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Configuring Office Web Apps Server (OWA) with certificate

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Office Web Apps Server (OWA) provides updated versions of Word Web App, Excel Web App, PowerPoint Web App, and OneNote Web App. Users can view and edit Office documents in SharePoint libraries by using any supported web browser.  Such browsers include many mobile devices, such as Windows Phones, iPhones, iPads, Windows 8 tablets, and Android devices.

Here are some notes about installation and deployment of OWA based on personal experience and collection from different sources.

To Install OWA server do the following from PowerShell:

  • Import-Module Servermanager
  • Add-WindowsFeature Web-Server, Web-WebServer, Web-Common-Http, Web-Static-Content, Web-App-Dev, Web-Asp-Net, Web-Net-Ext
  • Add-WindowsFeature Web-ISAPI-Ext, Web-ISAPI-Filter, Web-Includes, Web-Security, Web-Windows-Auth, Web-Filtering, Web-Stat-Compression, Web-Dyn-Compression, Web-Mgmt-Console
  • Install the OWA server and the latest patches.

To configure OWA with SharePoint using HTTPS:

  • Install OWA certificate on OWA server open certificate console and start importing the certificate.

  • The steps to import a certificate: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc754489.aspx

  • Then open the imported certificate from the Detail tab, click Edit Properties and add a Friendly name: OfficeWebApps.

  • On the OWA Server create an OWA farm with an association to the certificate.

  • Import-Module -Name OfficeWebApps

    https://officewebapps.x.com" -ExternalUrl "https://officewebapps.x.com" -AllowHttp –EditingEnabled -CertificateName "OfficeWebApps"

  • On Central Admin SharePoint server you need to create OPI bindings between OWA and SharePoint with a new association to HTTPS.

  • So run this command:  New-SPWOPIBinding -ServerName officewebapps.x.com –AllowHTTP

  • Then run this command: Set-SPWOPIZone –zone "internal-https"

    Notes:

    • DNS records need to be added for Office Web Apps URL pointing to OWA server.

    References: