Enable NetBIOS Name for User Profile Service Application in SharePoint

We must enable NetBIOS for User Profile Service Application in SharePoint when Fully Qualified Domain Name is different than NetBIOS name. Ok. How to find NetBIOS name of your domain?

1. Login to your Domain controller >> Open : Active Directory Users and Computers”  (Shortcut: dsa.msc)
2. Right-click on your domain in the left pane and choose “Properties”
3. Under “General” tab, Your domain name  and NetBIOS names will be listed. Your domain’s NetBIOS name is the domain name (pre-Windows 2000).

   

What’s the problem if its not enabled? Inconsistency in SAMAccountName field which could lead to many other issues such as: Some features may not work due to this inconsistency (Instead of “YourCompanyName\User” it could be “YourComp\user”) , UPS Field mappings such as “Manager” field may go wrong, etc.

Enable NetBIOS Name for User Profile Service Application:

So, You find your NetBIOS name is different from your Domain name and want to enable NetBIOS name for your user profile service application, isn’t it? Well, Here is the PowerShell script:

Add-PSSnapin Microsoft.SharePoint.PowerShell -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue

#Variable for UPS Service Application - Set it according to your environment
$UPSDisplayName = "Hosting Farm User Profile Profile Service"

#Get User Profile Service Application
$ServiceApps = Get-SPServiceApplication

foreach ($sa in $ServiceApps)
{
    if ($sa.DisplayName -eq $UPSDisplayName)
        {$UserProfileServiceApp = $sa}
 }

#Get the current configuration
$UserProfileServiceApp.NetBIOSDomainNamesEnabled 

#Enable NetBIOS Domain name
$UserProfileServiceApp.NetBIOSDomainNamesEnabled = 1
$UserProfileServiceApp.Update()

Perform a IISReset and trigger full user profile Synchronization

Tail: In addition to the “Replicate Directory Changes” Permission to all domains, You need to have this permission granted for the “Configuration” object as well.

1. Launch ADSI Edit (Start >> Run >> ADSIEdit.msc )
2. Actions >> Connect to >>  Under, “Select a well known Naming Context”, choose Configuration and click OK.
3. Expand Configuration object and go to its properties page (right click >> properties)
4. Select Security tab Add DOMAIN\UPSSyncAccount user and give it “Replicating Directory Changes” permissions