Removing a Server from the Server Farm

The preferred method for removing a server running Microsoft Office SharePoint Portal Server 2003 from the server farm is to disconnect the server from the configuration database. For information about configuration database settings, see Specifying Configuration Database Settings.

It is recommend that you remove a server from the server farm by using the Remove Server button on the Configure Server Topology page only in the following situations:

• The server does not have SharePoint Portal Server installed on it.
• The server running SharePoint Portal Server is unresponsive or offline.
• The server is running the optional component for backward-compatible document libraries only.

Before you remove a server from the server farm, you must remove all dependencies from the server, unless it is the last computer remaining in the server farm.

Remove the optional document library server from the server farm

To remove an optional document library server from the server farm, do the following:

1. Delete or disconnect all document libraries (Web Storage System-based) before removing the document library server. For more information, see Deleting a Document Library or Disconnecting a Document Library from the Configuration Database.
2. Remove the entry for the document library server from the Change Component Assignments page. For more information, see Changing Component Assignments for the Server Farm.

 Note   If you attempt to remove the entry for the document library server before deleting or disconnecting the document libraries, the Document Library Server Deactivation Warning page appears.

3. If the server server is running the optional component for backward-compatible document libraries only, you must also do the following:
1. On the SharePoint Portal Server Central Administration for server_name page, in the Server Configuration section, click Configure server topology.
2. On the Configure Server Topology page, click Remove Server.
3. On the Remove Server from Server Farm page, in the Select server list, select the name of the server that you want to remove from the server farm, and then click OK.

Remove a computer running SQL Server from the server farm

To remove a computer running SQL Server from the server farm, do the following:

1. Delete the portal sites that have databases hosted on the SQL Server computer that you want to remove. For more information, see Deleting a Portal Site.
2. On the SharePoint Portal Server Central Administration for server_name page, in the Server Configuration section, click Configure server topology.
3. On the Configure Server Topology page, click Remove Server.
4. On the Remove Server from Server Farm page, in the Select server list, select the name of the server that you want to remove from the server farm, and then click OK.

Remove an unresponsive, offline, or other server from the server farm

1. Remove the Web, Search, and Index component assignments from the server. For more information, see Changing Component Assignments for the Server Farm.
2. Change the server for the site and component settings databases. For more information, see Specifying Content Database Settings and Specifying Settings for the Component Settings Database.

 Note   If you have only one server in your server farm, you cannot change the server for these databases. You must remove the component assignments from the server only.

3. Remove the job server assignment or change the job server to another server. For more information, see Changing Component Assignments for the Server Farm.
4. Ensure that the server does not provide Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) services globally or to individual virtual servers. If the server does provide SMTP services, you cannot delete the server.
5. On the SharePoint Portal Server Central Administration for server_name page, in the Server Configuration section, click Configure server topology.
6. On the Configure Server Topology page, click Remove Server.
7. On the Remove Server from Server Farm page, in the Select server list, select the name of the server that you want to remove from the server farm, and then click OK.