Min role for SharePoint farm

Question

I am trying to build a new SP 2016 farm, I am confused which min role should I choose?

I just need to configure search and user sync service !

My initial thinking is

• front end with distributed cache
• front end
• application ( for central admin, user profile sync)
• application with search

My second thinking is

• front end with distributed cache
• front end with distributed cache
• application with search ( for central admin, user profile sync)
• application with search

My third thinking

• front end with distributed cache
• front end
• application ( for central admin, user profile sync)
• custom

Which one is the best and why?

Answer 1

Go with your second option. Both servers will run UPS and thus AD Import (only one server will run the timer job, but both servers are eligible to run the timer job). You should configure Search, via PowerShell, to have all rolls on both application servers.

Answer 2

To answer your question, Front end is the server in SharePoint that handles web requests . So to handle and ease the user request load it would be a great idea to have 2 servers configured with Front end + Distributed cache.

It would be a good idea to not run 2 user profile services if you are not using the same farm for creating 2 different environments. Like in our case we were using the same farm as dev/QA envt , so we created 2 user profile applications .

Dedicated Distributed Cache is a need for larger SharePoint farms becuase it can drastically improve the SharePoint performance.

So overall 2nd option is the best as per your requirement.