Some content databases are growing too large!

Many of us has surely came across this exception but today while monitoring the health analyzer, this error has caught my attention-

Some content databases are growing too large

Explanation:

The following content databases have grown larger than 100 GB.  Large content databases can be difficult to backup and restore.  They are also more likely to cause application hangs when operations that affect entire databases are performed.

Remedy:

Prevent new sites from being added to these databases by clicking the repair button or by going to http://CentralAdministrationURL/_admin/cntdbadm.aspx .  Then, move some site collections to smaller databases. For more information about this rule, see http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=142693.

Microsoft has already published an article on this with proper recommendations: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/hh685079%28v=office.15%29.aspx

I would like to know your views on this error message?

Note: If you find a different solution, please report it as a comment to this post. Be sure to double-verify it: undo your solution and verify that the problem comes back, then redo it and verify that the problem goes away.

My Suggestions:

1.   Before doing anything, I would suggest you to login to your SQL Server & check the exact file size of your web application’s content database and the logs files associated with it. Especially the log file!

2.   If your database is within the recommended size then you can safely ignore this alert.

3.   If log file size is the problem then you can definitely shrink it but I would suggest don’t shrink the content database too often as it’s not recommended.  

4.   If your database has already hit the 100GB size then I would suggest you to create a new database and move some site collections to new database and ensure the first database (for which you got the alert) should be within 100GB size.

5.   Additionally you have the option of “Repair Automatically” – which will run the timer job and remove this alert.

If you have any queries/questions regarding the above mentioned information then please let me know. I would be more than happy to help you as well as resolves your issues, Thank you.

Product applies to:-

1.   SharePoint Server 2010

2.   SharePoint Foundation 2010

References:-

Storage and SQL server capacity planning:

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc298801.aspx

Merge content databases:

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc262923.aspx

Deploy by using DBA created databases:

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc262869.aspx

Proxy creation failed. Unable to get the application proxy.

I have publishing the external content type via SharePoint Designer and it’s been successfully displayed in the Central Administration too but while adding the list on the site; it’s throwing an error as follows

Error Message:

Unable to display this Web Part. To troubleshoot the problem, open this Web page in a Microsoft SharePoint Foundation-compatible HTML editor such as Microsoft SharePoint Designer. If the problem persists, contact your Web server administrator.

I checked the logs and found the following traces:

Proxy creation failed. Unable to get the application proxy

Error while executing web part: Microsoft.BusinessData.Infrastructure.BdcException: The shim execution failed unexpectedly - Unable to obtain the application proxy for the context.. ---> Microsoft.Office.SecureStoreService.Server.SecureStoreServiceException: Unable to obtain the application proxy for the context.     at Microsoft.Office.SecureStoreService.Server.SecureStoreProvider.get_Proxy()     at Microsoft.Office.SecureStoreService.Server.SecureStoreProvider.GetRestrictedCredentials(String appId)     at Microsoft.SharePoint.BusinessData.SystemSpecific.Db.DbConnectionManager.GetConnection()     at Microsoft.SharePoint.BusinessData.SystemSpecific.Db.DbSystemUtility.ExecuteStatic(IMethodInstance methodInstance, ILobSystemInstance lobSystemInstance, Object[] args, IExecutionContext context...     c8cfe618-7d0b-4dd0-bb87-55fe239f183b

There are most probably two possible reasons for this issue as:

1.   Service connection proxy

2.   Displaying number of records in a list as there is default value: 2000

Let’s try to see the resolutions for both the reasons!

Resolution#1: (for Service connection proxy)

1.   Open the central administration

2.   Application management

3.   Service Applications

4.   Configure service application associations

5.   Check the web application in which your site exist

6.   Check the “application proxy group” column

7.   Make sure the BDC and secure store service applications check boxes are mark,

8.   If they are not then please tick the check box and click OK

Resolution#2: (for displaying number of records)

1.   Open the SharePoint 2010 management PowerShell console

2.   Type the following command: Get-SPServiceApplicationProxy

3.   You will get the list of service application along with their GUID’s

4.   Copy the BCS service application GUID and paste it in notepad

5.   Now check the existing values by using this command:

Get-SPBusinessDataCatalogThrottleConfig-Scope ThrottleType Items Database-GUID-ServiceApplicationProxy

6.   Once you know the values then you will come to know that the default value is 2000 and we need to change that! How? See below-

Get-SPBusinessDataCatalogThrottleConfig –Scope Database –ThrottleType Items –ServiceApplicationProxy $contosoServAppProxy | Set-SPBusinessDataCatalogThrottleConfig –Maximum 1000000000 –Default 500000

Reference:

a)   http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ff607904%28v=office.15%29.aspx

b)   http://blogs.msdn.com/b/bcs/archive/2010/02/16/bcs-powershell-introduction-and-throttle-management.aspx

That’s it- You are done. Check your results now and the error shouldn’t be there now!

