Microsoft Sharepoint Products and Technologies Resource Kit eBook

Server Farm with Multiple Host Names Deployment
Chapter 2: Installing Windows SharePoint Services 41
You can install and configure Microsoft Windows SharePoint Services to allow your
server farm to host several sites on the same virtual server using the same IP address
but use multiple site names and separate content. This configuration is known as a
server farm serving multiple host names. In this configuration, you have a single IP
address (192.168.2.1, for example), but this same IP address can point to the following
individual sites:
■ Mary.WoodgroveBank.com
■ John.WoodgroveBank.com
■ ProjectTeam.WoodgroveBank.com
■ Information.WoodgroveBank.com
Each of these sites has its own content, its own set of users, and a different site
owner. Each site can use unique Windows SharePoint Services features and share
the same virtual server using the same IP address. The Web servers and configuration
database make the appropriate content available depending on the URL
requested.
This section describes the steps you need to take to configure the servers in
your server farm to serve multiple host names with Windows SharePoint Services.
Preparing the Servers
Before you can install and configure Windows SharePoint Services in your server
farm, you must be sure you meet the hardware and software requirements and plan
out your server farm configuration. The following sections help you determine the
configuration to use.
Hardware and Software Requirements
To be able to set up Windows SharePoint Services in a server farm configuration,
you must meet the criteria described in more detail in the “Prerequisites” section at
the beginning of this chapter.