Configuring Word Automation Services for Development

Applies to: SharePoint Server 2010

This topic describes how to configure Word Automation Services for development.

Note

If you configured the server as a stand-alone installation, or if you configured Word Automation Services as part of the SharePoint Server 2010 Farm Configuration Wizard, then you do not need to manually configure Word Automation Services; however, you still might want to complete the steps in the section, "Additional Developer-Specific Configuration" later in this topic.

Setting Up Word Automation Services

Once you complete the initial configuration for SharePoint Server 2010, you can configure Word Automation Services by using:

• SharePoint 2010 Central Administration.

• Windows PowerShell.

Using SharePoint 2010 Central Administration

You can configure Word Automation Services by using SharePoint Server 2010 Central Administration.

To configure Word Automation Services by using SharePoint 2010 Central Administration

1. On the SharePoint Server 2010 Central Administration page, under Application Management, click Manage Service Applications.

2. On the Service Applications tab, click New, and then click Word Automation Services Application.

3. In the Create New Word Automation Services Application dialog box, complete the following:

   1. Name. Type a unique name for this instance of Word Automation Services application. Word Automation Services uses this name to locate this service application instance when creating new conversion jobs in the object model.

   2. Application Pool. Select the application pool for this instance of Word Automation Services application.

   3. Run In Partitioned Mode. Use this setting to specify whether this instance of the Word Automation Services application is being run in an environment with multiple partitions. Typical configurations do not include this setting.

      Note

      If you are configuring Word Automation Services in order to complete the walkthrough presented in this documentation, you do not need to configure this setting.

   4. Add to Default Proxy List. Use this setting to specify whether you want to add the application proxy for this instance of the Word Automation Services application to the default proxy group.

   5. Database. Type the name of the database that you want to use to store the document queue for this instance, and type the name of the server where that database is installed.

      Note

      In most cases, we recommend that you specify the default database server and database name.

4. Click Finish. The new instance of Word Automation Services appears in the list of service applications on the Service Applications tab.

Using Windows PowerShell

You can configure Word Automation Services by using Windows PowerShell 1.0.

To configure Word Automation Services by using Windows PowerShell

1. Open Windows PowerShell on the machine where SharePoint Server 2010 is installed. To do so, click Start, click All Programs, click Windows PowerShell, and then click Windows PowerShell.

   Note

   Windows PowerShell may be under Accessories.

2. Add the SharePoint Server 2010 snap-in to the current Windows PowerShell 1.0 session by typing the following command and then pressing Enter.

   Add-pssnapin Microsoft.SharePoint.PowerShell
   

3. To run the service application under a new application pool, type the following command and then press Enter.

   New- New-SPServiceApplicationPool -Name "Word Conversion Services Application Pool" -Account <<service application account>>
   

   Running the command creates a new application pool called the "Word Conversion Services Application Pool".

4. Type the following command to create an instance of the Word Automation Services application and set the application pool under which it runs.

   Get- New-SPServiceApplicationPool -Identity <<application pool name>> | New-SPWordConversionServiceApplication -Name "Word Conversion Services"
   

To automate the previous steps, use the following Windows PowerShell script.

param($appPoolName, $admin)
$serviceName = "Word Conversion Services"
$appPool = $null

Add-pssnapin Microsoft.SharePoint.PowerShell
$appPool = Get-SPIisWebServiceApplicationPool -Identity $appPoolName
if ($appPool –eq $null)
  {$appPool = New-SPIisWebServiceApplicationPool -Name $appPoolName -Account $admin}
New-SPWordConversionServiceApplication -Name $serviceName -ApplicationPool $appPool

The script takes two parameters:

• The name of the application pool that the service application uses. Required.

• The name of the account that the service application should use to run the application pool. Required only if the application pool does not exist.

Additional Developer-Specific Configuration

To configure Word Automation Services for application development and debugging, it can be helpful to reduce the frequency that Word Automation Services performs conversion jobs.

To set the conversion frequency

1. On the SharePoint Server 2010Central Administration page, under Application Management, click Manage Service Applications.

2. Click the instance of Word Automation Services that you use to develop.

3. On the Service Applications tab, click Manage.

4. Under Conversion Throughput, in the Frequency with which to start conversions (minutes) setting, type 1.

See Also

Concepts

Word Automation Services Object Model