Symantec Protection for SharePoint Servers 6.0 is un-configurable when installed on a SharePoint server with two NICs

Products

• Protection for SharePoint Servers

Issue/Introduction

When Symantec Protection for SharePoint Servers 6.0 is installed on a SharePoint server that has multiple NICs, the install will appear to be successful.  Although when the the Central Administration > Symantec Protection 6.0 for SharePoint Servers > SharePoint Server Farm overview page is viewed, it will report that the SPSS console installed on the multi-NIC server is not installed.

Cause

Currently the SPSS console can potentially run into problems on servers that have multiple NICs.  During the install of SPSS, the installer only registers the primary NIC with the SPSS table that is created in the SharePoint content DB.  Although if SharePoint is using the secondary NIC in the binding order to communicate with the Central Administration box, the SPSS consoles on the multi-NIC box would try and use the IP address of this secondary NIC to communicate with the SPSS console on the CA box.  The SPSS console on the Central Administration box would not accept the connection because the IP address being used by this multi-NIC box was not the IP address that got registered into the SPSS table in the SharePoint content DB.

Resolution

This issue has been addressed in 6.0.1 build of Symantec Protection for SharePoint Servers. 

If moving to SPSS 6.0.1 is not an immediate option, there are workarounds for SPSS 6.0.  The workaround would be to either change the binding order of the NICs on the multi-NIC box and re-install the SPSS console or add the IP address of this secondary NIC to the SPSS table inside of the content DB.

To change the binding order,

1. Uninstall the SPSS 6.0 console from the SharePoint Server in question.
2. Go to Control Panel -> click on Network and Sharing -> click on Manage network connections -> click on Advanced and in the drop down select Advanced Settings.  If the Menu bar is not present press Tab ALT to bring it up, or go to Organize -> Layout -> and click on Menu Bar. 
3. In the ADvanced Settings window, go to the Adapters and Bindings tab.  Under Connections, adjust the binding order of the NICs.  Make sure that the NIC with the lower IP address value is the primary NIC. 
4. After changing the Binding order, save the changes. 
5. Reinstall the SPSS 6.0 console.
6. Check the Central Administration page, and in the SPSS console page confirm the issue is resolved. 

Applies To

Symantec Protection for SharePoint Servers 6.0
Windows 2008 with multiple configured NICs