Error in creating web application through power shell

Question

hi,
 i have taken the  ps script from the  below url :
credits to Roger  :
http://blogs.msdn.com/b/rcormier/archive/2012/09/01/how-to-create-sharepoint-web-applications-with-powershell.aspx
http://gallery.technet.microsoft.com/Create-SharePoint-Web-742a8fb9
But when i am running the script, i am getting many errors:
Note: i am not using appln pool account password [as i dont know the password]
want to know whether  this paramter is necessary.
$ver = $host | select version
if($Ver.version.major -gt 1) {$Host.Runspace.ThreadOptions = "ReuseThread"}
if(!(Get-PSSnapin Microsoft.SharePoint.PowerShell -ea 0))
Write-Progress -Activity "Loading Modules" -Status "Loading Microsoft.SharePoint.PowerShell"
Add-PSSnapin Microsoft.SharePoint.PowerShell
Write-Progress -Activity "Creating Web Application" -Status "Setting Variables"
#Set Individual Web App Variables
#This is the Web Application URL
$WebApplicationURL = "http://mysrvr:2020/"
#This is the Display Name for the SharePoint Web Application
$WebApplicationName = "myweb1"
#This is the Content Database for the Web Application
$ContentDatabase = "myContentDB"
#Set Common Variables
#This is the Display Name for the Application Pool
$ApplicationPoolDisplayName = "mapppool2020"
#This is identity of the Application Pool which will be used (Domain\User)
$ApplicationPoolIdentity = "mydomain\myidd"
#This is the password of the Appliation Pool account which will be used
#$ApplicationPoolPassword = "Pass@word1"
#This is the Account which will be used for the Portal Super Reader Account
$PortalSuperReader = "i:0#.w|in\hariharan.venugopalk"
#This is the Account which will be used for the Portal Super User Account
$PortalSuperUser = "i:0#.w|in\spinstall.dev"
Write-Progress -Activity "Creating Web Application" -Status "Loading Functions"
#Create Functions
Function CreateClaimsWebApp($WebApplicationName, $WebApplicationURL, $ContentDatabase, $HTTPPort)
    #AppPoolUsed is set when calling the ValidateAppPool function. This will be true if the application pool is already running SharePoint web appplications
    #If the application pool is already being used in web applications, the syntax for New-SPWebApplication changes
    if($AppPoolUsed -eq $True)
        #Create the web application, assign it to the WebApp variable.  The WebApp variable will be used to set object cache user accounts
        Write-Progress -Activity "Creating Web Application" -Status "Using Application Pool With Existing Web Applications"
        Set-Variable -Name WebApp -Value (New-SPWebApplication -ApplicationPool $ApplicationPoolDisplayName -Name $WebApplicationName -url $WebApplicationURL -port $HTTPPort -DatabaseName $ContentDatabase -HostHeader $hostHeader
-AuthenticationProvider (New-SPAuthenticationProvider)) -Scope Script
        #Call the SetObjectCache function, which sets the object cache.
        Write-Progress -Activity "Creating Web Application" -Status "Configuring Object Cache Accounts"
        SetObjectCache
    else
        #Create the web application, assign it to the WebApp variable.  The WebApp variable will be used to set object cache user accounts
        Write-Progress -Activity "Creating Web Application" -Status "Using Application Pool With No Existing Web Applications"
        Set-Variable -Name WebApp -Value (New-SPWebApplication -ApplicationPool $ApplicationPoolDisplayName -ApplicationPoolAccount $AppPoolManagedAccount.Username -Name $WebApplicationName -url $WebApplicationURL -port $HTTPPort
-DatabaseName $ContentDatabase -HostHeader $hostHeader -AuthenticationProvider (New-SPAuthenticationProvider)) -Scope Script
        #Call the SetObjectCache function, which sets the object cache.
