Microsoft KB Archive/929255

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Error message when you use the SPWeb object to call the Add method in Windows SharePoint Services 2.0: "The server instance not found"

Article ID: 929255

Article Last Modified on 12/29/2006



APPLIES TO

  • Microsoft Windows SharePoint Services



SYMPTOMS

You pass a fully qualified domain name (FQDN) to an SPWeb object. Then, you use the SPWeb object to call the Add method in Microsoft Windows SharePoint Services 2.0. When you do this, you receive the following error message:

The server instance not found.

CAUSE

This issue occurs because you use a service user identity in the following format:

user@domain.com


You use the user@domain.com format instead of the following format:

domain\user


The user@domain.com format works as long as the code uses the FQDN. However, the format does not work if the code uses the computer name.

In Stsadm.exe or in any executable file, Windows SharePoint Services 2.0 uses only the Internet Information Services (IIS) metabase to figure out the IIS instance for a given URL. For Secure Sockets Layer (SSL), the IIS metabase contains only IP and port information. There is no host-header or FQDN information. For example, you cannot find the IIS instance if you try to use the following code.

SPSite site = new SPSite(https://user.domain.microsoft.com);

You cannot find the IIS instance because user.domain.microsoft.com is not in the SSL entry in the IIS metabase.

WORKAROUND

To work around this issue, use the IP address or computer name instead of the FQDN. For example, use the following code.

SPSite site = new SPSite("https://172.26.232.190");

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