1. In large SharePoint environments, computing-intensive services like search can be run in a central farm to minimize administration and scale out efficiently. 2. When scaling beyond a single farm, services farms should be updated before content farms that consume those services. 3. Multi-farm architectures involve sharing services like search across farms while ensuring the user profile service remains in the same datacenter as user content.

1. Multi-farm architectures with SharePoint Server 2013
DESIGN PRINCIPLES CROSS-FARM SERVICES EXAMPLE 1: SCALING WITH A DEDICATED
SERVICES FARM
In SharePoint Server 2013, the features that support the Sharing services across farms
social experience include dependencies that influence multi- · Some services can be shared across server farms. Other services can
farm architectures. be shared only within a single server farm. Services that support Cross-farm User Profile Managed Business Data Search
Microblogging and Feeds — The What's New page in the My Site provides an
sharing across farms can be run in a central farm and consumed from service Metadata Connectivity Most commonly
multiple farms.
aggregated view of activities related to users' interests, including microblogging applications shared services
· In large environments, computing-intensive services can be run in a
functionality. Feeds for this page can come from multiple farms.
central farm to minimize administration overhead and to scale out
These service applications Description Farm A—Enterprise Services
can be shared across multiple Secure Store Machine
Distributed Cache — The distributed cache maintains the What's New feed. This easily and efficiently as requirements grow. See “Example 1” farms.
· One Enterprise services farm hosts all cross- IIS Web Site—“SharePoint Web Services”
Service Translation
feeds infrastructure supports the read and write operations generated by users' illustrated right. farm services except the User Profile service
activities and participation in microblogging. Application Pool
application.
· While the User Profile service application can be shared across farms, · A single content farm with the User Profile
User Profile — User profile properties drive a broad set of SharePoint features this service must reside in the same datacenter as the farms that it Search Managed Business Data Machine
from social collaboration to authorization. The User Profile service application is service, My Sites, and team sites.
supports. See “Example 2” below. · Server-to-server authentication is
Metadata Connectivity Translation
tied more closely to content than in previous versions.
configured between the two farms.
WAN-friendly services Single-farm Usage and State Service PerformancePoint Microsoft SharePoint
· Farms are in the same or different
When scaling beyond a single farm, the following design service
Health Data
Collection
Foundation Subscription
Settings Service datacenters.
principles apply. The Search, Managed Metadata, and Machine Translation services can
be shared across a wide area network (WAN). The Business Data applications
Offload to a dedicated services farm first — If more than one farm is necessary, Connectivity service application can be used across WAN links These service applications User Profile Service
offload cross-farm services to a dedicated farm. App Work
depending on how the Business Data Connectivity service is can be used only within a
Management Management The User Profile Service application must be in
single farm.
The User Profile service must reside in the same datacenter as the content it implemented. the same datacenter as My Sites. If the
All client-related services can only
supports — The performance of social features require the User Profile service enterprise services farm and the content farm
Farm B—Content Farm
be used by a single farm.
application to be located in the same datacenter as My Sites, team sites, and Cross-farm services support for WAN environments are in the same datacenter, the User Profile
community sites. Service application Supported over WAN Notes Service application can be included in the
Excel Access Visio Word PowerPoint
Social features work best with one My Site farm — If multiple content farms are
connections?
Services Services Graphics Automation Conversion
enterprise services farm.
IIS Web Site—“SharePoint Web Services”
necessary, split the environment into one My Site farm and one or more farms for Search Yes
collaboration content (team sites and community sites). See the 2nd architecture Managed Metadata Yes Advantages Application Pool
example in this model. Business Data Yes After the data cache is populated, the WAN link is not needed. · A single content farm and User Profile
Multiple My Site farms requires multiple User Profile service applications — Connectivity First-page browses are slow and might result in timeouts. service application greatly reduces User Profile Secure Store
Subsequent requests for cached data are faster. For best results,
A single instance of the User Profile service application can only be associated with place the Business Data Connectivity service near the data that
complexity. Service Default group
one My Site host. If multiple My Site farms are necessary, multiple User Profile is consumes. · Performance for social features is optimized
service applications are necessary as well. User Profile Not supported Using the User Profile service application across WAN links is when the User Profile service, My Sites, and
The App Catalog cannot be shared across farms — Multiple App Catalog’s will
not supported. This service requires direct database access. For team sites are located on the same farm. Excel Access
WAN environments, the User Profile Replication Engine is Services Services
need to be setup and managed. recommended instead.
