Creating Web Application in SharePoint with multiple Web front ends

Question

How do you go about creating a web application in a Sharepoint server farm that has multiple Web front ends(identical ones for load balancing), especially if you creating it from command line? When you create it on one web server does it get automatically copied to other servers as well? Or do you have to extend the app to other servers?

Answer 1

It's quite simple (in theory):

• Install SharePoint
• Add the server to the farm through Central Admin

This goes into a little more detail.

When you deploy new code/solutions to any one server, it will create a timer job that deploys to all servers in the farm. So, to answer your question, applications are deployed to the farm, not to servers.

Answer 2

Hi Satish

As long as you play by SharePoint's rules you don't have to worry about the multiple Web front ends. SharePoint will automatically make the changes on all of them (including future ones)

BUT if you go and make modifications in IIS manager or the filesystem (could be web.config) then you have to make these modifications to all Web front ends (also the ones you'll add in the future)

So always do all your modifications through Cdentral Admin, STSADM or the object model. And always use wsp packages when adding functionality