I’ve been using Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 (MOSS) beta since last winter. Periodically I’ve had to remove a server from the farm. Sometimes it was because the server was acting unpredictably. Other times I was testing disaster/recovery scenarios. I’ve found three methods of removing a server from a farm. One is more graceful than the others. Another is used only as a last option.
Graceful Exit – Disconnecting
The first method is the most graceful way to leave a farm. This is also the method to use if you want to leave SharePoint 2007 installed on the server but disjoined from the farm. It’s quite simple:
Solution: Disconnect by running the configuration wizard from the start menu.
If the server cannot contact to the farm, the process will still remove itself from the farm from the server’s perspective. You will then have to use the final option to remove the server from the databases.
Get Off My Server
The next method removes the server from the farm if it can contact the configuration database. This method also uninstalls the software from the server.
Solution: Use Add/Remove Programs
In Add/Remove Programs, it’s simple to remove a server. You are warned a couple times that what you are doing is a big deal.
If the server cannot contact to the farm, the process will still remove itself from the farm from the server’s perspective. You will then have to use the final option to remove the server from the databases.
Drastic Measures
The last method in removing a server from the farm is directly from Central Administration site. This step effectively removes the server from the databases. Use this method if the server is unresponsive or cannot contact the SharePoint databases and gracefully leave the farm. I have not confirmed how cleanly this method removes all traces of the server in the databases so beware.
Solution: Remove Server from Servers in Farm List
The page below is located in Central Administration | Operations | Servers in Farm
