SQL Does Not Have the Required MaxDegree of Parallelism Setting of 1

I was installing SharePoint 2013 and while running the SharePoint Products Configuration Wizard it failed suddenly displaying the error "This SQL Service instance does not have the required maxdegree of parallelism setting of 1. Database provisioning operations will continue to fail if maxdegree of parallelism is not set 1 or the current account does not have permissions to change the setting..."

Before solving the issue, let see what this "maxdegree of parallelism".

"When SQL Server runs on a computer with more than one microprocessor or CPU, it detects the best degree of parallelism, that is, the number of processors employed to run a single statement, for each parallel plan execution. You can use the max degree of parallelism option to limit the number of processors to use in parallel plan execution. To enable the server to determine the maximum degree of parallelism, set this option to 0, the default value. Setting maximum degree of parallelism to 0 allows SQL Server to use all the available processors up to 64 processors. To suppress parallel plan generation, set max degree of parallelism to 1. Set the value to a number greater than 1 to restrict the maximum number of processors used by a single query execution. The maximum value for thedegree of parallelism setting is controlled by the edition of SQL Server, CPU type, and operating system. If a value greater than the number of available processors is specified, the actual number of available processors is used. If the computer has only one processor, the max degree of parallelism value is ignored."
Source


You have two options to fix the issue...
1st Option

Open SQL Server Management Studio and execute the below command
sp_configure 'show advanced options', 1;
GO
RECONFIGURE WITH OVERRIDE;
GO
sp_configure 'max degree of parallelism', 1;
GO
RECONFIGURE WITH OVERRIDE;
GO

2nd Option
Open SQL Server Management Studio right click the SQL Server instance and click properties. Change the "Max Degree of Parallelism" value from 0 to 1.

 You are not done yet :)

As the SharePoint Products Configuration Wizard ran half way, the configuration database is already created. So make sure to delete the database before you run the Products Configuration Wizard again.

This problem occurs only if you execute the wizard with least privileges. If you ran the wizard with a high privileged account (If SharePoint Setup admin has sysadmin rights to the DB Server), it will automatically do the changes and continue the wizard for you.

Read more

Configure Excel Services in SharePoint 2013

Finally I got some time to configure my SharePoint 2013 farm. So I thought of using the chance to update my blog too. "Two birds with one stone".
Central Administration > System Settings > Manage services on server
Start "Excel Calculations Services"

Once it's started the next step is to create a new instance of "Excel Service Application" (in one doesnt exist already).
Central Administration > Application Management > Manage service applications and create  a new "Excel Service Application"

You are done with configuring Excel Servcies. As the next step you need to configure the tusted locations where Excel Service will only load Excel Workbooks from.

Central Administration > Application Management > Manage service applications > Excel Servce Application (This will change based on how you named the servcie instance on the previous step) > Trusted File Locations

Fill the Address with a Document Library location. I have created a document library called "Excel Documents" in a site called "Team".

In the External Data section you have "Allow External Data", select the Trusted data connection libraries and embedded option.

Set both the Automatic refresh and Manual refresh values to 0 (But this is not recommend as it will consume more resources by refreshing workbook results immediately).

Now as we have a trusted file location, we can now publish data-connected workbooks with embedded data connections. But for Excel Services to correctly render data-connected workbooks with external data connections, we must configure a trusted data connection library.

Central Administration > Application Management > Manage service applications > Excel Servcie Application > Trusted Data Connection Libraris
Make sure you have a "Data Connection Library" type library. Name of my data connection library is "Data Connections" which is created in a site called "Team".

Now you have successfully completed with Excel service configuration.

Office 2013 RTM Announced

On 11th October 2012 Microsoft sent Office 2013 to manufacture. Which means they officially announced the RTM (Release To Manufacture).

This includes Office 2013, SharePoint 2013, Lync 2013 and Exchange 2013.

Classic Authentication in SharePoint 2013

The first thing you will note while creating a New Web Application in SharePoint 2013 is the missing option button to select the Authentication, Classic or Claims.

