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SharePoint 2016: web application is configured with claims authentication mode however content database is intended to be used against windows classic authentication mode

Stephan Bren 216 Reputation points
2020-10-23T16:35:52.067+00:00

I discovered recently for some SharePoint 2016 farms I recently began administrating that the content databases and content database users were not migrated to claims. I get the error in the title to this question for each user content database I execute Test-SPContentDatabase against. ShareGate Desktop was used several years ago to upgrade the customer's 2010 farms directly to 2016. But the claims migration was not performed. I know how to do the migration. What I need to get now is information that I can provide to management to justify either ignore this issue or scheduling maintenance down time to resolve this issue.

Questions:

  • Does a content database still in classic authentication mode (and mounted to a SharePoint 2016 web application in claims mode) present any performance impacts? E.g., more authentication round-trips, etc?
  • Can a classic mode SharePoint 2016 content database still be upgraded to 2019?
SharePoint Server Management
SharePoint Server Management
SharePoint Server: A family of Microsoft on-premises document management and storage systems.Management: The act or process of organizing, handling, directing or controlling something.
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  1. Trevor Seward 11,696 Reputation points
    2020-10-23T17:37:23.367+00:00

    Claims is deprecated and not supported with OAuth scenarios (Office Online Server, Workflow Manager, SharePoint Add-ins, etc.). Use a Convert-SPWebApplication to update the content database(s).

    Note this error can also be presented even though the conversion has taken place. See https://thesharepointfarm.com/2014/11/test-spcontentdatabase-classic-to-claims-conversion/.

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  1. Emily Du-MSFT 44,311 Reputation points Microsoft Vendor
    2020-10-26T08:27:22.747+00:00

    @Stephan Bren
    It will not automatically convert the users in the content database from classic to claims when attaching a content database from classic web application to claims-enabled web application.

    So you could migrate the valid users from classic to claims-enabled by the command below. 

    $wa = Get-SPWebApplication http://webAppUrl  
$wa.MigrateUsers($true)

    And some site collection administrators deleted from Active Directory also will not be converted automatically.

    So you could identify the site collection administrators by the command below, then delete them from site collection. 

    $web = Get-SPWeb http://webAppUrl/sites/rootWebUrl;  
$web.SiteAdministrators

    For more detailed information, you could refer to the article below.

    Test-SPContentDatabase Classic to Claims Conversion

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