SharePoint tracking in Active-Directory

 If you are a control freak as myself you need to know where your SharePoint boxes lives then there is actually a feature included to do just that. By creating a default container in Active Directory all installations will add a URL to the Application Discovery and Load Balancer Service for that installation to Active Directory. There is just three easy steps and some PowerShell to do it.

Steps:

  • Launch ADSI Edit or your favourite tool for manipulating Active Directory. Find the System container
  • Create a Container called Microsoft SharePoint Products under that node
  • Modify security on the created container, give SP_Admin and/or SP_Farm Create serviceConnectionPoint permissions
    If anyone can install SharePoint and you wish to track them also instead use Authenticated_Users as permission

All new installations will now create a entry in the created Container. Old installations needs to be added manually by running the following PowerShell command:

Set-SPFarmConfig -ServiceConnectionPointBindingInformation (Get-SPTopologyServiceApplication | select URI)

 If you would like to add more URLs to the Active Directory Container like Central Admin or other important URLs then run

Set-SPFarmConfig -ServiceConnectionPointBindingInformation <WHAT-EVER-URI-YOU-LIKE>

That means that you could track both theApplication Discovery and Load Balancer Service (default) and others of your choosing.

TechEd 2010 Live from the Community Lounge

I’m pleased to see so many people in the Community Area where GITCA, INETA and MCT Europe are represented. We have signed up many MCTs to the MCT Europe network and we are still growing almost minute by minute. There are more people here than last year and the spirits are high, there a lots of great sessions with even greater presenter. Myself I have been to the HOL (Hands-on-labs) all day and instructing on how the labs works and all the new technologies you can learn there. Later I will go to some of the sessions and give you a direct report. Stand by for video from the Community Party tonight!