Note:

If you find a different solution, please report it as a comment to this post. Be sure to double-verify it: undo your solution and verify that the problem comes back, then redo it and verify that the problem goes away.

If you have any queries/questions regarding the above mentioned information then please let me know. I would be more than happy to help you as well as resolves your issues, Thank you.

Product Applies To:

SharePoint Server 2010

No UserProfileApplicationProxy exists in the current context

Today one of our business owners has reported their workflows are failing. It’s quite strange as I am taking care of the infrastructure and no changes has made recently i.e. no language packs, no patch upgrade, no third party software installation so I wasn’t sure what exactly happened and their workflows have started failing.

Before checking anything, I have restarted the SharePoint Timer Service to make sure everything is working properly as workflows jobs are dependent on it but that didn’t result into any success. So finally I started looking into ULS logs by hoping will get something very concrete which will guide me in right direction towards resolution and I was damn right!

Here are the findings:

Template Discovery/InitScriptData: cannot get user profile, no UserProfileApplicationProxy exists in the current context     297b8263-3256-4f3b-bb62-a1ceb2d4600f

05/09/2014 15:29:31.57        w3wp.exe (0x1F34)                           0x2630       Web Content Management        Publishing                       7fz3   Medium       Setting [Display] as the FormContext.FormMode for the current page         297b8263-3256-4f3b-bb62-a1ceb2d4600f

05/09/2014 15:29:31.57        w3wp.exe (0x1F34)                           0x2630       Web Content Management        Publishing                       7fz3   Medium       Setting [Display] as the FormContext.FormMode for the current page         297b8263-3256-4f3b-bb62-a1ceb2d4600f

05/09/2014 15:29:31.62        w3wp.exe (0x1F34)                           0x2960       SharePoint Foundation            Monitoring                      b4ly   High            Leaving Monitored Scope (EnsureListItemsData). Execution Time=27.7202828851153   59cb65df-da26-4357-8f32-84a2cac755c5

05/09/2014 15:29:31.73        w3wp.exe (0x1F34)                           0x2630       SharePoint Foundation            Monitoring                      b4ly   High            Leaving Monitored Scope (DataBinding DataFormWebPart (CMS_RT)). Execution Time=138.975204949232          297b8263-3256-4f3b-bb62-a1ceb2d4600f

05/09/2014 15:29:31.81        OWSTIMER.EXE (0x3628)                            0x2D1C          SharePoint Foundation             Monitoring                      nasq  Medium       Entering monitored scope (Timer Job SchedulingUnpublish) 3a1381ea-de0d-4616-9c25-d06d19a650bf

05/09/2014 15:29:31.81        w3wp.exe (0x1F34)                           0x2960       SharePoint Foundation            Web Controls                            cm8z  Medium       Failed to get SPGroupName from GroupID. Error Message: Group cannot be found.  Callstack:    at Microsoft.SharePoint.SPGroupCollection.GetByID(Int32 id)     at Microsoft.SharePoint.WebControls.PeopleEditor.set_SharePointGroupID(Int32 value).          59cb65df-da26-4357-8f32-84a2cac755c5

05/09/2014 15:29:31.82        w3wp.exe (0x1F34)                           0x2960       at Microsoft.SharePoint.WebControls.PeopleEditor.set_SharePointGroupID(Int32 value).          59cb65df-da26-4357-8f32-84a2cac755c5

05/09/2014 15:29:31.82        w3wp.exe (0x1F34)  0x2960   

From these findings, I know where to check and what should be change! And I would like to share the same details with all of you because after making that change, your issue will be resolved.

Note: before I mentioned the exact details, make sure that you have the “user profile web service application” exist in your environment.

Resolution:

1.   Open the Central Administration

2.   Application management

3.   Service Applications

4.   Configure Service Application Associations

5.   Check the web application in which your site exist

6.   Check the “Application Proxy Group” column

7.   Click on the custom group / default group

8.   Tick the User profile service application check box

9.   Click OK

That’s it – You are done!