        Write-Progress -Activity "Creating Web Application" -Status "Configuring Object Cache Accounts"
        SetObjectCache
Function ValidateURL($WebApplicationURL)
    #Find out if a web application with the target URL exists
    if(get-spwebapplication $WebApplicationURL -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue)
        #If a web application with the specifid URL already exists, wait 5 seconds and exit
        Write-Progress -Activity "Creating Web Application" -Status "Aborting Process Due To URL Conflict"
        Write-Host "Aborting: Web Application $WebApplicationURL Already Exists" -ForegroundColor Red
        sleep 5
        #Setting the CriticalError value to $True results in the script to not create anything
        Set-Variable -Name CriticalError -Value $True
    #If the WebApplicationURL passed is not already a SharePoint web application, find out if it starts with HTTP or HTTPS
    elseif($WebApplicationURL.StartsWith("http://"))
            #If the string starts with http://, and not https://, trim the protocol from the URL.  Set the host as the host header
            Set-Variable HostHeader -Value ($WebApplicationURL.Substring(7)) -Scope Script
            #If we're using HTTP, use port 80
            Set-Variable -Name HTTPPort -Value "80" -Scope Script
        elseif($WebApplicationURL.StartsWith("https://"))
            #If the string starts with https://, and not http://, trim the protocol from the URL.  Set the host as the host header
            Set-Variable HostHeader -Value ($WebApplicationURL.Substring(8)) -Scope Script
            #If we're using HTTPS, use port 443
            Set-Variable -Name HTTPPort -Value "443" -Scope Script
Function ValidateAppPool($AppPoolName, $WebApplicationURL)
    #Change the ErrorActionPreference to SilentlyContinue while preserving the original value in a temporary variable
    #Failing to do this will result in error messages being displayed if Get-WebAppPoolState does not return an object.  The script would still continue
    $CurrentErrorActionPreference = $ErrorActionPreference
    $ErrorActionPreference = "SilentlyContinue"
    #Check to see if an application pool with the name passed by the AppPoolName variable already exists, assign this to a variable.
    #This variable will be used in order to determine if the application pool exists, but is not part of SharePoint
    $TestAppPool = Get-WebAppPoolState $AppPoolName
    #If we have a SharePoint application pool with the value passed by the AppPoolName variable, find out if there are any sites using that app pool
    #This changes the syntax used with New-SPWebApplication
    if(Get-SPServiceApplicationPool $AppPoolName)
        #Return all application pools used by all web applications
        $AppPools = Get-SPWebApplication | select ApplicationPool
        #Providing there is more than one application pool, find out what their names are
        if($AppPools)
            foreach($Pool in $AppPools)
                #Get The application pool display name for each application pool returned
                [Array]$Poolchild = $Poolchild += ($Pool.ApplicationPool.DisplayName)
                #If any application pool matches the value passed by ApplicationPoolDisplayName, set AppPoolUsed to True
                #This is referenced in the CreateClaimsWebApp function
                if($Poolchild.Contains($ApplicationPoolDisplayName))
                    Set-Variable -Name AppPoolUsed -Value $True -Scope Script
                #If the application pool display name does not match the value passed by ApplicationPoolDisplayName, set AppPoolUsed to False
                #This is referenced in the CreateClaimsWebApp function
                else
                    Set-Variable -Name AppPoolUsed -Value $False -Scope Script
        #Since this is a SharePoint Application Pool, set the AppPool value to the the SPServiceApplicationPool object returned
        Set-Variable -Name AppPool -Value (Get-SPServiceApplicationPool $AppPoolName) -scope Script
        #Set the AppPoolManagedAccount variable to the name of the managed acount used by the application pool returned
        #AppPoolManagedAccount is used in the CreateClaimsWebApp function if the application pool does not have existing web applications that are using it
        Set-Variable -Name AppPoolManagedAccount -Value (Get-SPManagedAccount | ? {$_.username -eq ($AppPool.ProcessAccountName)}) -scope Script
    #Check to see if the application pool is in IIS, but is not a SharePoint app pool
    elseif($TestAppPool)
        #If the application pool exists in IIS and is not a SharePoint application pool, abort the script by setting CriticalError to True
        Write-Host "Aborting: Application Pool $AppPoolName already exists on the server and is not a SharePoint Application Pool `n`rWeb Application `"$WebApplicationURL`" will not be created" -ForegroundColor
Red
        Set-Variable -Name CriticalError -Value $True
    #If it's not a SharePoint app pool, and it doesn't exist in IIS, we have to create one
    elseif(!($TestAppPool))
        #Find out if a managed account exists by calling the ValidateManagedAccount function
        validateManagedAccount $ApplicationPoolIdentity
