Retracting a Solution

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Retracting a solution is the process of removing assemblies, files, resources, safe control entries, and other solution components from computers to which they have been deployed; and, in cases where a solution is completely retracted, the features contained within a solution are uninstalled from the server farm. Just as solutions can be deployed either to the local server or the entire farm, they can be retracted in the same way—at the local server or farm level.

Retracting a solution works in the following ways:

• Only one active retraction with one particular solution is supported in a given server in the farm at any particular time.

• A solution cannot be retracted unless all the language packs associated with it are retracted first.

  Note

  This does not apply to Web Parts.

• A solution cannot be removed from the solution store if the solution is deployed.

• When a solution is retracted, all files for that solution are retracted, even if another solution points to the same file. This can be avoided by ensuring that each solution points to a unique set of files.

Retracting a Solution from a Single Server

When retracting a solution from a single server, you have the option of removing it from all Web applications on the server, or from only selected Web applications on the server, by using the RetractLocal method. When you retract a solution that has been deployed to more than one Web application, retraction removes the binaries from the specified Web application while leaving the solution intact on all the other Web applications in which it is installed.

Files are removed and features uninstalled on all front-end Web servers in the farm. If the solution is Web application-specific, then solution global files (if any) are removed when the solution is retracted from the last Web application to which it is deployed.

Retracting a Solution from the Server Farm

Also known as a complete retraction, when you retract a solution from the server farm, all files associated with the solution are retracted from all the front-end Web servers in the farm. As with retracting a solution from a single server, you have the option of retracting the solution from all Web applications in the farm, or only from selected Web applications by using the Retract method.

In a complete retraction, features are uninstalled first from front-end Web servers in the farm. If the solution is Web application-specific, then solution global files (if any) are removed when the solution is retracted from the last Web application to which it is deployed.

Next, features are uninstalled from databases. Feature by feature, elements are removed from the configuration store.

Finally, files are removed from servers in the farm. On individual servers, files associated with the features and site definitions are removed.

On each front-end Web server, the following occurs:

• Microsoft Internet Information Services (IIS) is disabled.

• Files are removed from the system.

• IIS is re-enabled and Windows SharePoint Services is reloaded when a user browses to a page.