Hello,
Following a host server issue I recently had a need to move all our Sharepoint 2010 databases to a new SQL host. Using the Microsoft documentation (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc512723(v=office.14).aspx) I have successfully reconnected the web and app servers for our internal farm and all is well. Although I did have a need to disconnect and reconnect the front end servers (a step not documented in the referenced acticle).
In addition to the internal farm we also have an external Sharepoint solution which comprises of a single Sharepoint 2010 WFE hosted on a DMZ AD connecting to databases on the same SQL host as used by the internal solution (on an internal AD). There is no trust between the two ADs so the external Sharepoint server connects to the databases using SQL Authentication with port 1433 open through the firewall. I acknowledge that this maybe insn't the most recognised approach but it is what it is and was put in long before my involvement.
I am now trying to reconnect the external DMZ sharepoint server to the exting configuration database using the same documented approach as referenced above. I have successfully disconnected the server from the farm (it failed to reconnect following the DB move) and am now trying to reconnect it back using the command below:
psconfig -cmd configdb -connect -server spdb01 -database SharePoint2010_Config -dbuser externalsp-dbuser -dbpassword ***** -passphrase "My Passphrase"
This is resulting in the following output:
SharePoint Products Configuration Wizard version 14.0.4762.1000. Copyright (C) M
icrosoft Corporation 2010. All rights reserved.
Performing configuration task 1 of 3
Initializing SharePoint Products configuration...
Successfully initialized the SharePoint Products configuration.
Performing configuration task 2 of 3
Connecting to the configuration database...
Failed to connect to the configuration database.
An exception of type System.ArgumentNullException was thrown. Additional except
ion information: Value cannot be null.
Parameter name: service
Total number of configuration settings run: 2
Total number of successful configuration settings: 1
Total number of unsuccessful configuration settings: 1
Successfully stopped the configuration of SharePoint Products.
Configuration of SharePoint Products failed. Configuration must be performed be
fore you use SharePoint Products. For further details, see the diagnostic log l
ocated at C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\Web Server Extensions\1
4\LOGS\PSCDiagnostics_11_15_2013_11_3_3_709_1262681653.log and the application e
vent log.
I have done quite a lot of investigation into this and can confirm that the connection to the SQL server and configuration database is being established (I can see this from with SQL) and I also confirmed there is no blocking taking place at the firewall. It appears as though once the connection is established the next step is timing out.
I can post details of the referenced diagnostic log if needed or if there is something of relevence I should be looking for please let me know but it does not appear to offer any obvious explaination.
I have also tried creating a new farm from the same external server using the same SQL destination and authentication and this works, so I am pretty confident the issue is not connectivity related.
Any help / advice / suggestions would be much appreciated, its getting to stage now where I may need to consider creating the farm afresh if I cannot get this to work, but want to exhaust all avenues before hand...
Best Regards,
Phil