        #If the managed account exists, create an application pool using the existing managed account
        if($ManagedAccountExists -eq $True)
            #Set the AppPoolManagedAccount to the identity of the managed acocunt referenced by the ApplicationPoolIdentity variable
            Write-Host "Creating New App Pool using Existing Managed Account"
            Set-Variable -Name AppPoolManagedAccount -Value (Get-SPManagedAccount $ApplicationPoolIdentity | select username) -scope "Script"
            #Create a new SPServiceApplicationPool, assign that to the AppPool variable
            Set-Variable -Name AppPool -Value (New-SPServiceApplicationPool -Name $ApplicationPoolDisplayName -Account $ApplicationPoolIdentity) -scope "Script"
        #If there is no managed account matching the account referenced by the ApplicationPoolIdentity, create it
        else
            #Use the ApplicationPoolIdentity and ApplicationPoolPassword to create a credential object
            #This is necessary when creating a new managed account
            Write-Host "Creating New Managed Account And App Pool"
            $AppPoolCredentials = New-Object System.Management.Automation.PSCredential $ApplicationPoolIdentity, (ConvertTo-SecureString $ApplicationPoolPassword -AsPlainText -Force)
            #Create a new managed account, assign that to the AppPoolManagedAccount variable
            Set-Variable -Name AppPoolManagedAccount -Value (New-SPManagedAccount -Credential $AppPoolCredentials) -scope "Script"
            #Create a new application pool using the new managed account, assign this to the AppPool variable
            Set-Variable -Name AppPool -Value (New-SPServiceApplicationPool -Name $ApplicationPoolDisplayName -Account (get-spmanagedaccount $ApplicationPoolIdentity)) -scope "Script"
    #Return the ErrorActionPreference to the default value
    $ErrorActionPreference = $CurrentErrorActionPreference
Function ValidateManagedAccount($ApplicationPoolIdentity)
    #Find out if the manage account referenced by the AppPoolIdentity already exists
    #If it does, set ManagedAccountExists to True
    if(Get-SPManagedAccount $ApplicationPoolIdentity -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue)
        Set-Variable -Name ManagedAccountExists -Value $True -Scope Script
    #If it does not, set ManagedAccountExists to False
    else
        Set-Variable -Name ManagedAccountExists -Value $False -Scope Script
Function ClearScriptVariables
    #Set the ErrorActionPreference to SilentlyContinue
    #If this is not set, and the script variables referenced have not been set, an error message will be returned.  The script would still continue
    $CurrentErrorActionPreference = $ErrorActionPreference
    $ErrorActionPreference = "SilentlyContinue"
    #Remove the CriticalError variable
    Remove-Variable $CriticalError -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
    $ErrorActionPreference = $CurrentErrorActionPreference
Function SetObjectCache
    #Set object cache user account properties based on the value of the parameters supplied
    $WebApp.Properties["portalsuperuseraccount"] = $PortalSuperUser
    $WebApp.Properties["portalsuperreaderaccount"] = $PortalSuperReader
    #Create a New Policy for the Super User
    $SuperUserPolicy = $WebApp.Policies.Add($PortalSuperUser, "Portal Super User Account")
    #Assign Full Control To the Super User
    $SuperUserPolicy.PolicyRoleBindings.Add($WebApp.PolicyRoles.GetSpecialRole([Microsoft.SharePoint.Administration.SPPolicyRoleType]::FullControl))
    #Create a New Policy for the Super Reader
    $SuperReaderPolicy = $WebApp.Policies.Add($PortalSuperReader, "Portal Super Reader Account")
    #Assign Full Read to the Super Reader
    $SuperReaderPolicy.PolicyRoleBindings.Add($WebApp.PolicyRoles.GetSpecialRole([Microsoft.SharePoint.Administration.SPPolicyRoleType]::FullRead))
    #Commit these changes to the web application
    $WebApp.Update()
#Script
#Call the ClearScriptVariables function to empty out varialbes that should be blank when the script executes.
ClearScriptVariables
#Validate the URL passed by calling the ValidateURL function
Write-Progress -Activity "Creating Web Application" -Status "Validating Web Application URL Variables"
ValidateURL $WebApplicationURL
#Validate the application pool variables by calling the ValidateAppPool function
Write-Progress -Activity "Creating Web Application" -Status "Validating Application Pool Variables"
ValidateAppPool $ApplicationPoolDisplayName $WebApplicationURL
#As long as CriticalError has not been set, create the web application using the variables passed.
if(!($CriticalError))
Write-Progress -Activity "Creating Web Application" -Status "Creating Claims-Based Web Application"
CreateClaimsWebApp $WebApplicationName $WebApplicationURL $ContentDatabase $HTTPPort
error  is thrown below:
deployment
S D:\myworkspace\bif> iisreset
ttempting stop...
nternet services successfully stopped
ttempting start...
nternet services successfully restarted
S D:\myworkspace\bif> .\CreateSP2013ClaimsWebApplication.ps1
reating New Managed Account And App Pool
ew-SPWebApplication : "mysrvr:2020/" contains invalid character ':'.
t D:\myworkspace\bif\CreateSP2013ClaimsWebApplication.ps1:68 char:43
         Set-Variable -Name WebApp -Value (New-SPWebApplication
ApplicationPool  ...