Application Pool
Secure Store Service Yes The Secure Store Service works across WAN links but is not Disadvantages
recommended because it might negatively affect the Web Application—My Sites Web Application—Team Sites
· May result in a large content farm.
Configuring server-to-server authentication between farms performance of other services over a WAN link. Word Work
Automation Management
Multi-farm environments involve communication between farms. Server-to-server Machine Translation Yes
Service http://team
authentication allows farms to access and request resources from one another on http://my
behalf of users. Server-to-server authentication uses the Open Authorization
APPLYING SOFTWARE UPDATES
Visio App http://my/personal/<user>
(OAuth) 2.0 protocol. Graphics Management
Farms that provide service applications and the farms that consume these require a
server-to-server authentication. In addition to the basic farm-level trust that is
configured, additional configuration is necessary between farms for specific In multi-farm environments, the order in which the farms Example 1 — Update farms in the following order Example 2 — Update farms in the following order Team 1 Team 2 Team 3
scenarios and features, such as eDiscovery and Business Intelligence. are updated is important. When updating environments 1. Farm A — Enterprise Services farm 1. Farm A — Enterprise Services farm
In Example 1, the two farms require a server-to-server authentication relationship. with multiple farms, update farms in the following order:
2. Farm B — Content farm 2. Farm B — My Site farm
In Example 2, below, Farm A (Enterprise Services) and Farm B (My Sites) require a · Service farms
server-to server authentication relationship with every other farm in the · My site farm 3. Farms C-E — Content farms (the order of these is not
environment. Content farms (Farms C-F) do not require server-to-server · Content farms For more information about the patching and update important unless one of these farms is hosting a service
relationships with each other. process for SharePoint farms, see the following model: application that is shared with other farms)
It’s important to update service farms before updating Enterprise-scale farms for SharePoint Server 2013.
Office Web Apps does not require a server-to-server authentication relationship farms that consume services. Service farms support The Office Web Apps farm can be updated independently
with SharePoint farms. connections with farms that are running an earlier version of the SharePoint farms.
For more information, see the following articles in the TechNet library: of the software. However, if a consuming farm is running a
· Plan for server-to-server authentication in SharePoint 2013 later version of the software, this can cause issues.
· Configure server-to-server authentication in SharePoint 2013
EXAMPLE 2: SCALING TO MULTIPLE CONTENT FARMS
Description
· One enterprise services farm hosts all Farm A—Enterprise Services IIS Web Site—“SharePoint Web Services” Farm G—Office Web Apps
cross-farm services, including the User
Profile service application. Application Pool
· A dedicated My Site farm and one or
more content farms. Search Managed Business Data Machine User Profile
· Trust certificates are exchanged between Metadata Connectivity Translation
farms that share and consume service
applications. The appropriate services are
configured for sharing and consuming
across farms.
· Server-to-server authentication is
configured between the following farms:
· Farm A and B
· Farm A and C
· Farm A and D
· Farm A and F
· Farm B and C
· Farm B and D
· Farm B and E
· Farm B and F
· All farms reside in the same datacenter.
Advantages
· Allows scaling beyond a single content Farm B—My Site Farm
farm.
· Site feeds and community site
aggregation works across all farms. IIS Web Site—“SharePoint Web Services”
· Allows failover of a farm without Application Pool
impacting other farms.
Disadvantages
· Additional farms to manage.
· The environment is limited to a single My
Site farm. If more than one My Site farm is Excel Access
Default group
Farm C—Content Farm Farm D—Content Farm Farm E—Content Farm Farm F—Content Farm
required, multiple User Profile Service Services Services
IIS Web Site—
IIS Web Site— IIS Web Site— IIS Web Site—
applications must be incorporated and the “SharePoint Web Services” “SharePoint Web Services” “SharePoint Web Services” “SharePoint Web Services”
User Profile Replication Engine can be set
up to replicate the user profile properties Word Work Application Pool Application Pool Application Pool Application Pool
that are necessary for social features. Automation Management
Application Pool Default group Default group Default group Default group
Excel Access Excel Access Excel Access Excel Access
Web Application—My Sites Services Services Services Services Services Services Services Services
Visio App
Graphics Management
http://my Word Work Word Work Word Work Word Work
Application Pool Application Pool Application Pool Automation Management
Application Pool
Automation Management Automation Management Automation Management
Secure Store http://my/personal/<user>
Service Web Application—Team Sites and Web Application—Team Sites and Web Application—Team Sites and Web Application—Team Sites and
community sites community sites community sites App community sites
Visio App Visio App Visio App Visio
Graphics Management Graphics Management Graphics Management Graphics Management
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