Office

SharePoint 2010 will again integrate tightly with Microsoft Office 2007 and Microsoft Office 2010. However, the Office 2010 integration will provide new functionality that won’t be available in Office 2007. Some of the new features available when SharePoint 2010 and certain versions of Office 2010 are integrated include

• Office Web Applications Allows users will to read and write some Office files on a SharePoint 2010 server using only a Web browser.

• Co-authoring Allows simultaneous editing of the same document by multiple users.

• Broadcast Slide Show Allows you to broadcast completed slide shows to viewers who have only a Web browser.

Be sure to review the different Office editions and the features and functionality they include to ensure that they meet your SharePoint and Office integration needs.

2.6. Microsoft Silverlight

SharePoint 2010 includes an out-of-the-box Silverlight Web Part that allows for the easy insertion of rich media or rich applications directly into a SharePoint 2010 site. Silverlight is a cross-browser, cross-platform, and cross-device browser plug-in that helps you design, develop, and deliver applications and experiences on the Web. This optional component should be installed for an optimal user experience. SharePoint 2010 requires Silverlight version 3 or higher.