Tim Ferro

Scenario: You are running a SharePoint 2010 Farm patched to Service Pack 1 (SP1). You install a Trusted Identity Provider (TIP) but the Provider and Claims do not show up in the People Picker. Installation went fine and you can authenticate with a user who’s claims have been issued by the TIP; however, you cannot find users or claims via the People Picker. It is not known when this issue started showing up prior to SP1, because it appears to have worked after RTM; I can only confirm (from both talking to other SharePoint experts and repeated testing) it is definitely an SP1 issue.

Solution: Install a SharePoint 2010 Cumulative Update (CU) on top of SP1. In my specific instance SP1 was rolled into the SharePoint 2010 installation ISO but no CUs were installed after. I have solved my issue by installing either the June 2012 CU or the December 2012 CU. Detailed results below.

Thank you to Danny Jessee (@dannyjessee) for helping diagnose and solve this issue.

Image 1: Central Admin screen shot showing patch level. ​14.0.6029.1000 is Service Pack 1 (SP1). Note: It was bundled in the installation ISO and not all running services are shown.

Image 2: Web Application Authentication Selection page in Central Admin. No Trusted Identity Providers are currently defined.

Image 3: Created a custom Win Form to register my custom Security Token Service. Based on this Microsoft article and this blog from Liam Cleary.

Image 4: I ran through both previous articles and registered my STS using both Powershell and a custom Win Form. In both cases I still had to manually upload my certificate even though it should have been done automatically via code or script.

Image 5: Now my custom TIP is registered with SharePoint and I have selected it for my Claims Based Web Application.

Image 6: SharePoint 2010 Sign In Selection Options. I chose STSWebSiteForSharePoint.

Image 7: I am now authenticated via my custom TIP and STS.

Image 8: Finally the issue appears. Note the absence of users and claims from the TIP. Also note that the user which I am logged in as does not show in the results.

Image 9: I have now installed the SharePoint 2010 December 2012 Cumulative Update.

Image 10: SharePoint People Picker working correctly!

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As part of my August “Little Things” post, I listened to all 5 podcasts from MOSS Gone Wild. They were incredibly insightful and immediately helpful. Through the 5 podcasts, I learned a good number of helpful and important tidbits of information. Whether you administer or develop for SharePoint, these podcasts are for you. Even though they are slightly out of date (the last podcast was released about a year ago), they lay a great foundation for MOSS 2007. You can download the podcasts from either their website or through iTunes. If anyone knows why they stopped making these podcasts or if they are making another one, please let me know. If anyone has any other podcasts that they recommend, please leave a comment with a link.

– Tim Ferro

I came across this blog post the other day and it inspired me to write about some recent books that I have read. I recommend them all and hope that you will enjoy them as much as I have. Comment with your thoughts!

Closing Time by Joseph Heller – I am currently reading this amazing sequel to Catch-22. I first learned about this book a number of years ago but I decided to reread Catch-22 to make sure I remembered everything. I incorrectly assumed that the story would pick right up after the ending of the first book, but it did not. It actually takes place about 40 years later and is not solely based around the main character. The book is wonderful and Heller’s style, descriptions, and storytelling is the same as the first. This is a must read if you liked Catch-22.

Catch-22 by Joseph Heller -This is my all time favorite book. Rereading it was even better the second time around. I noticed a greater depth to the story and appreciated Heller’s style even more. This is arguably the best novel of the 20th century and a must read if you have not already.

Confessions of a Street Addict by James J. Cramer – I decided to read Jim Cramer’s autobiography after reading 3 of his other books. He has an electric personality and a fantastic and interesting life. Jim faced incredible odds all his life and has come out on top. A true tale of perseverance. If you want to know about the real man behind CNBC‘s “Mad Money“, this book is for you.

Real Money by James J. Cramer
Mad Money by James J. Cramer
Stay Mad for Life by James J. Cramer

I am grouping these 3 books together so that I can talk about them in a fluid manner. I read the last book first, not knowing that I would like it enough to read the other 2. The 3rd book is about more than just investing in stocks, it discusses all types of investments from mutual funds to bonds. It is incredibly informative and I have loaned it out numerous times to friends and family. This is a must read for everyone since all of you have investments and retirement accounts. If not, read this and start one.

The first book, Real Money, and it’s sequel, Mad Money, are all about how to pick and invest in stocks. They offer solid investment advice and an incredibly deep understanding of how “the market” works. Cramer has a great, easy to understand style of writing that is intuitive and informative. I can’t wait for the next book.

Brazen Careerist by Penelope Trunk – This book is a fresh and real look at the modern work environment. I read this book after being invited to become a blogger for the Brazen Careerist website. That website, her blog, and this book are great resources for Generation Y. I recommend you check out all 3.

The Cosmic Burrito by David Shiffman – What a trippy escape. Reading this was a nice relaxing time. The cross country trip taken by 2 unique friends, made for a great ride. This book is so much more than the search for a great burrito. It is about life, existence, and soul. Read this if you are in college now, a recent graduate, or you just want an awesome read.

Arkham Asylum by Grant Morrison and Dave McKean – My favorite graphic novel of all time. This story blurs the line between sanity and insanity. Arkham is overwhelming to Batman, and in my favorite scene, he stabs himself through the hand with a piece of broken glass. A must read for Batman fans, but an interesting read in its own right.

The Cathedral and the Bazaar by Eric S. Raymond – For open source and Linux geeks like myself, this was an incredibly interesting read about the origins of a number of open source software. But this is more than that, it’s a motivating experience to continue furthering the open source movement.

– Tim Ferro

“Microsoft Tuesday revealed Windows 7 at its annual Professional Developers Conference (PDC) in Los Angeles. Windows 7 is designed to replace Windows Vista as the main operating system for Windows-based PC users.

With Apple’s OS X Snow Leopard also under development, we met up with Ian Moulster, Windows Live Commercial Lead for Microsoft to talk through some of Microsoft’s key ideas and discover what the next-generation of operating systems aim to offer both Mac and PC users.” – Source

Here is the official launch trailer!

I have been thinking about getting on Twitter for a little while now, but I didn’t really get it until the other day. I was watching Californication on Showtime On Demand and I thought “This is a freaking great show.” Then I thought about blogging about the show but I didn’t feel like putting out a blog post that would essentially equal “This show is great. filler filler flattery.” Then it suddenly hit me; this is where Twitter fits into my life. Minutes later I had an account and a couple tweets about the show. Done. Follow me on Twitter: http://twitter.com/timferro

–Tim Ferro

– Source