SharePoint Installation in three tier environment

In order to install SharePoint 2013 you need to meet the following requirements. Please note that
these numbers might change although they are taken from the official TechNet article when it was
published.

Hardware Requirements

SQL Server

Please note that these numbers might change over time and individual requirements.

SQL Server Hardware requirements

Component Requirement

Processor 64 bit, 4 cores (small deployments)

8 cores (medium deployment)

RAM 8 GB (small deployments)

16 GB (medium deployment)

Hard Disk 80 GB
(+Storage depending on your Content requirements)

Development Environment:

I suggest at least 64 bit 4 cores and 8 GB RAM (12 are way better) for SQL Server, SharePoint App
and Web Server on one machine.

Application Server + Web Server

Please note that these numbers might change over time and individual requirements.

SharePoint Server Hardware requirements

Component Requirement

Processor 64 bit, 4 cores

RAM 10 GB - SharePoint Foundation / Server (Development or evaluation, minimum)

24 GB - SharePoint Server (Development or evaluation, recommended)
12 GB - SharePoint Server (Pilot, user acceptance test, or production)
 SharePoint Server Hardware requirements

Component Requirement

Hard Disk 80 GB
(+Storage depending on your Content requirements)

Software Requirements

SQL Server

SharePoint 2013 needs one of the following versions of SQL Server:

 SQL Server 2008 R2 SP1, 64 bit

 SQL Server 2012, 64 bit

Updated Service Packs: Meanwhile new Service Packs have been released for both versions.

Application Server + Web Server

SharePoint 2013 needs one of the following versions of Windows Server:

 Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1, 64 bit

 Windows Server 2012, 64 bit

 Windows Server 2012 R2, 64 bit (requires SharePoint 2013 with SP1)

STEP2- Active Directory Installation

This guide shows you how to install and configure Windows Server 2012 Active Directory Domain
Services. This isn’t necessary but if you are going to deploy a development environment I suggest to
create a closed environment.

This way you have everything on your own so you don’t depend on something or someone.

Development Environment:

This step usually applies to developers creating an isolated dev environment independent of your
companies infrastructure. You are independent, can go where you want without a connection to
your company and you can make changes as you want.

Active Directory Installation

Open Server Manager and click ‘Manage’ on the top right corner to add Roles and Features.

Select the role-based or feature-based installation.

Select the server you want to use as a Domain Controller.

Click to add ‘Active Directory Domain Services’. You don’t have to check ‘Domain Name System
(DNS) server’ right now since it’s also promoted later.
Add required features and skip the feature selection dialog.
Click install and wait until the installation finished. Don’t close the dialog.

A link will be displayed to promote the server to a domain controller. Click the link.
Select to create a new forest and enter a root domain name.

Make sure ‘Domain Name System (DNS) server’ is checked and enter a restore password.
Skip the DNS Options and use the specified NetBIOS domain name.

Use the specified locations for AD DS database, log files and SYSVOL. Click next to review your
options.
Click install and wait until you are required to reboot your server.
STEP 3: Service Accounts

This guide shows you the administrative and service accounts required to install SharePoint 2013.

It includes the requirements, the configuration and the meaning of each account.

Basic Installation Accounts

You need to create at least the following domain accounts in Active Directory to successfully install
SharePoint 2013:

Basic Installation Accounts

Required Account Example

SQL Server Service Account sqlsql

SharePoint Setup Administrator spAdmin

SharePoint Farm Account spFarm

The meaning of the accounts is described later.

Difference to SharePoint 2007

Service accounts in SharePoint 2007 needed 2 properties when they were created in Active
Directory:

 User cannot change password and

 Password never expires.

If you skipped SharePoint 2010 this isn’t necessary anymore since SharePoint 2010 because we now
have managed accounts capable of password expiration and automatic change.

I always use in my development environment the options “User cannot change password” and
“Password never expires”.

Assign permission

The SharePoint 2013 setup administrator is the only account where you need to assign permission
manually.

