13 min read

Selecting your virtual environment

Prisoners serving life sentences (in Canada) have what is known as a faint hope clause where you have a glimmer of a chance of getting parole after 15 years. However, those waiting for Microsoft to provide us a version of Virtual PC that can run Virtual Hard Drives (VHDs) hosting 64-bit operating systems (such as Windows Server 2008 R2), have no such hope of ever seeing that piece of software. But miracles do happen, and I hope that the release of a 64-bit capable Virtual PC renders this section of the article obsolete. If this has in fact happened, go with it and proceed to the following section.

 

Getting ready

Head into your computer’s BIOS settings and enable the virtualization setting. The exact setting you are looking for varies widely, so please consult with your manufacturer’s documentation. This setting seems universally defaulted to off, so I am very sure you will need to perform this action.

 

How to do it…

Since you are still reading, however, it is safe to say that a miracle has not yet happened. Your first task is to select a suitable virtualization technology that can support a 64-bit guest operating system. The recipe here is to consider the choices in this order, with the outcome of your virtual environment being selected:

  1. Microsoft Virtualization: Hyper-V certainly has the ability to create and run Virtual Hard Disks (VHDs) with 64-bit operating systems. It’s free—that is, you can install the Hyper-V role , but it requires the base operating system to be Windows Server 2008 R2. It can be brutal to get it running properly on something like a laptop (for example, because of driver issues). It won’t be a good idea to get Windows 2008 Server running on a laptop, primarily because of driver issues. I recommend that if your laptop is running Windows 7, look at creating a dual boot, and a boot to VHD where this other boot option / partition is Windows Server 2008 R2. The main disadvantage is coming up with an (preferably licensed) installation of Windows Server 2008 R2 as the main computer operating system (or as a dual boot option). Or perhaps your company runs Hyper-V on their server farm and would be willing to host your development environment for you? Either way, if you have managed to get access to a Hyper-V server, you are good to go!
  2. VMware Workstation: Go to http://www.vmware.com and download my absolute favorite virtualization technology—VMware Workstation—fully featured, powerful, and can run on Windows 7. I have used it for years and love it. You must of course pay for a license, but please believe me, it is a worthwhile investment. You can sign up for a 30 day trial to explore the benefits. Note that you only need one copy of VMware Workstation to create a virtual machine. Once you have created it, you can run it anywhere using the freely available VMware Player.
  3. Oracle Virtual Box: Go to http://www.virtualbox.org/ and download this free software that will run on Windows 7 and create and host 64-bit guest operating systems. The reason that this is at the bottom of the list is that I personally do not have experience using this software. However, I have colleagues who have used it and have had no problems with it. Give this a try and see if it works as equally well as a paid version of VMware.

With your selected virtualization technology in hand, head to the next section to install and configure Windows Server 2008 R2, which is the base operating system required for an installation of SharePoint Server 2010.

Installing and configuring Windows Server 2008 R2

SharePoint 2010 requires the Windows Server 2008 R2 operating system in order to run. In this recipe, we will confi gure the components of Windows Server 2008 necessary in order to get ready to install SQL Server 2008 and SharePoint 2010.

Getting ready

Download Windows Server 2008 R2 from your MSDN subscription, or type in windows server 2008 R2 trial download into your favorite search engine to download the 180-day trial from the Microsoft site.

This article does not cover actually installing the base operating system. The specific instructions to do so will be dependent upon the virtualization software. Generally, it will be provided as an ISO image (the file extension will be .iso). ISO means a compressed disk image, and all virtualization software that I am aware of will let you mount (attach) an ISO image to the virtual machine as a CD Drive. This means that when you elect to create a new virtual machine, you will normally be prompted for the ISO image, and the installation of the operating system should proceed in a familiar and relatively automated fashion.

So for this recipe, ready means that you have your virtualization software up and running, the Windows Server 2008 R2 base operating system is installed, and you are able to log in as the Administrator (and that you are effectively logging in for the first time).

How to do it…

Log in as the Administrator. You will be prompted to change the password the first time—I suggest choosing a very commonly used Microsoft password—Password1. However, feel free to select a password of your choice, but use it consistently throughout.

