SharePoint 2013 across multiple servers for a three-tier farm (Traditional Topology)

Today, I will demonstrate how to create a three-tiered SharePoint farm using Traditional topology. If you want to go through Streamline topology, you will need couple more servers to diversify the services and service applications. In SharePoint 2013 Installation and Configuration of the Server types are pretty much same. But, you should create the App server first that hosts the Central Administration. Then you can go on creating the servers as many as you want by choosing "Connecting to Existing Farm" during the installation process. The DNS for the sites should point to the NLB or WFE as the sites are being hosted into the WFEs instead of APP servers. The App servers should be configured for SharePoint service applications like Search, BI. Managed Meta Data etc.

 

1.       Create Necessary SharePoint Accounts
2.       Install SQL Server 2012 with Named Instance for SharePoint: It is recommended to use named instances for SharePoint Database servers instead of Default instance to make it separate from other enterprise database servers.
 

 
3.       Setup custom TCP/IP port and Aliases for SQL Server: To make SharePoint scalable and easily maintainable, it is recommended to use the SQL Server Aliases. In that case, it is very easy to replace the existing server and replace with a new one or for any disaster management. Using a TCP/IP custom port, it makes SharePoint databases secured and reduces any external attack or injections. I will walk you through the processes step by step and by snapshots:
 

-          Defining Custom TCP/IP Port for SQL Server

 

 

-          Restart the SQL Server Service

-          Check SQL Log to see if the SQL Server is listening to that custom TCP port

 

 

-          Create an Inbound Firewall rule on the SQL Server to allow the inbound traffic on that custom TCP port for SQL Server (e.g. 65000)

 

 

-          Create the SQL Server Aliases in DB, WFE and App Servers

 

 

 

4.       Grand DBCreator and SecurityAdmin to the SQL Server
 

 
5.       Install SharePoint 2013 Prerequisites followed by SharePoint 2013 Full Installation (App->WFE)
6.       Run SharePoint Configuration Wizard
7.       Turn on the following services on the following types of servers
 

-          Web Front End Servers

Service Application	Services on Server	Server Recommendation	More information
	Claims to Windows Token Service	Web and application servers	This service is automatically configured to run on applicable servers.
	Distributed Cache	Web and application servers	By default this service is started on all web servers and application servers in a farm.
	Microsoft SharePoint Foundation Web Application	Web server	Ensure that this service is started on all web servers in a farm. Stop this service on application servers. This service provides web server functionality. It is started by default on web servers. Custom features scoped to web applications may not display in Central Administration as intended if this service is not started on the server that runs Central Administration and if the feature cannot be deployed globally.
	Microsoft SharePoint Foundation Workflow Timer Service	Web server	This service is automatically configured to run on all web servers in a farm.
	Microsoft SharePoint Foundation Incoming E-Mail	Web server or application server	Typically, this service runs on a web server. If you need to isolate this service, you can start it on an application server.
	Microsoft SharePoint Foundation Sandboxed Code Service	Web server or application server	Start this service on computers in the farm that run sandboxed code. This can include web servers and application servers. This service runs code that is deployed as part of a sandboxed solution in a remote, rights-restricted process and measures the server resources that are used during execution against a site collection-scoped, daily quota.
	Request Management	Web server or dedicated servers	In integrated mode, Request Management runs on all web servers in a farm. In dedicated mode servers in a separate Request Management farm are between the hardware load balancer and one or more SharePoint farms.

 

-Application Servers

Service Application	Services on Server	Server Recommendation	More information
Access Services 2010	Access Database Service 2010	Application Server	Allows continued maintenance of SharePoint 2010 Access service applications by using Access 2010 clients and Access 2013 clients. Does not allow users to create new applications.
Access Services	Access Services	Application Server	Allows creation of new Access service applications by using the Access 2013 client. View, edit, and interact with Access Services databases in a browser.
App Management Service	App Management Service	Application Server
Business Data Connectivity	Business Data Connectivity service	Application Server
Excel Calculation Services	Excel Calculation Services	Application Server
Machine Translation Service	Machine Translation Service	Application Server	The Machine Translation Service uses SharePoint OAuth for file management. The Machine Translation Service Application's app pool account needs permissions to the User Profile Application to function correctly. The Machine Translation Service connects to the Microsoft Translator online service. Microsoft Translator may collect some data to improve the quality of translations.
Managed Metadata Service	Managed Metadata Web Service	Application Server
Microsoft SharePoint Foundation Subscription Settings Service	Microsoft SharePoint Foundation Subscription Settings Service	Web server or application server	This service application is deployed only by using Windows PowerShell. In hosting environments, this service is typically started on one or more application servers. Start this service if you have deployed service applications in multi-tenant mode or if the farm includes sites that use site subscriptions. This service stores settings and configuration data for tenants in a multi-tenant environment. After it is started, web applications consume this service automatically.
PerformancePoint	PerformancePoint Service	Application server
PowerPoint Conversion	PowerPoint Conversion Service	Application Server	This service converts PowerPoint presentations to other formats. It typically runs on one or more application servers. It starts one or more worker processes to perform conversions. When actively converting, a worker process may use up a whole processor core. Memory usage depends on the size and content of files being converted. The number of worker processes that are used can be controlled through Windows PowerShell cmdlets. Several other configuration options are also available through Windows PowerShell cmdlets.
Search	Lotus Notes Connector	Application Server	Refer to TechNet documentation to learn how to configure Lotus Notes Connector which crawls data on a Lotus Domino server.
Search	Search Host Controller Service	Automatically configured to run on the appropriate application servers	This service manages the search topology components. The service is automatically started on all servers that run search topology components.
Search	Search Query and Site Settings Service	Automatically configured to run on the appropriate application servers	This service load balances queries within the search topology. It also detects farm-level changes to the search service and puts these in the Search Admin database. The service is automatically started on all servers that run the query processing component.
Search	SharePoint Server Search	Automatically configured to run on the appropriate application servers	This service crawls content for the search index. This service is automatically started on all servers that run search topology components. The service cannot be stopped or started from the Services on Server page.
Secure Store Service	Secure Store Service	Application server
Usage and Health Data Collection	NA	NA	This service application has no associated service on server.
User Profile	User Profile Service	Application server
User Profile	User Profile Synchronization Service	Application Server
Visio Graphics Service	Visio Graphics Service	Application server
Word Automation Service	Word Automation Services	Application server	Performs automated bulk document conversions. When actively converting, this service will fully use one CPU for each worker process (configured in Central Administration). If the service is started on multiple servers, a job will be shared across all the servers.
Work Management	Work Management Service	Application Server
	Central Administration	Application Server	This service runs the SharePoint Central Administration website.
	Claims to Windows Token Service	Web and application servers	This service is automatically configured to run on applicable servers.
	Distributed Cache	Web and application servers	By default this service is started on all web servers and application servers in a farm.
	Document Conversions Launcher Service	Application Server	Schedules and starts the document conversions on a server.
	Document Conversions Load Balancer Service	Application Server	Balances document conversion requests from across the server farm. Each web application can have only one load balancer registered with it at a time.

 

8.       Create the appropriate DNS/Host Headers for SharePoint Sites and point them to the NLB or WFEs.

I have demonstrated the three tier architecture with traditional topology to install SharePoint 2013. But, if you have any issues, please feel free to contact me: mdfachowdhury@hotmail.com