Over the 10 Web App Limit? Consolidate!

How to move service applications back under the “Default SharePoint service app pool”

Scenario:  Somehow someone accidentally created a new application pool when creating a SharePoint Service Application, or a consultant came in and created separate application pools, or there are just too many application pools inside IIS/More than the recommended 10. http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc262787.aspx#WebserverAppServer

Procedure:  Consolidate SharePoint service applications to run under three app pools.  Default SharePoint Service App Pool, SharePoint Web Services System, and Security Token Service (STS) Application Pool.  NOTE:  some service applications can be consolidated via the manage service applications page > properties of Service Application (off the ribbon), and some cannot.

threeAmigos

SharePoint creates the SharePoint Web Services System and STS app pools when it is installed.  The Default SharePoint Service App Pool is created by the SharePoint Admin.

Use the following procedure to move application pools that were created accidentally into the Default app pool.  If the default app pool does not exist, create it.

1. Make sure that the service application pool works by using it’s associated Service Application from within Central Administration

2. Open a SharePoint Management Shell administratively

3. Get a list of the Service applicaiton pools and thier associated Guid using Get-SPServiceApplicationPool | ft Name, ID

4. Instantiate the service application that the pool is associated witInstantiate the service application that the pool is associated with into a variable and pass that variable to the set-SPServiceApplication where you can modify the IIS Web application that houses the service application:

$svc = Get-SPserviceApplication | ? {$_.TypeName -like "Acc*"}

 

5. Verify that you have the actual service application for which you wish to modify the associated application pool,

$svc > Enter

6 then when sure you have the associated service application, run the set-SpServiceApplication cmdlet

Set-SPServiceApplication $svc -IisWebServiceApplicationPool "Default SharePoint Service App Pool"

 

confirm when prompted

Note: you could and should run that with a -Whatif, prior to running it, just to make sure you have the correct service application targeted.

Set-SPServiceApplication $svc -IisWebServiceApplicationPool "Default SharePoint Service App Pool" -WhatIf

 
get-spservicapplication

7. You can open Central Admin again and see to it that the service application is still working by navigating back into Application Management > Manage Service Applications > open the associated service application

8. Open IIS and make sure there are no additional endpoints inside the application pool, by right clicking on it and then view applications. If you have any, you need to move them with step 6 and then verify that this service application is working.

9. Now that it is verified as working, and no endpoints are inside of it, go back into the SharePoint Management Shell and run the following command to remove the service application Pool

Get-SPServiceApplicationPool | ? {$_.Name -like "Acces*"} | Remove-SpServiceApplicationPool -WhatIf

 

Followed by the same command without the WhatIF  remove-spserviceapplicationpool

Confirm when prompted

If not sure of the names of the application pool, run Get-SPServiceApplicationPool and take note of the name in the name field.

10. Now Go into IIS and remove the Application pool that was formerly associated with the service application.   This information was obtained in step 2. Never do that!! Jees what was I thinking.  The Remove-SpserviceApplication pool should is used to handled this.

Get-SPServiceApplicationPool | ? {$_.Name -like "Acces*"} | Remove-SpServiceApplicationPool

Cheers,