AppFabric1.1-RTM-x64 not found or this package does not contain compatible update.

Error:
AppFabric1.1-RTM-x64 not found or this package does not contain compatible update.

Reason:
You will get this error when you are trying to install the Windows Server AppFabric v1.1 CU1[KB 2671763] directly on SharePoint 2013 server.

Solution:
Before trying to install this Windows Server AppFabric v1.1 CU1, you need to install the "Windows Server AppFabric". After installing the AppFabric, if you try to install the CU, you will not get this error.

Also make sure that the below services are in "Running" state in the server.

1. Windows Update service
2. Windows Firewall service

If you are facing any difficulty on installing Appfabric, please refer my other posts in this blog.

http://sensoft2000-sharepoint.blogspot.in/2014/09/windows-server-appfabric-is-not.html

http://sensoft2000-sharepoint.blogspot.in/2014/09/active-directory-rights-management.html

http://sensoft2000-sharepoint.blogspot.in/2014/09/another-appfabric-installation-error.html

That's it...

Another Appfabric installation error due to PSModulePath

Error:

Product: AppFabric 1.1 for Windows Server -- Error 1722. There is a problem with this Windows Installer package. A program run as part of the setup did not finish as expected. Contact your support personnel or package vendor.  Action Env_PSModulePath_powershell_i, location: C:\Program Files\AppFabric 1.1 for Windows Server\Microsoft.ApplicationServer.InstallHelper.exe, command: powershell.exe "-command \"$str = [System.Environment]::GetEnvironmentVariable(\\\"PSModulePath\\\",[System.EnvironmentVariableTarget]::Machine); $str = $str+\\\";C:\Program Files\AppFabric 1.1 for Windows Server\PowershellModules\\\"; C:\Windows\system32\setx.exe /MPSModulePath \\\"$str\\\"\"" "C:\Users\senthil\AppData\Local\Temp\AppServerSetup1_1_CustomActions(2014-09-28 20-02-35).log"

 (Or)
Unable to proceed the installation after restarting the Server by AppFabric.

Reason:

You will this error during the installation of Appfabric service in SharePoint server 2013. You need to fix 2 issues. 

1. Need to update the "PSModulePath" in the environment variable section
2. Enable the "Windows Firewall" service

Solution:

1. "PSModulePath" in the Environment variable will have extra double quote (") at end of the value. Appfabric installation will not be able to parse the value, if it contains the double quote. So we need to remove that additional character.   Follow the below screenshots to remove the extra double quote character

2. One more important thing is, we need to enable to the "Windows firewall" service which is mandatory for Appfabric to complete its full installation. Because

Appfabric will try to add few entries in the Windows firewall.  See the below screenshot for more info.

(This second one has killed me a lot)

Active directory rights management services client 2.0 setup wizard ended prematurely

Error:
Active directory rights management services client 2.0 setup wizard ended prematurely.

Reason:
You will get this error during your installation of SharePoint server 2013.
(Or)
During the installation of "setup_msipc_x64.msi" file (Microsoft Information protection and Control Client)

Solution:
Some of the below activities are required to install the "setup_msipc_x64.msi" file.

1. The logged-in user should be a Domain user  and should not be a  local user.
2. Should be a administrator in the current machine.
3. "windows Update" service should be in running state (services.msc)  (Mandatory)
4. "AppFabric" and "Cumulative Update Package 1 for Microsoft AppFabric 1.1 for Windows Server (KB 2671763)" should be installed
5. "AppFabric" should be configured which will create a new SQL server DB for Appfabric application and its caching activities
6. "Appfabric caching service" should be started.

Windows Server Appfabric is not configured correctly

Issues:
The following error occured while loading the extended type data file: , C:\Program Files\AppFabric 1.1 for windows server\PowershellModules\ApplicationServer\Microsoft.ApplicationServer.Management.types.ps1xml : File skipped because of the following validation exception: AuthorizationManager check failed.

(Or)

Windows Server Appfabric is not configured correctly

Reason:
The above errors will occur during the installation of SharePoint Server 2013 software. All the SharePoint 2013 Pre-requisites will be installed successfully  except "AppFabric"  when executing the "Setup.exe". This pre-requisite should be installed manually and the steps are given below:

Solution Steps:
1. Uninstall the "AppFabric" through the control panel, if it is already installed fully/partially
2. Restart the server.
3. Download the "WindowsServerAppFabricSetup_x64.exe" file from internet
4. Copy the "WindowsServerAppFabricSetup_x64.exe" to "C:\" or "D:\" drive. (ex: "D:\")
4. Open the command prompt with "Administrator Privilege"
5. Go to the "SharePoint 2013" setup folder in command prompt (ex: "d:\SP2013Setup\")
6. Type the below command (based on the above mentioned example path)

prerequisiteinstaller.exe /AppFabric:D:\WindowsServerAppFabricSetup_x64.exe

7. You will see the below "SharePoint Products Preparation Tool" screen.

8. In the middle of the installation, you will be asked to restart the server. Press "Ok" to restart.
9. After the restart, the system will resume the AppFaric installation
10. Finally you will get the "Installation complete" message.
11. Now you can start the "SharePoint 2013" installation without any issue.

Thats it....


Update (on 28-Sep-2014)
Still if there is an error during the installation, then there might be an error in "Windows Update" service. This service should be enabled. So, you need to go to "services.msc" and enable the "Windows Update" service.

