Access the central admin or application with WFE server name

Question

I have created a farm in sharepoint 2016. In this farm, I have an Application server, a WFE server and a SQL server. Application server whose name is SPAPP10 and I created application whose adress is http://spapp10:xxxx/. So there is no problem about to connect with this application or central admin from each server like this address name. But when I wanted to reach central admin or this application, using wfe server's name likes this --> http://wfe10:xxxx/. I couldnt reach both of them with WFE server name. I have to do this without configure alternate access mappings section. Because I know it have to reach without routing. it was like that in sharepoint 2013, I remember.

So Does someone help me about this case ?

Answer 1

This is expected behavior in SharePoint 2016, In SharePoint 2016 new feature introduce which make sure central admin should not provision on all servers in farm by default ( as it was the case in previous versions and that's why you are getting it).

SharePoint Server 2016 Central Administration is now provisioned on the first server in a farm by default when using the SharePoint Products Configuration Wizard. Central Administration is not provisioned on additional servers in a farm by default.

Technet article

But if you want to access the central admin via WFE server name & port number then you have to manually provision the central admin on that server as well. To provision the central admin on additional server, you can follow One of the below mentioned method.

1. The Services on Server page on Central Administration > System Settings
2. Windows PowerShell cmdlets (new-spcentraladmininstration)
3. The psconfig.exe -cmd adminvs operation
4. The SharePoint Products Configuration Wizard

Read more step by step information here SharePoint 2016 Managing Central Administration web Application

Answer 2

If you want to make the the web applications available across your network you have to set up a record in the DNS. You can use either an A-record which points your web application name (URL) to the IP-address of the server. Another option is to set up a CNAME record which point your web application name to the server name. Both options work.

But if (for security reasons) don't want to make the Central Administration site visible, you can edit the host file located at C:\WINDOWS\System32\drivers\etc. You point the server IP address to the web application (without http) and save the file (as Administrator). Now all your computer requests to that web application will be transferred to the correct server where the web application lives.