The Initial configuration tasks screen will come up automatically. On this screen:

  1. Activate windows using your 180 day trial key or using your MSDN key.
  2. Select Provide computer name and domain. Change the computer name to a simpler one of your choice. In my case, I named the machine OPENHIGHWAY. Leave the Member of option as Workgroup. The computer will require a reboot.
  3. In the Update this server section, choose Download and install updates. Click on the Change settings link and select the option Never check for updates and click OK. Click the Check for updates link. The important updates will be selected. Click on Install Updates. Now is a good time for a coffee break! You will need to reboot the server when the updates complete.
  4. In the Customize this server section, click on Add Features. Select the Desktop Experience, Windows, PowerShell, Integrated, Scripting, and Environment options. Choose Add Required Features when prompted to do so. Reboot the server when prompted to do so.

If the Initial configuration tasks screen appears now, or in the future, you may now select the checkbox for Do not show this window at logon. We will continue configuration from the Server Manager, which should be displayed on your screen. If not, launch the Server Manager using the icon on the taskbar.

We return to Server Manager to continue the confi guration:

OPTIONAL: Click on Configure Remote Desktop if you have a preference for accessing your virtual machine using Remote Desktop (RDP) instead of using the virtual machine’s console software.

  1. In the Security Information section, click Go to Windows Firewall. Click on the Windows Firewall Properties link. From the dialog, go to each of the tabs, namely, Domain Profi le, Private Profi le, and Public Profi le and set the Firewall State to Off on each tab and click OK.
  2. Click on the Server Manager node, and from the main screen, click on the Configure IE ESC link. Set both options to Off and click OK.
  3. From the Server Manager, expand the Configuration node and then expand Local Users and Groups node, and then click on the Users folder. Right-click on the Administrator account and select Properties. Select the option for Password never expires and click OK.
    • From the Server Manager, click the Roles node . Click the Add Roles link. Now, click on the Introductory screen and select the checkbox for Active Directory Domain Services. Click Next, again click on Next, and then click Install. After completion, click the Close this wizard and launch the Active Directory Domain Services Installation Wizard (dcpromo.exe) link. Now, carry out the following steps:
    • From the new wizard that pops up, from the welcome screen, select the checkbox Use advanced mode installation, click Next, and again click on Next on the Operating System Compatibility screen.
    • Select the option Create a new domain in a new forest and click Next.
    • Choose your domain (FQDN)! This is completely internal to your development server and does not have to be real. For article purposes, I am using theopenhighway.net, as shown in the following screenshot. Then click Next:

    • From the Set Forest Functional Level drop-down, choose Windows Server 2008 R2 and click Next.
    • Click Next on the Additional Domain Controller Option screen. Select Yes on the Static IP assignment screen. Click Yes on the Dns Delegation Warning screen.
    • Click Next on the Location for Database, Log Files, and SYSVOL screen.
    • On the Directory Services Restore Mode Administrator Password screen, enter the same password that you used for the Administrator account, in my case, Password1. Click Next.
    • Click Next on the Summary screen.
    • Click on the Reboot On Completion screen. Otherwise reboot the server after the installation completes

    5. You will now confi gure a user account that will run the application pools for the SharePoint web applications in IIS. From the Server Manager, expand the Roles node. Keep expanding the Active Directory Domain Services until you see the Users folder. Click on the Users folder. Now carry out the following:

    • Right-click on the Users folder and select New | User

    • Enter SP_AppPool in the full name field and also enter SP_AppPool in the user logon field and click Next.
    • Enter the password as Password1 (or the same as you had selected for the Administrator account). Deselect the option for User must change password at next logon and select the option for Password never expires. Click Next and then click Finish.
  6. A loopback check is a security feature to mitigate against reflection attacks, introduced in Windows Server 2003 SP1. You will likely encounter connection issues with your local websites and it is therefore universally recommended that you disable the loopback check on a development server. This is done from the registry editor:
    • Click the Start menu button, choose Run…, enter Regedit, and click OK to bring up the registry editor.
    • Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE | SYSTEM | CurrentControlSet | Control | Lsa
    • Right-click the Lsa node and select New | DWORD (32-bit) Value

    • In the place of New Value #1 type DisableLoopbackCheck.

    • Right-click DisableLoopbackCheck, select Modify, change the value to 1, and click OK

Congratulations! You have successfully confi gured Windows Server 2008 R2.

There’s more…

The Windows Shutdown Event Tracker is simply annoying on a development machine. To turn this feature off, click the Start button, select Run…, enter gpedit.msc, and click OK. Scroll down, right-click on Display Shutdown Event Tracker, and select Edit. Select the Disabled option and click OK, as shown in the following screenshot:

Installing and configuring SQL Server 2008 R2

SharePoint 2010 requires Microsoft SQL Server as a fundamental component of the overall SharePoint architecture. The content that you plan to manage in SharePoint, including web content and documents, literally is stored within and served from SQL Server databases. The SharePoint 2010 architecture itself relies on information stored in SQL Server databases, such as confi guration and the many service applications. In this recipe, we will install and configure the components of SQL Server 2008 necessary to install SharePoint 2010.