"Search Service Host Controller" struck in "Starting" state

Errors:

Log Name:      Application
Source:        Application Error
Date:          12/30/2013 3:16:15 PM
Event ID:      1000
Task Category: (100)
Level:         Error
Keywords:      Classic
User:          N/A
Computer:      XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Description:
Faulting application name: hostcontrollerservice.exe, version: 15.0.4420.1017, time stamp: 0x50672c2d
Faulting module name: KERNELBASE.dll, version: 6.1.7601.17965, time stamp: 0x506dcae6
Exception code: 0xe0434352
Fault offset: 0x000000000000bccd
Faulting process id: 0x1e2c
Faulting application start time: 0x01cf0543f8ebade4
Faulting application path: C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office Servers\15.0\Search\HostController\hostcontrollerservice.exe
Faulting module path: C:\Windows\system32\KERNELBASE.dll
Report Id: 38fba41d-7137-11e3-bb81-005056a04313
Event Xml:

 
    hostcontrollerservice.exe
    15.0.4420.1017
    50672c2d
    KERNELBASE.dll
    6.1.7601.17965
    506dcae6
    e0434352
    000000000000bccd
    1e2c
    01cf0543f8ebade4
    C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office Servers\15.0\Search\HostController\hostcontrollerservice.exe
    C:\Windows\system32\KERNELBASE.dll
    38fba41d-7137-11e3-bb81-005056a04313
 

(Or)

Log Name:      Application
Source:        .NET Runtime
Date:          12/30/2013 3:16:15 PM
Event ID:      1026
Task Category: None
Level:         Error
Keywords:      Classic
User:          N/A
Computer:      XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Description:
Application: hostcontrollerservice.exe
Framework Version: v4.0.30319
Description: The process was terminated due to an unhandled exception.
Exception Info: System.ServiceModel.CommunicationException
Stack:
   at Microsoft.Ceres.HostController.WcfServer.WcfService.StartService()
   at System.Threading.ExecutionContext.RunInternal(System.Threading.ExecutionContext, System.Threading.ContextCallback, System.Object, Boolean)
   at System.Threading.ExecutionContext.Run(System.Threading.ExecutionContext, System.Threading.ContextCallback, System.Object, Boolean)
   at System.Threading.ExecutionContext.Run(System.Threading.ExecutionContext, System.Threading.ContextCallback, System.Object)
   at System.Threading.ThreadHelper.ThreadStart()


 
    Application: hostcontrollerservice.exe
Framework Version: v4.0.30319
Description: The process was terminated due to an unhandled exception.
Exception Info: System.ServiceModel.CommunicationException
Stack:
   at Microsoft.Ceres.HostController.WcfServer.WcfService.StartService()
   at System.Threading.ExecutionContext.RunInternal(System.Threading.ExecutionContext, System.Threading.ContextCallback, System.Object, Boolean)
   at System.Threading.ExecutionContext.Run(System.Threading.ExecutionContext, System.Threading.ContextCallback, System.Object, Boolean)
   at System.Threading.ExecutionContext.Run(System.Threading.ExecutionContext, System.Threading.ContextCallback, System.Object)
   at System.Threading.ThreadHelper.ThreadStart()


(Or)

"Search Service Host Controller" struck in "Starting" state

Reason:
You will get this error when you are trying to start the "Search Service Host Controller" or Your Search may not be started due to this service.

Solution:
This issue killed me a lot.. :(
After a long research I have found that this "Search Host Controller" will work only if some of the supporting services are running.
So make sure that the below services are up and running in the "Services.msc" console.

1. Net. Tcp Port Sharing Service
2. Net. Tcp Listener Adapter
3. Remote Registry
4. Appfabric Caching Service

Also I have changed the user name in the "C:\program Files\AppFabric 1.1 for Windows Server\DistributedCacheService.exe.config". See the screenshot below.

Previously the "account" attribute had "Local Service" and I changed to the "farm Administrator" account.
I am not sure the last step also helped me to resolve the issue.

But now the "Search Service Host Controller" is working fine and the Search crawler is started the "Full crawl"

Thats it...

Failed to connect to hosts in the cluster

Issue:

Use-CacheCluster : ErrorCode:SubStatus:Failed to connect to hosts in the cluster At line:1 char:1
+ Use-CacheCluster
+ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    + CategoryInfo          : NotSpecified: (:) [Use-CacheCluster], DataCacheException
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : Microsoft.ApplicationServer.Caching.DataCacheException,Microsoft.ApplicationServer.Caching.Commands.UseCacheClusterCommand

Reason:

You will get this error when you are running the " Use-CacheCluster" command in powershell. The reason is the "Remote Registry" service might not be running.

Solution:
1. Go to "Run" window and type "Services.msc"
2. If the "Remote Registry" service is stopped, then make it as "Automatic" and "Start" the service.

Thats it...

Cannot connect to the SharePoint site: http://MachineName:5000/sites/xyz/. Make sure that the Site URL is valid and that the current user has the necessary permissions to access the site.

Errors:

---------------------------
Microsoft Visual Studio
---------------------------
SharePoint Connection Error

Cannot connect to the SharePoint site: http://MachineName:5000/sites/dev/. Make sure that the Site URL is valid and that the current user has the necessary permissions to access the site.

Additional information:

"The remote server returned an error: (500) Internal Server Error."


(Or)

---------------------------
Microsoft Visual Studio
---------------------------
SharePoint Connection Error

Cannot connect to the SharePoint site: http://MachineName:5000/sites/dev/. Make sure that the Site URL is valid and that the current user has the necessary permissions to access the site.

Additional information:

"Cannot contact site at the specified URL http://MachineName:5000/sites/dev/."


Reason:
You might have provided entry to that SharePoint server in your "hosts" file. The "hosts" file will be under "c:\windows\system32\drivers\etc".

Solution:
1. Go to that folder and edit the "hosts" file in Notepad and remove the "mapping" for that server.
2. Reset the IIS.
3. Close and re-open the Visual Studio 2012.
4. Now create the Solution in Visual Studio and you will not see this error.

That't it....