How To Implement Alternate Access Mapping

In this article, we will discuss implementing “Alternate Access Mapping”, commonly known as “AAM”, in SharePoint 2016.

SharePoint

If you are not aware of AAM or you have some misconceptions about it, I would highly recommend you to read through an excellent blog Alternate Access Mappings (AAMs) *Explained by Brian Pendergrass from Microsoft and would like to thank him for such an awesome blog to help me understand this concept in depth.

This article will focus on guided steps to configure AAM in SharePoint 2016 and we won’t discuss AAM as a concept.

Create New Web Application

Step 1

To start the demo, let us go to SharePoint Central Admin Site and click on “Manage Web Applications” as shown below.

SharePoint

I am creating a new Web Application for demo purposes. In real environments, we can use any existing web application to perform these steps.

Step 2

Click “New” menu to launch “Create New Web Application” wizard.

SharePoint

Step 3

Enter Web Application Name and other necessary information.

SharePoint

Once done, click OK to start the process.

SharePoint

When the creation process has been completed, then we can see a new Web Application listed in the list of Web Applications.

SharePoint

Also, we may see the Modal Dialog that offers a quick link to create new Site Collection for this Web Application.

SharePoint

Create New Site Collection

Step 4

Click on “Create Site Collection” link to create new Site Collection for the Web Application.

Select Web Application

SharePoint

Enter Title, URLs, Template, Primary Site Collection Administrator.

SharePoint

Click “OK” to start the process

SharePoint

Once the process has been completed, we can see new Site Collection created for the Web Application.

SharePoint

We can navigate to the site collection by clicking the URL.

SharePoint

Add DNS Entries

Step 5

Now, we have to configure the "add host entries" to DNS.

Search for DNS

SharePoint

Add new Host Entry to the “Forward Lookup Zone” as shown below-

SharePoint

In New Host screen, enter Host Name, Select FQDN, enter IP Address. Once done click “Add Host”.

SharePoint

If operation has completed successfully we can see popup window show success message.

SharePoint

We can see this new Host is added to the existing list

SharePoint

Add/Update IIS Bindings

Step 6

Add “IIS” Bindings

Now we have to add IIS bindings for the new Host. Search for “IIS” and select “Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager”

SharePoint

Select the Web Application that we have created in the above steps from the “Connections” Panel on the left under “Sites” node

Click on “Bindings…” on the right to Add/Edit Web Application Bindings

SharePoint

In the “Site Bindings” screen select the default binding and click “Edit”

SharePoint

In the “Edit Site Binding” screen enter Host Name value and this should match the entry that we have created earlier in DNS

Click OK

SharePoint

Once saved the existing binding will look like as shown below-

SharePoint

Configure Alternate Access Mappings Using Central Admin

Step 7

Configure Alternate Access Mappings (From Central Admin)

Go To Central Admin -> “Application Management”

Under Web Applications Click “Configure alternate access mappings”

SharePoint

Click “Edit Public URLs”

SharePoint

In the “Edit Public Zone URLs” Screen and enter “Default Zone” URL with “Host Name” configured earlier as shown below.

Click “Save” once you entered the default Zone URL to save the data.

SharePoint

Now try accessing SharePoint Web Application using Public Zone URL and if the configuration goes well, the access will be granted to you

Test Alternate Access Mappings

SharePoint
 
SharePoint

Configure Another Mapping

Step 8

Repeat Step 5 to add another DNS entry to add a new Host Name

SharePoint
 
SharePoint
 
SharePoint

Step 9

Repeat Step 6 to Add Web Application Bindings

SharePoint
 
SharePoint
 
SharePoint
 
SharePoint
 
SharePoint

Configure Alternate Access Mappings Using PowerShell

Step 10

Configure Alternate Access Mappings (Using PowerShell)

Now we will add this new Host Name to the default zone for the web application

Launch SharePoint 2016 Management Shell

SharePoint

“New-SPAlternateURL” cmdlet gives us option to add new Alternate URLs to the required zone for web application

This cmdlet takes the following parameters

  • New Alternate URL – URL that you need to register as alternate URL
  • Web Application Path – URL that represent Web Application
  • Zone – Represents a zone that you need this alternate URL to add to

SharePoint

Once this command executes successfully we can a new Alternate Access Mapping added to the list

SharePoint

Test Alternate Access Mapping

Now if we try to access this web application using this new mapping it will still be translated to the same Public URL for the Web Application.

SharePoint
 
SharePoint

By following the above steps we can enable a web application that receives the request from an internal URL in one of the five authenticated zones to return pages that contain links to the public URL for the zone

Hope you find it helpful.