How to create a site collection

Question

I need to create a site collection so that url looks like http://hr.mycompany.com instead of http://portal.mycompany.com/hr. How do I do that?

Answer 1

What you're looking for is the host named site collection, which enables you to assign a unique DNS name to site collections. Or alternatively create an AAM for existing Site collection to achieve it. For example, you can address them as http://hr.mycompany.com or http://sales.mycompany.com.

The sample PowerShell code creates a new web application listing on port 80, and two host named site collections that use the Publishing Portal site template.

$w = New-SPWebApplication -DatabaseName "WSS_Content" 
    -ApplicationPool "SharePoint - Content App Pool" -Name "HostNameTest" -Port 80 

IISRESET /noforce on each server before using the new web application

$w = Get-SPWebApplication "HostNameTest" 

New-SPSite http://hr.mycompany.com -OwnerAlias "SP\someusername" 
    -HostHeaderWebApplication $w -Name "HostA" -Template "BLANKINTERNETCONTAINER#0" 

New-SPSite http://sales.mycompany.com -OwnerAlias "SP\someusername" 
    -HostHeaderWebApplication $w -Name "HostB" -Template "BLANKINTERNETCONTAINER#0"

So, you will have a web application with two two host-named site collections.

Technet description : http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc288637.aspx

Answer 2

You need to create a new web application and specify this as the URL, yes you could use an existing site collection an extend it using AAM but if you are starting from scratch a new web app and site collection is best.

Thanks

Matt

Answer 3

Specify the host header what you want it to look like while creating new web application. or you can always use Alternate access mapping to look like http://hr.mycompany.com.