Incorrect Url in Email - WSSv2 / SPS 2003

In WSSv2 / SPS 2003 SharePoint determines its URL from the settings in Internet Information Server (IIS).

You can check this using Start > Administrative Tools > SharePoint Central Administration > Configure Virtual Server Settings

SharePoint Central Administration Virtual Server List

Here SharePoint thinks its URL is w2003 (in this case the servers NetBios name) whilst users may be accessing it using the FQDN of intranet or intranet.yourcompany.com as your Administrator has setup a DNS Alias.

If you want to change the url that Reminder uses you will have to modify settings within IIS as shown below. After making any changes you should check SharePoint Central Administration and then restart the SharePoint Reminder service.

DNS Alias

It is common for network administrators to setup DNS CName Alias's for SharePoint sites. For example if you have a server called SPServer1 it could be reached by http://SPServer1. If an administrator sets up a DNS alias you could also use the a more recognisable URL such as http://intranet

However using DNS Alias's can cause SharePoint and SharePoint Reminder to function incorrectly unless you also configure IIS appropriately. When you change the configuration of a Reminder Web Part the web part sends a message to the Reminder Service that "Something has changed here, come take a look" - this is explained more thoroughly here.

If you have setup a DNS Alias as explained above and the user has navigated to the web part using this alias then the location will be reported as http://intranet/somepage.aspx. However when SharePoint Reminder interrogates SharePoint to find this page it can't find it because as far as it knows the URL is http://SPServer1/somepage.aspx. This stop the Reminder Service from finding new Web Parts and changes to existing web parts until the nightly refresh.

It will also cause the URL in any email messages to be incorrect.

If you see the following error message in the Event Log then it is likely that you have this configuration problem.

ReminderWebPartDirectory: Could not find the URL <your url>. There are two likely causes

1) A new Virtual Serve ahs been added since the last Directory Refresh, in which case you should force a directory refresh by using the configuration tool or restart the service.

2) A DNS Alias has been setup but the appropriate Host Header identities have not been setup in IIS. Please see the manual for further details on DNS Aliasing.

NOTE - If you have already installed custom web parts you should follow the steps listed in this KB article

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/917300

 

From IIS Manager expand the Web Servers node, right click over your SharePoint website and select Properties.

From the Web Site tab select Advanced button.

Select the appropriate IP Address entry and then Edit.

Enter the DNS Alias you are using - in our example Intranet.