SQL Server Service Account

 Permission are assigned automatically during installation of SQL Server 2012.

 The SQL Server service account should be a domain account and is used to run SQL Server.

SharePoint Setup Administrator

 You need to manually assign permissions.

 The setup administrator is used to install SharePoint 2013.

 The SharePoint 2013 setup administrator has to be a member of the administrators

group on every server SharePoint should be installed.
This account also needs the securityadmin and dbcreator role in SQL Server.
If I create a development environment I also assign the sysadmin role during the setup of SQL Server
2012 so I have only 1 account I need to administrate Windows Server, SQL Server and SharePoint.

Farm Account

Permissions are automatically assigned by the SharePoint 2013 setup administrator so you don’t
have to do it.

The farm account is used for the following things [1]:

 “Configure and manage the server farm.”

 “Act as the application pool identity for the SharePoint Central Administration Web site.”

 “Run the Microsoft SharePoint Foundation Workflow Timer Service.”

STEP 4: SQL Server 2012 Installation

Start the setup and choose a New SQL Server stand-alone installation.

Choose the SQL Server Feature Installation after you have accept the license agreement and entered
the license key.
Add at least the ’Database Engine Services’ and ‘Management Tools - Basic’.
Use the default instance.

Add the SQL Server service account (in my case: sqlSvcAcc) and keep the collation settings.
If you create a development environment add the current administrator and SharePoint 2013 setup
administrator as SQL Server administrators.

Also enable FILESTREAM for Transact-SQL access and FILESTREAM for file I/O under FILESTREAM tab
if you plan to use RBS.

Review your configuration and click install.

SQL Server 2012 Configuration

There are 2 configuration steps needed to prepare SQL Server 2012 for the use with SharePoint
2013.

Assign Permission

The first step includes assigning permission to the SharePoint setup administrator which is in my
case spAdmin.
STEP 5: Windows Server 2012 Configuration

Web Server (IIS) role and Application Server role including .NET Framework 4.5

Open Server Manager and click to ‘Add Roles and Features’.

Select the role-based or feature-based installation.

Select a server from the server pool where you want to configure both roles.

Select the ‘Application Server’ role.

Select the ‘Web Server (IIS)’ role. Add required features.
Skip the feature selection dialog and proceed to the role services dialog.

Select the features from the screenshot and add required features if prompted.
Again check the features fro the screenshot and add required features if prompted.
After you have added all features review your configuration and click install.

IE Enhanced Security Configuration

If your are going to create a development environment and want to open e.g. Central
Administration directly from your server you should disable IE Enhanced Security Configuration using
Server Manager.
STEP 6: Installation of sharepoint 2013

This guide shows you a SharePoint 2013 installation on Windows Server 2012 using SQL Server 2012.
It includes the SharePoint 2013 Products Preparation Tool, the installation process and the
SharePoint 2013 Configuration Wizard.

After finishing the process you are able to launch Central Administration.

SharePoint 2013 Products Preparation Tool

Domain Controller:

If you want to install SharePoint 2013 on a Domain Controller please see the comment by Todd
below... Workflow Development requires Windows Azure Workflow and it doesn't run on a DC.

Make sure you are logged on using the SharePoint Setup Administrator.

Open the prerequisites installer and click next to install SharePoint 2013 pre-requisites.

The installer will also configure the Windows Server Application Server and Web Server role.
Finish the installation wizard. The server may need a restart to fully install the prerequisites.
SharePoint 2013 Installation

Enter the product key and accept the license agreement.

Select to install a complete SharePoint farm.

Wait until the installation is done and proceed with the SharePoint 2013 configuration wizard to
create a new SharePoint farm.
SharePoint 2013 Configuration Wizard

Click next and select to create a new server farm.

Enter your SQL Server and specify the SharePoint 2013 farm accounts.

Enter a farm passphrase.

Select a port number and authentication provider.

Review your settings and start the installation.

Once the installation has finished you can open SharePoint 2013 Central Administration.