SharePoint 2013 - Setup multiple URLs in DNS and configure Alternate Access Mappings

In the previous article “SharePoint 2013 - Setup DNS and use FQDN to access SharePoint sites” you learned how to setup DNS and use FQDN to access sites in SharePoint 2013. In this article, you will learn how to add new URLs for different sites (departments). For example, you can setup a URL for your finance department, HR department, etc.

1.       Now you have setup the domain services, you can use multiple URLs to access SharePoint sites. As mentioned in previous article, one way to access your SharePoint site is to use the machine name in the URL, for example, http://sp2013 (sp2013 is the machine name). With domain setup on your server, you can now access same site using URL like http://sp2013.walisystems.com. Please note that walisystems.com is the FQDN. Now, the fun part starts. We will setup a new URL www.walisystems.com to access your root site collection.

2.       Open Server Manager. Expand Roles. Expand DNS. Expand MACHINENAME. Expand Forward Lookup Zones. Right-click FQDN and select New Host (A or AAAA)….

3.       In the Name box, enter www. In the IP address, enter IP.

 

To find the IP of your machine, go to command prompt and run IPCONFIG command. Note down IPv4 Address. This is the IP of your machine.

After entering the IP, click Add Host button. This will add a new A record.

 

4.       Now, we will create a new web application and site in SharePoint that will use this new URL. Open Central Administration site. Click Application Management. Click Manage web applications.

 

You will see there are two web applications (if it’s a new setup). One is your main site and the other central administration site.

5.       Click New button in the ribbon to create a new web application. A form will open.

 

6.       Enter 80 in the Port. Enter www.walisystems.com (Your A Record that you created above) in the Host Header. Keep all other default values and click OK.

 

7.       Next, create a new site collection. On the Application Management page, click Create Site Collections. From the Web Application drop down, select newly created web application.

 

8.       Enter Title and Description of the site collection.

 

9.       In Web Site Address section, in URL drop down, select / (front slash) for the root site collection. You can only create one top level site collection per web application. For more site collections, you have to create managed paths. There is a link called Define Managed Paths in Web Site Address section (on the same page). Also, if you have already used root site collection, Create Site Collection page will automatically show you /sites/  managed path. If you want to use a managed path then you have to enter a site collection name in the text box after the drop down.

 

10.   In the Template Selection, keep 2013 selected in the experience version drop down. Keep Team Site  selected under Collaboration tab.

 

11.   Enter Primary Site Collection Administrator.

 

12.   Click Ok to create site collection.

 

13.   When new web application is created, a default entry is automatically added in the Alternate Access  Mappings. To see the new entry for your web application, on the Application Management page, click Configure alternate access mappings. You will see new web application listed and the zone will be Default.

 

14.   Now, let’s add another URL for the HR department. Repeat steps 2 and 3 above to add a new host entry but instead of entering www, enter hr. IP will remain same.

 

15.   Now, you can create a new web application and site collection for the HR department just like you did above OR you can use an existing web application. You have already seen how to create new web application and use new URL. Now you will existing web application that you created above and use Alternate Access Mappings to forward new URL to that web application.

 

16.   On the Application Management page, click Configure alternate access mappings link.

 

17.   Click Add Internal URLs.

 

18.   From the Alternate Access Mapping Collection drop down, select the newly created web application.

 

19.   Enter new URL (new host entry for the HR department, for example, http://hr.walisystems.com) in the URL protocol, host and port field.

 

20.   In the Zone drop down select Custom.

 

21.   Click Save.

 

22.   Open new URL (http://hr.walisystems.com) in the browser. Your new site collection will open.

 

 

I hope information in this article was useful for you. Please do leave feedback in the comments below.  Thanks for reading!