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~
   + CategoryInfo         
: InvalidData: (Microsoft.Share...PWebApplication:
  SPCmdletNewSPWebApplication) [New-SPWebApplication], ArgumentException
   + FullyQualifiedErrorId : Microsoft.SharePoint.PowerShell.SPCmdletNewSPWeb
  Application
annot index into a null array.
t D:\myworkspace\bif\CreateSP2013ClaimsWebApplication.ps1:235 char:5
     $WebApp.Properties["portalsuperuseraccount"] = $PortalSuperUser
     ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
   + CategoryInfo         
: InvalidOperation: (:) [], RuntimeException
   + FullyQualifiedErrorId : NullArray
cannot index into a null array.
t D:\myworkspace\bif\CreateSP2013ClaimsWebApplication.ps1:236 char:5
     $WebApp.Properties["portalsuperreaderaccount"] = $PortalSuperReader
     ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
   + CategoryInfo         
: InvalidOperation: (:) [], RuntimeException
   + FullyQualifiedErrorId : NullArray
ou cannot call a method on a null-valued expression.
t D:\myworkspace\bif\CreateSP2013ClaimsWebApplication.ps1:239 char:5
     $SuperUserPolicy = $WebApp.Policies.Add($PortalSuperUser, "Portal Super
ser ...
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~
   + CategoryInfo         
: InvalidOperation: (:) [], RuntimeException
   + FullyQualifiedErrorId : InvokeMethodOnNull
ou cannot call a method on a null-valued expression.
t D:\myworkspace\bif\CreateSP2013ClaimsWebApplication.ps1:242 char:5
SuperUserPolicy.PolicyRoleBindings.Add($WebApp.PolicyRoles.GetSpecialRole([
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~
   + CategoryInfo         
: InvalidOperation: (:) [], RuntimeException
   + FullyQualifiedErrorId : InvokeMethodOnNull
ou cannot call a method on a null-valued expression.
t D:\myworkspace\bif\CreateSP2013ClaimsWebApplication.ps1:245 char:5
     $SuperReaderPolicy = $WebApp.Policies.Add($PortalSuperReader, "Portal
uper  ...
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~
   + CategoryInfo         
: InvalidOperation: (:) [], RuntimeException
   + FullyQualifiedErrorId : InvokeMethodOnNull
ou cannot call a method on a null-valued expression.
t D:\myworkspace\bif\CreateSP2013ClaimsWebApplication.ps1:248 char:5
SuperReaderPolicy.PolicyRoleBindings.Add($WebApp.PolicyRoles.GetSpecialRole
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~
   + CategoryInfo         
: InvalidOperation: (:) [], RuntimeException
   + FullyQualifiedErrorId : InvokeMethodOnNull
ou cannot call a method on a null-valued expression.
t D:\myworkspace\bif\CreateSP2013ClaimsWebApplication.ps1:251 char:5
     $WebApp.Update()
     ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
   + CategoryInfo         
: InvalidOperation: (:) [], RuntimeException
   + FullyQualifiedErrorId : InvokeMethodOnNull

Answer 1

Hi Benjamin,
If you're getting a Null Value error anywhere, that means a variable you're referencing isn't set to anything. If you're getting that try echoing out each variable after it's assigned to see if it's set to anything.
The link you are referring is for SharePoint 2010 and verified on Windows Server 2008 R2 and 2008, but not Windows Server 2012.
The approach in this case includes the following per the blog:
Check to see if a web application with the current specified URL is already in use – exit if it is
Check to see if an application pool with the name already exists. If so use it, otherwise create one
Create a web application based on the parameters specified
Assign the object cache properties to the new web application
Create policies for the object cache users to the web application
To simplified the code, we could use powershell below to check if web application and application pool have been already in use ahead. And skip the last two steps in the first time.
Get-SPWebApplication | fl displayname, applicationpool
Please refer to New-SPWebApplication
which is used to create a new web application within the local farm:
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ff607931(v=office.15).aspx. Only two parameters i.e. ApplicationPool and Name are required, we could try a simple command at first:
Please run Get-SPManagedAccount to check the managed account, then execute the command below:
$ap = New-SPAuthenticationProvider
New-SPWebApplication -Name "Contoso Internet Site" -Port 2014 -ApplicationPool "ContosoAppPool" -ApplicationPoolAccount (Get-SPManagedAccount "Domain\Administrator")
 -AuthenticationProvider $ap -SecureSocketsLayer
Regards,
Rebecca Tu
TechNet Community Support