Sharepoint Services and the internet

[jfc1003]

We have a single server network running Windows 2003 R2 and Exchange 2003. I set up an intranet using Sharepoint services and my boss loves it. He asked me if we could make it available as a secure site on the intranet to bea belt to work from home. My initial thought was "yes", since we deployed Outlook Web access very easily using SSL. unfortuantely, the SPS does not seem to be so easy. I get "server error in '/' application" if I try to do anything. I am struggling to understand how to do this as I am not really a web designer. The only article I have found seems to be talking about proxies and ISA server. I dont have ISA server or another server available to me. Is there any way to deploy an "extranet" using SPS or is it just too complicated and troublesome?

 

[Thomas2000]

Do you have possibilities to logon to your network via VPN? That might be an alternative than to make it accessible from the Internet.

Exposing and internal server to the Internet can cause security issues. We did setup an extranet solution without ISA and proxy server. I installed a standalone server, placed it on our DMZ, created local user accounts, and using SSL with basic authentication.
(I am not running the portal in the extranet environment only use WSS).

The SharePoint Portal might give you some more work, since you will most likely have one internal webaddress and then one you use externally.

There are whitepapers and instruction on how to make an extranet deployment of sharepoint, but most of them are talking about ISA and proxy servers (which is a recommended way to set it up).

How the setup is done, depends on your current infrastructure (network, domains, A.D etc).

But look at microsoft.com and you will find information about it.

Cheers,
Thomas

http://www.thompa.se

 

[jfc1003]

Okay, even if I vpn in to the internal network it does not work. I still get the server error in '/' application. I have researched the error and found that it is because I am not running Sharepoint in a virtual directory. It works fine if I use the FQDN. i.e.: http:\\companyweb\default.aspx. But if I use the IP address, http:\\10.0.0.1\default.aspx, it craps out. So I think my issue is not so much how to get it on the internet, as not understanding how to make a website like SPS respond not only to FQDN, but also when I use the actual IP address. (Our vpn connects us to a router at the facility that hosts multiple networks, so we have to use IP address, not DNS.)

Does anyone know of some good articles about making SPS work when you use the IP address to access the server? I have found a ton of articles telling me to just add a virtual server, but no step by step on how to do it. I think I am getting in deeper than I should, but if I can't do it, we will have to hire someone to do it, so I might as well try....

 

[Beowulf005]

The most likly reason that it is not working when you put in the IP address is becasue the outlook web access is the default web site. In IIS if you right click on companyweb go to properties, then click on advance you can create another host header for the site. So for example since I use outlook web access also
In my default web site (what outlook uses) I have made the host header for each site different.
my email mail.mycompany.com
my website

http://www.mycompany.com

my sharepoint site mycompany.com

I also have about 5 other sharepoint sites running the same way all with outside internet access some with anomyous access so the public can see them.

HTH

When frustrated remember, in the computer world there is almost always a backdoor.

 

[jfc1003]

Okay,

So we are getting close. Our question now is simply how to install or move SPS to a different site in IIS. By default it goes into the same site as OWA. If we get one working, the other stops.

 

[Beowulf005]

Change the host headers. When you have two sites using the same host or none only one can run at a time. IIS needs to know which site to display when the user connects to that computer. Thus you will need more the one usable domain name. For outside your network access. If you have already purchased one domain for you outlook and don't want to purchase another for the sharepoint site. I use

http://www.no-ip.com

for free domains for all the different sites that I use.

When frustrated remember, in the computer world there is almost always a backdoor.

 

[jfc1003]

I understand the host headers, but the problem is we don't have two sites yet. They are both in the "default website" in IIS. If we go into Sharepoint central administration, and remove the virtual server from "default website" and extend it to a new website, we get the old "server error in '/' application." So we are struggling with how to get sharepoint to install onto a separate website within IIS.

Or are you saying that they are both in the same site within IIS, in whic case I am totally lost.

 

[Beowulf005]

Ok

Sharepoint point needs to be a seperate site (at least by my knowledge when I had OWA and sharepoint on the same site it didn't work.)

In IIS create a new site
After creating the site open central administration click on "Extend or upgrade virtual server" click the site name, then click on extend and create a content database. Now you new site is a blank sharepoint site. open IIS again and change the host header and you will be able to view it outside you intranet.

When frustrated remember, in the computer world there is almost always a backdoor.