In SharePoint 2013 (Preview), claims-based authentication is the default and preferred method of user authentication and is required to take advantage of server-to-server authentication and app authentication. If you create a Web Application in Central Administration, by default it’ll be based on claims authentication. The use of classic mode authentication (Windows classic authentication) is discouraged in SharePoint 2013 Preview and you can only create or configure web applications for classic mode authentication with Windows PowerShell cmdlets.

Create a Web Application that uses Classic Authentication in PowerShell

New-SPWebApplication -Name <Name> -ApplicationPool <ApplicationPool> -AuthenticationMethod <WindowsAuthType> -ApplicationPoolAccount <ApplicationPoolAccount> -Port <Port> -URL <URL>

<Name> is the name of the new web application. 
<ApplicationPool> is the name of the application pool. 
< WindowsAuthType > is either “NTLM” or “Kerberos”. Kerberos is recommended.
<ApplicationPoolAccount> is the user account that this application pool will run as. 
<Port> is the port on which the web application will be created in IIS. 
<URL> is the public URL for the web application.

Example:

New-SPWebApplication -Name "WhiteKnight Inc" -ApplicationPool "ContosoAppPool" -AuthenticationMethod "Kerberos" -ApplicationPoolAccount (Get-SPManagedAccount "WhiteKnight\SPServiceApp") -Port 80 -URL "https://www.whiteknight.com

Migrate from classic-mode to claims-based authentication in SharePoint 2013 Preview

SharePoint Formulas and Functions

While working with a SharePoint List, I wanted to add couple of Columns with Formulas and I came across the below url from Microsoft.

“Formulas are equations that perform calculations on values in a list. A formula starts with an equal sign (=).”

“Functions are predefined formulas that perform calculations by using specific values, called arguments, in a particular order, or structure. Functions can be used to perform simple or complex calculations. For example, the ROUND function rounds off a number in the Cost column.”

Export and Import a SharePoint List

This was a requirement one of my clients faced few days back. So I thought of writing blog post on it so anybody can refer to it when needed .

Exporting a SharePoint List can be done with the OOB feature given in SharePoint Central Administration.

Central Administration >> Backup and Restore >> Export a site or list

In the above image you can see…
1. You can backup a site
2. You can backup a list
3. It supports of exporting with full security
4. Exporting with the item versioning (Major / Minor / Both / Current)

OK fine exporting can be done through the UI. How about Importing? Time to move on to PowerShell. Prior to that let’s see how to achieve the Exporting through PowerShell.

Export-SPWeb “http://spdev:4422/netassist/” –ItemUrl “Lists/Students” –Path “C":\SharePoint Backup\StudentsList.cmp”

Now the Importing.. (I’ve used a SubSite “network” for the clarity)

PS C:\Users\SPAdmin> Import-SPWeb “http://spdev4422/netassist/network/” -Path "
C:\SharePoint Backup\StudentsList.cmp"

For more info read the TechNet Articles.
Export
Import

Looking back at SharePoint Sri Lanka User Group

2011 was a successful year for the SharePoint community in Sri Lanka. Few of us with the help of Microsoft, started the SharePoint Sri Lanka User Group.  I will never forget the great help and encouragement received from Dinesh Priyankara and Gogula in making this dream come true. Oh! special thanks goes to Wellington Perera. Thanks all who contributed by conducting sessions and to all who attended and making each session a success.

I gave a promise of giving T-Shirts to the first 10 users. Let’s see, what if someone sponsors to give T-shirts to the first 100 users .

Keep on counting… it’s 2012, we have a lot planned for you.

1st Session

2nd Session

3rd Session

4th Session

5th Session

6th Session

7th Session

8th Session

9th Session

Let’s continue…

Yep, It’s more than 6 months since my last blog post. It wasn’t a break!! and on excuse accepted too!! But I was doing a lot of offline contribution to the SharePoint community in Sri Lanka by hosting sessions, doing trainings and providing consultancy. And not to forget the contribution made towards the success of SharePoint Sri Lanka User Group.

I’m back on my blog… Want to continue sharing my knowledge, my experience from projects with the Online Community. Lets continue…