SQL Server Management Studio unable to connect using server alias !

When you try to connect to SQL Server using an alias from SQL Server Management Studio you receive the error 53 :

A network-related  or instance-specific error occurred while establishing a connection to SQL Server.
The SQL Server was not found or was not accessible. Verify that the instance name is correct and that SQL Server is configured to allow remote connections.(provider: Named Pipes Provider, error : 40- Could not open a connection to SQL Server) (Microsoft SQL Server, Error : 53)

 

But when you use SQLCMD to connect to the same server using the same ALIAS no problem !!!

  

The issue is related to the fact that SSMS is a 32 Bit application but SQLCMD is 64 bit application; when we use cliconfg.exe to create server SQL Server aliases thay are created only for the 64 bit registry entry :

But not created for the 32 bit registry tree as you can see on the screen capture:

To resolve this issue you have just to create a new string (REG_SZ) registry value on the the registry key Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\MSSQLServer\Client\ConnectTo with name of "Your SQL Server Alias" and value of "DBMSSOCN,<Your SQL Server Alias>,<port number>" .

Now you can connect to your SQL Server using the Alias and SSMS :

    

Installing .Net Framework 3.5 on Windows 8 - Error 0x800F081F

When you try to install .Net Framework 3.5 on Windows 8 you will receive the error 0x800F081F, the origin of the problem is that the sources files needed for this feature are not present on the C:\Windows\WinSxS folder of your operating system.
As you can see on the following picture only the source files for .NET 4.5 are present :

 
To resolve this issue you have to use the Windows 8 installation media and form the command line run the following command to install the .Net Framework 3.5 feature :

dism /online /enable-feature /featurename:NetFx3 /All /Source:<Path> /LimitAccess

Where <Path> is <Drive Letter>:\Sources\SXS and <Drive Letter> is the driver letter associated to your Windows Installation media.  

  
     
 

How To : Enable Remote Desktop Connections by GPO

As the number of servers you administer growth you have to automate some administration action that you should perform each time you have a new server on your domain.
To enable automatically the remote desktop connections on any server you add to your domain you have just to create a new GPO and relate it to your servers organizational unit.

• Create a new Group Policy Object and Edit it 

• Expand  Computer Configuration ==> Administrative Templates ==> Network ==> Network Connections ==> Windows Firewall ==> Domain Profile 

• Enable the rule Windows Firewall : Allow inbound Remote Desktop exception

• Expand  Computer Configuration ==> Administrative Templates ==> Windows Components   ==> Remote Desktop Services ==> Remote Desktop Session Host ==> Connections 

• Enable the setting Allow users to connect remotely by using Remote Desktop Services

• Link the new GPO created to your servers Organizational Unit

Update the GPO configuration of your servers and all administrators accounts will be authorized to open remote session on the servers.  

           

User Profile Synchronization Service Requirements

To ensure that the User Profile Synchronization Service starts and your SharePoint servers be able to import and synchronize correctly with your AD services the above action should be performed before starting the configuration process of this service.
- The farm service account should be member of the local administrator group of the SharePoint server hosting the User Profile Synchronization Service.
- The service account of the User Profile Synchronization Service should have the permission of Replicate Directory Changes on the configuration partition of your AD.
  

1	Start ADSI Edit
2	Right click ADSI Edit and then  click Connect to…
3	Check Select a well known Naming Context , select Configuration from the dropdown list and the click Ok
4	Right click the Configuration entry and click Properties on the context menu
5	On the Security tab add the User Profile Synchronization Service account and give him the permission Replicating Directory Changes

- The User Profile Synchronization Service account should be delegated the Replicating Directory Changes on the domain :

1	From ADUC console, right click the domain name and then click Delegate Control…
2	Click Next
3	Add the User Profile Synchronization Service Account and then click Next
4	Check Create a custom task to delegate and then click Next
5	Click Next
6	Check Replicating Directory Changes in permissions list  and then click Next
7	Click Finish

Office Web Apps - Can’t View Office Documents in Browser !!!

After installing Office Web Apps 2010 on SharePoint 2010 Server you expect viewing and editing on the browser your office documents.
   
Regarding which Web Application is hosting the Document Library containing this documents you should ensure that the Application Pool Accounts used for :

- Word Viewing Service Application
- Excel Service Application
 
- PowerPoint Service Application
Are allowed to access its content databases.

Step by Step Clustering SQL Server 2008 R2 Part VI

Part I – Before we start
Part II – Creating Windows Cluster
Part III – Clustering MSDTC
Part IV – Installing the first SQL Server Cluster Node
Part V – Adding the second node
Part VI – Post installation tasks

On this last part we will only demonstrate how to enable Filestream feature on SQL Server 2008 clustered configuration.
on future posts we will discuss other administrative tasks and tips.
Note : All actions described on these part should be performed on each node.

1	Start the SQL Server Configuration Manager
2	Click Yes on the User Account Control
3	Open the properties windows of the SQL Server Service by right clicking on it   and then the Properties context menu
4	Check Enable FILESTREAM for Transact-SQL access and Enable FILESTREAM for file I/O streaming access   Type the Windows Share Name to use and then click Apply
5	Verify that a File Share Resource with the same Share Name as configured on the FILESTREAM tab appears and it’s online on the  Failover Cluster Manager, the resource should appear as depending on the SQL Server service
6	Run the SQL Script : EXEC sp_configure filestream_access_level , 2 reconfigure

Step By Step Clustering SQL Server 2008 R2 Part V

Part I – Before we start
Part II – Creating Windows Cluster
Part III – Clustering MSDTC
Part IV – Installing the first SQL Server Cluster Node
Part V – Adding the second node
Part VI – Post installation tasks

1	Run the setup program of SQL Server 2008 R2
2	Click Yes on the User Account Control
3	Select the Installation Page on the SQL Server Installation Center and then click Add node to a SQL Server Failover cluster
4	Click Ok after verifying that all Tests are passed on the Setup Support Rules page
5	Type your Product Key and then click Next
6	Check I accept the license terms and then click Next
7	Click Install on the Setup Support Files page
8	Verify that all the Tests are passed on the  Setup Support Rules and then click Next For the Network Binding order warning ensure that the Network configuration is correct as described on the first part of this Post
9	The setup program will detect automatically the clustered instances on your configuration and from the Cluster Node Configuration Page you will be able to choose to which SQL cluster you would like to add this node   Choose the instance id and then click Next
10	On the service Accounts Page retype the password for each account and the click Next
11	Click Next on the Error Reporting Page
12	Click Next on the Add Node Rules
13	Click Install on the Ready to Add Node Page
14	Wait for the installation Progress
15	Click Close on the Complete Page Now you have a full functional two nodes cluster of SQL Server 2008 R2