Getting ready

I do not recommend SQL Server Express for your development environment, although this is a possible, free, and valid choice for the installation of SharePoint 2010. In my personal experience, I have valued the full power and fl exibility of the full version of SQL Server as well as not having to live with the constraints and limitations of SQL Express. Besides, there is another little reason too! The Enterprise edition of SQL Server is either readily available with your MSDN subscription or downloadable as a trial from the Microsoft site.

Download SQL Server 2008 R2 Enterprise from your MSDN subscription, or type in sql server 2008 enterprise R2 trial download into your favorite search engine to download the 180-day trial from the Microsoft site.

For SQL Server 2008 R2 Enterprise, if you have MSDN software, then you will be provided with an ISO image that you can attach to the virtual machine.

If you download your SQL Server from the Microsoft site as a trial, extract the software (it is a self-extracting EXE) on your local machine, and then share the folder with your virtual machine. Finallly, run the Setup.exe fi le.

How to do it…

Here is your recipe for installing SQL Server 2008 R2 Enterprise. Carry out the following steps to complete this recipe:

  1. You will be presented with the SQL Server Installation Center; on the left side of the screen, select Installation, as shown in the following screenshot:

  2. For the choices presented on the Installation screen, select New installation or add features to an existing installation.
  3. The Setup Support Rules (shown in the following screenshot) will run to identify any possible problems that might occur when installing SQL Server. All rules should pass. Click OK to continue:

  4. You will be presented with the SQL Server 2008 R2 Setup screen. On the fi rst screen, you can select an evaluation or use your product key (from, for example, MSDN) and then click Next.
  5. Accept the terms in the license, but do not check the Send feature usage data to Microsoft checkbox, and click Next.
  6. On the Setup Support Files screen, click Install. All tests will pass except for a warning that you can safely ignore (the one noting we are installing on a domain controller), and click Next, as shown in the following screenshot:

  7. On the Setup Role screen, select SQL Server Feature Installation and click Next.
  8. On the Feature Selection, as shown in the following screenshot, carry out the following tasks:
    1. In Instance Features, select Database Engine Services (and both SQL Server Replication and Full Text Search), Analysis Services, and Reporting Services
    2. In Shared Features, select Business Intelligence Development Studio, Management Tools Basic (and Management Tools Complete), and Microsoft Sync Framework
    3. Finally, click Next.

  9. On the Installation Rules screen, click Next
  10. On the Instance Confi guration screen, click Next.
  11. On the Disk Space Requirements screen, click Next
  12. On the Server Confi guration screen:
    1. Set the Startup Type for SQL Server Agent to be Automatic
    2. Click on the button Use the same account for all SQL Server services. Select the account NT AUTHORITYSYSTEM and click OK.
    3. Finally, click Next.
  13. On the Database Configuration Engine screen:
    1. Look for the Account Provisioning tab and click the Add Current User button under Specify SQL Server administrators.
    2. Finally, click Next
  14. On the Analysis Services Confi guration screen:
    1. Look for the Account Provisioning tab and click the Add Current User button under Specify which users have administrative permissions for Analysis Services.
    2. Finally, click Next.
  15. On the Reporting Services Configuration screen, select the option to Install but do not configure the report server. Now, click Next.
  16. On the Error Reporting Screen, click Next.
  17. On the Installation Confi guration Rules screen, click Next.
  18. On the Ready to Install screen, click Install.
  19. Your patience will be rewarded with the Complete screen! Finally, click Close. The Complete screen is shown in the following screenshot:

  20. You can close the SQL Server Installation Center.
  21. Confi gure SQL Server security for the SP_AppPool account:
    1. Click Start | All Programs | SQL Server 2008 R2 | SQL Server Management Studio.
    2. On Connect to server, type a period (.) in the Server Name field and click Connect.
    3. Expand the Security node.
    4. Right-click Logins and select New Login.
    5. Use the Search function and enter SP_AppPool in the box Enter object name to select. Click the check names button and then click OK. In my case, you see the properly formatted THEOPENHIGHWAYSP_AppPool in the login name text box.
    6. On the Server Roles tab, ensure that the dbcreator and securityadmin roles are selected (in addition to the already selected public role).
    7. Finally, click OK.

Congratulations! You have successfully installed and confi gured SQL Server 2008 R2 Enterprise.

Packt

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