"The server instance specified was not found." error message when you perform an operation on a virtual server in Windows SharePoint Services (832816)

SYMPTOMS

In Microsoft Windows SharePoint Services, when you use the Stsadm.exe command-line tool to perform an operation on a virtual server by using its host name, or when you create a custom Web application that uses the Windows SharePoint Services object model to perform an operation on a virtual server by using its host name, you may receive the following error message:

The server instance specified was not found. Please specify the server's address and port.

For example, you may receive this error message if you create a custom Web application that uses the following code:

SPSite testSite = new SPSite("http://SiteName");
String strURL = oSite.Url.ToString ();

CAUSE

This problem may occur if the virtual server is assigned a specific IP address in Microsoft Internet Information Services (IIS) and the host name of the virtual server is mapped in DNS. In this situation, the host name is not mapped in the metabase, and Windows SharePoint Services does not query DNS to resolve the host name.

RESOLUTION

To resolve this issue, do one of the following, as appropriate to your situation:

Assign a host header name to the IP address that is configured for the virtual server in IIS. By doing so, Windows SharePoint Services can map the virtual server to the host name. To assign a host header name for a virtual server in IIS, follow these steps:
1. Start Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager.
2. Expand ServerName, and then expand Web Sites.
3. Right-click the Web site that you want, and then click Properties.
4. Click the Web Site tab, and then under Web site identification, click Advanced.
5. Under Multiple identities for this Web site, click Add.
6. In the Add/Edit Web Site Identification dialog box, specify an IP address, TCP port, and host header value, and then click OK
7. Click OK, and then click OK.
If the IP address of the virtual server in IIS is set to All Unassigned, perform the operation on the virtual server by using the server name.
Perform the operation on the virtual server by using the IP address that is assigned to the virtual server.

Note IP-bound virtual servers are now supported. Additionally, the issue that is described in the following Microsoft Knowledge Base article is fixed in Microsoft Windows SharePoint Services Service Pack 2 (SP2):
830342 You receive a "Soap:Server Exception of Type Microsoft.SharePoint.SoapServer.SoapServerException" message when you try to edit a portal by using FrontPage 2003 or when you try to export a Web part

MORE INFORMATION

For additional information about the Stsadm.exe command-line utility, see the Microsoft Windows SharePoint Services 2.0 Administrator's Guide. To obtain the Microsoft Windows SharePoint Services 2.0 Administrator's Guide, visit the following Microsoft Web site:

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=a637eff6-8224-4b19-a6a4-3e33fa13d230&displaylang=en

For additional information about the Windows SharePoint Services object model, see the Microsoft Windows SharePoint Services Software Development Kit (SDK). To obtain the Windows SharePoint Services SDK, visit the following Microsoft Web site:

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=1c64af62-c2e9-4ca3-a2a0-7d4319980011&displaylang=en

For more information about Windows SharePoint Services, visit the following Microsoft Web site:

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2003/technologies/sharepoint/default.mspx