This post provides the settings and configuration to configure host header for a Share point web application. This approach is not advisable for production environments as it requires tampering loop back check and host file.
The settings and configurations can be classified into 4 categories like, settings in IIS, settings in Host file, settings in Registry and settings in SharePoint . Follow these steps to set a host header for your web application in your DEV environment.
For production environments, CNAME has to be added in DNS instead of enabling loop back check and changing the host file .
Host Header in IIS
1. Open IIS Manager
2. Select the desired Web Application
3. Click Bindings link under Edit Site Category in the Actions Tab
4. Select the existing site binding item and click edit
5. Change the port number to 80
6. IP Address to All Un Assigned
7. Provide the host header name. For this sample I have set my host header as intra.sfs.com
8. Click Ok and Close to exit the Bindings window.
Editing Host File
1. Open the host file located under folder “C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\” in a note pad
2. Add a new entry 127.0.0.1 intra.sfs.com
3. Save and close the file
Registry Changes
As far registry changes are concerned two options are available to enable host header. Option 1 is a less recommended method and Option 2 is more secured when compared to Option 1 . Go ahead with any one of the options which fits your environment.
To know more on which option to go for, you can refer the below link
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/896861
Common Settings for both Option 1 and Option 2
1. Open the Registry Editor (Start => Run => RegEdit)
2. Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\LanmanServer\Parameters
3. Add a new DWORD with key DisableStrictNameChecking
4. Edit and set its value to 1 (Decimal)
Option 1
1. Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Lsa
2. Add a new DWORD with Key DisableLoopbackCheck
3. Edit and set its value to 1 (Decimal)
Option 2
1. Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Lsa\MSV1_0
2. Add a new Multi-String Value with Key BackConnectionHostNames
3. Edit and changes its value to intra.sfs.com
Note: If you have multiple host headers configured across different web applications, add those host headers one by one (one item per line) in step 3 of Option 2.
Restart the machine to enable the changes.
Alternate Access Mapping
1. Open the Central Administration Site
2. Navigate to AAM mapping screen
3. Change the internal URL of the web application to which the host header has been changed to http://intra.sfs.com
4. Click Save
Validation
1. Open Up the browser and type http://intra.sfs.com
2. Now you would be able to view the site with this new URL.
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