SharePoint Configuration Cache

1.What is SharePoint Configuration Cache?

The config cache is where we cache configuration information (stored in the config database) on each server in the farm.  Caching the data on each server prevents us from having to make SQL calls to pull this information from the configuration database. It is full of XML files containing configuration objects.  The SharePoint configuration cache is where configuration information from the SharePoint configuration database is stored on each server in the farm.  Caching the data from the config database as XML files on the web front ends and application servers prevents multiple calls to SQL Server thus improving performance.  This is a feature in WSS & MOSS 2007 as well as SharePoint 2010.

There is a timer job called “Config Refresh” that updates the cache on SharePoint servers in the farm. Like any other cache, config cache becomes stale over time. Therefore, clearing the cache is needed to get all the SharePoint servers up to date on the latest farm information

Sometimes this cache can become corrupted. This issue can come up when developing timer job definitions . These definitions use this cache, so everytime you deploy new versions of the assemblies, you’ll have to clear the cache.  Also, when the cached data becomes out of sync with what’s in the configuration database, timer jobs may start failing.  This will occur if the contents of the file system cache on the front-end servers are newer than the contents of the configuration database, so after you perform a system recovery you may have to manually clear the file system cache on a server as well.  Another of the reasons your cache could be out of sync is if the Timer service on your servers was stopped or failed unexpectedly.

 

If you are experiencing issues with WSS/MOSS/SharePoint timer jobs failing to complete or you are receiving errors trying to run psconfig, clearing the configuration cache on the farm or a problem server is a possible method for resolving the issue.

2.How to clear SharePoint Configuration Cache?

a)     Stop the SharePoint 2010 Timer service on ALL of SharePoint servers in the farm.
b)     Log into your Index server.
c)     Navigate to the directory: C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\SharePoint\Config\GUID.
d)     Delete all the XML files from the directory.
CAUTION: DELETE ONLY THE .XML FILES, NOT THE .INI FILE. IF YOU DELETED THE .INI file, see item 3.
e)     Open the cache.ini with Notepad and reset the number to 1. Save and close the file.
f)      Start the SharePoint 2010 Timer service on the Index server and wait for XML files to reappear in the directory.
g)     After you see XML files appearing, repeat steps c, d & e on each query server (one server at a  time).
h)     After all of the query servers have all been cleared, repeat steps c, d & e on each of the WFE and application servers in the farm (one server at a time).

Once you are done, go into Central Admin and check your timer job status.  You should see a timer job for “Config Refresh”.  Verify that this job shows a status of succeeded.

3.I deleted the entire configuration cache directory. Now What?

a)     To recreate the directory, you need to know the directory name (which is a GUID). You can find this GUID in the registry entry: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Shared Tools\Web Server Extensions\14\Secure\ConfigDB. Copy the GUID from Id attribute and create the new directory: C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\SharePoint\Config\GUID.
b)     In the directory you just created, create another file called cache.INI. Open the file using Notepad and enter the number “1″ without the quotes. Save and close the file.
c)     Start the SharePoint 2010 Timer service on the Index server and wait for XML files to reappear in the directory.

Fuente:

http://blog.christophermichaelwebb.com/windows/clear-the-sharepoint-configuration-timer-cache/348/

http://latenightsp.wordpress.com/2011/03/16/sharepoint-config-cache/

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