Is it possible to have multiple User Profile Service Applications on a single server farm

Question

I've run into a problem trying to add multiple User Profile Service Applications in SP 2010.

My scenario is that I have an Extranet site with a My Site associated with it. Then I’m creating a separate web application that is hosting an Intranet Site that has its own My Site.

I have the User profile service running correctly for the Extranet My Site. However, when I create a second UPS, and go to configure the synchronization settings, I receive the following error:

"Cannot navigate to the requested page because User Profile Synchronization service is not running. Please start the User Profile Synchronization service before creating a connection."

From some of my research, I read that only ONE user profile application can be configured to work with the profile synchronization instance (1-to-1 mapping between UPSA and UPSS). The only alternative is to use a multi-tenancy option. Is this true? Or is there another way to set up multiple user profile service applications on a single server farm?

 

Steve

Answer 1

Anybody have any suggestions?

 

Thanks,

Steve

Answer 2

you can have as many User Profile Service Applications (UPA) as you want, but if you only have one server, you can only have a single User profile Synchronization service instance (UPS)

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Cheers
Spence
www.harbar.net
Microsoft Certified Master | SharePoint 2010
Microsoft Certified Master | SharePoint 2007

Answer 3

Thanks for the answer Spencer.

Answer 4

Spencer,

Just to confirm...are you saying that you can only have a UPA running on a per server basis? Or if I am using multiple WFE's and a dedicated APP server I can have multiple. Just trying to understand the reasoning behind it working on more than one server.

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Kipp Sorensen http://justgeeking.net/blog

Answer 5

Kipp,

You can have as many User Profile Service Applications (UPA) as you want. Remember the Service Application itself is not specific to a server, but rather a logical concept.

In your topology it would be likely you'd run the User Profile Service Instance and the User Profile Syncronization Service Instance (UPS) on the Application Server. The User Profile Service Instance can support more than one UPA Service Application, but there is a one to one relationship between the UPS service instance and a UPA service application.

Therefore in your topology, you can only have one of the UPAs be associated with the UPS. If you wanted another UPS service instance you will require another machine.

hth
s.

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Cheers
Spence
www.harbar.net
Microsoft Certified Master | SharePoint 2010
Microsoft Certified Master | SharePoint 2007

Answer 6

OK,

that means that if I have a multiple server farm I can have multiple User Profile Service Applications (UPA) and separate User profile Synchronization service instance (UPS) on separate servers of the farm, right ?

Farm:

• ServerA running UPS1
• ServerB running UPS2

Does this make sense ?

Sven

Answer 7

Hi Sven, I'm curious in the same setup running two UPS's in the same farm, did you get your question answered?

Answer 8

Hi Sven

the assumption you make is correct.

Farm:

• ServerA running UPS1
• ServerB running UPS2

Like Spencer said already every UPS needs to run on a separate server. It has something to do with the Windows search service which cannot be bound to multiple SharePoint search services.

I had to set this up for one of our customers once and it works like a charm. But make sure you have the first UPS running corectly before adding the second on the second server.

Frits

Answer 9

Great info in this thread, thanks!

Just to clarify, so if the following is true:

• You want 2 separate User Profile Service Applications running in your farm
• Your farm comprises several servers
• You want to be able to import user profiles into both Service Applications using the synchronization connections (Forefront services)

...then you have to have two Synchronization Services Instances started, on different servers, one Synchronization Service Instance for each Service Applications?

I just can't understand when you would want to have two service applications but only once sync instance?

Thanks for any insights!