Troubleshooting Windows SharePoint Services (WSS) Issues in a BizTalk Server 2004 Platform Build

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Later this month (around 10/15) we will be posting a short article to the Business Process & Integration (BPI) Developers Center that discusses how to troubleshoot common issues in building the platform for BizTalk Server 2004. I thought I would share a portion of that article which addresses some of the common issues with Windows SharePoint Services (WSS) regarding a BizTalk Server installation and how to resolve them. Keep in mind that the article won't cover everything, but will touch on the most common. The following are 4 of the most common problems with WSS. If you have any feedback, please let me know!

Troubleshooting Windows SharePoint Services (WSS) Issues in a BizTalk Server 2004 Platform Build

The following is a list of the most common WSS problems you may run into when building your BizTalk Server 2004 platform.

Problem
When creating a content database using the SharePoint Central Administration tool, you get the following error in the browser:

Login failed for user 'NT AUTHORITY\NETWORK SERVICE'

Cause & Resolution
This issue occurs when the database owner of the database that you are connecting to is different from the application pool identity that Windows SharePoint Services is running under. In order to resolve this issue, you can do one of two things:

  1. Give NETWORK SERVICE 'Database Creation' rights in SQL Server
  2. Change the application pool identity account to an account that has 'Database Creation' rights in SQL Server.

 

Problem
When you open the SharePoint Central Administration tool, you get the following error in the browser:

Service Unavailable

Cause & Resolution
This occurs because the application pool hosting the web site for the SharePoint Central Administration tool is in a stopped state. Although there are a few reasons this could happen, the most common reason for the application pool stopping is that it is configured with an identity in which the username and/or password are no longer valid. In order to resolve this problem you need to ensure that the application pool identity account is accurate and that the application pool is started.

 

Problem
When trying to extend and create a content database you get the following error in the browser:

Cannot connect to the configuration database

Cause & Resolution
There are a few reasons that this can occur. The most common reason this occurs when building your BizTalk Server 2004 platform is that the account that is used by the application pool which is running the SharePoint Central Administration site does not have the required permissions to the SQL Server database. In order to resolve this issue, you can do one of two things:

  1. Give the application pool identity account 'Database Creation' rights in SQL Server
  2. Change the application pool identity account to an account that has 'Database Creation' rights in SQL Server.

 

Problem
After restarting the server, you see the following error in the event logs:

The SharePoint Timer Service service failed to start

You may also see the following error when you open the SharePoint Central Administration tool

Unable to connect to the WSS configuration database STS_Config

Cause & Resolution
This problem generally occurs when the SharePoint Timer service fails to contact the WSS database when rebooting. The SharePoint Timer Services is used to send notifications and performs scheduled tasks for WSS. The most common reason that the SharePoint Timer Service fails to start is that the account used to run the service is configured with an identity in which the username and/or password are no longer valid. In order to resolve this problem you need to ensure that the log on account for the service is accurate and that the service has been started. Note: If you happen to be using Small Business Server, there is another possible cause that is covered in Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 840685.