Note:

If you find a different solution, please report it as a comment to this post. Be sure to double-verify it: undo your solution and verify that the problem comes back, then redo it and verify that the problem goes away.

If you have any queries/questions regarding the above mentioned information then please let me know. I would be more than happy to help you as well as resolves your issues, Thank you.

Product Applies To:

a)   SharePoint Server 2010

b)   SharePoint Server 2013

Database has large amounts of unused space

While monitoring the SharePoint health analyzer, I came across this error - Database has large amounts of unused space

Following databases have large amounts of space allocated on the disk but not in use. This may be due to recent deletion of data form the database, or because the database has been pre-grown to a larger size. This database will take up a larger amount of space on the file system unless it is shrunk down to a smaller size.

The database can be shrunk in size using the DBCC ShrinkDatabase command or the Shrink Database wizard in SQL Server Management Studio.

There are some errors on which you really need to take an action but this one you can safely ignore! – Yes, you heard it correct. This is not a critical error and there is no harm in ignoring this error.

If you really want to take an action then you can simply shrink the database. In the above error, you will see the name of the database for which its failing so take the action and you are done.

Resolution:

Two ways – Either by SQL way or Central Administration (CA) way to remove this error from the Health Analyzer!

SQL way:

1.   Login to the SQL management studio

2.   Right click on the failing database

3.   Shrink it.

CA way:

1)   Open the Central Administration

2)   Click on the health analyzer list

3)   Click on the rule which is showing this error

4)   Click Repair automatically option which is on the top ribbon -> Once you click on it then wait for few mins i.e. give some time to execute that job properly

5)   Now there is a time “Reanalyze Now”

If you have any queries / questions regarding the above mentioned information then please let me know. I would be more than happy to help you as well as resolves your issues, Thank you.

Note:

If you find a different solution, please report it as a comment to this post. Be sure to double-verify it: undo your solution and verify that the problem comes back, then redo it and verify that the problem goes away.

Product Applies To:

a)   SharePoint Server 2010

b)   SharePoint Foundation 2010

Reference:

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc262731(v=office.14).aspx#DBMaintenanceForSPS2010_ShrinkingDataFiles

Configure user profile synchronization service sharepoint 2010 - Part 1

Profile Synchronization in SharePoint Server 2010 enables an administrator of an instance of the User Profile service to synchronize the user and group profile information that is stored in the SharePoint Server 2010 profile store with profile information that is stored in directory services and business system across the enterprise. 

Profile Synchronization can occur when profile information has changed in the SharePoint Server 2010 profile store or when profile information has changed in the directory service.

Start the User Profile Service Application

Open the SharePoint 2010 Central Administration home page; in the system settings click Manage Service on Server, in the service column locate the user profile synchronization service

Note: The current status of the service is stopped; by default, the service is not started.

Click Start on the User Profile Synchronization Service row.

On the User Profile Synchronization Service Page, in the Select User Profile Application Section, make sure User Profile Service Application is selected.

In the Service Account Name and Password Section, in the password and confirm password boxes, populate the password and click ‘Ok’.

Note: The Current Status of the service is starting.

Refresh the page until status is started.

Close Central Administration.

Verify the Forefront Identity Manager Synchronization Service and Forefront Identity Manager Service Are Running in Services (Run -> services.msc)

Before Proceeding with the Configuration of the User Profile Synchronization Service, we need to verify all the supporting services have started.

The Forefront Identity Manager Synchronization Service and Forefront Identity Manager Service are started automatically when the User Profile Synchronization Service is started.

Verify the Creation of the User Profile Synchronization Service Folders

These folders are created automatically, when the user profile synchronization service is started.

Open Windows Explorer, and navigate to C:\Program files\Microsoft Office Servers\14.0\Synchronization Service\MaData

This folder contains the folders required by the User Profile Synchronization Service:

-ILMMA

-MOSS-User-Profile-Service-Application

-MOSSAD-People

These folders will be empty until the User Profile Synchronization Service Configuration is complete and user profiles are synchronized.

RUN IISRESET

Restart the Internet Information Service on the server where the User Profile Synchronization service is provisioned before configuration changes will take effect. Restarting IIS is a Server action. When we restart the internet Service, all sessions connected to our Web Server (Including Internet, FTP, SMTP, and NNTP) are dropped. Any data held in Web Application is lost. We should take appropriate action to ensure that data loss and user interruptions are kept to a minimum.

Open Command Prompt à Type IISRESET