Extending SharePoint WSS Search

Introduction:

Windows SharePoint Services initially comes with very minimal search capabilities. It do not have advanced search capabilities like MOSS have. The Search Server Express 2008 is an Add on to WSS to avail the advanced search capabilities to WSS such as

-       Search by Metadata

-       Search by File Type

-       Defining Best Bets

-       Creating Search Scopes

Installation:

-          Download Search Server 2008 Express from the Microsoft Office Enterprise Search Web site. For 32 bit go to http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=17911

For 64 bit go to http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=6666

-          Navigate to and run the downloaded file, SearchServerExpress.exe, which is a self-extracting file. The file automatically uncompressed and the Search Server Express installation start screen appears.

-          On the Search Server installation Start screen, under Install, click Install Search Server

-          On the Read the Microsoft Software License Terms screen, review the terms, select the I accept terms of agreement check box, and then click continue.

-          Continue the installation by using one of the following procedures to install Search Server over Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 SP1

-          To upgrade an Advanced installation of Windows SharePoint Services SP1

-          On the server type screen, click one of the following:

·         Complete Installs the application server role and the Web front-end (WFE) server role. We recommend choosing this option under either of the following conditions:

a)    This is the first server in your Search Server deployment

b)   You want to configure this computer as an application server for the Search Server 2008 farm that you are creating with this upgrade.

·         Web Front End Installs only the WFE server role.

-          On the Server Type screen:

Optional: in the File Location tab, change the installation path or the location for content index files.  

Optional: In the Feedback tab, specify whether you want to participate in the Customer Experience Improvement Program.

-          On the Server Type screen, change the installation folder if required, and then click Install Now..(For example if the installation folder shows c:\Program files\Microsoft office server then change to d:\Program files\Microsoft office server.  The Installation Progress screen appears. This phase of the installation takes several minutes to complete.

-          On the next screen, which prompts you to complete the configuration:

a)    Ensue that the Run the SharePoint Products and Technologies Configuration Wizard now check box is selected.

b)    Click Close to start the Configuration Wizard.

-          On the Welcome to SharePoint Products and Technologies screen, click Next

-          In the dialog box that notifies you that some services might be restarted or reset during configuration, click Yes.

-          On the Completing the SharePoint Products and Technologies Configuration Wizard screen, click Next.

-          On the Configuration Successful screen, click finish.

-          If this is first server in your Windows SharePoint Services farm that you are upgrading to Search Server, a Web browser opens the Search Server Configuration page. You complete this page only once for any Search Server farm.

To complete Search Server Configuration page required settings

1) In the Default Account For Services section, type the user name and password for the default services account.

2) In the Search Center Account section, type the user name and password for the account for the application pool identity of the default Search Center site.

3) In the Search Contact E-mail section, type the e-mail address of a person in your organization.

4) If you do not need to configure any of the settings in the Optional section of the Search

Refer to the below screen captures for reference

Server Configuration page:

a) Click OK.

b) The Operation in Progress page displays the progress of starting services, creating

    shared services provider, and creating the Web applications and sites for Central

   administration, Search Administration, and the default Search Center site.

c)    This configuration takes several minutes. Your Advanced installation and configuration is now complete.

d)    On the Search Server Configuration is Complete screen, click OK. A Web browser opens the Welcome to Microsoft Search Server 2008 page, which provides guidance for configuring your Search Server installation.

On the Welcome to Microsoft Search Server 2008 page, follow the instructions to do the following:

i. Open the Search Administration Web site to configure and monitor Search Server.

ii. Begin crawling content to build a content index.

iii. Open the Search Center site to try a search.

 Post Installation Steps:

-          Create a root site for the newly created web application for search center. It should be of type “Search Center”.

-          After this installation is complete in the web.config files check for the “Report Viewer Web part” entries at the Safe Control List and try commenting those. Since this report Viewer web part is not a part of the installer but logging those entries which is not required at all. In fact, these entries cause the error while opening the Central Administration page.

-          Check the feature for the web applications and there, the Office Server Enterprise Search and Office Server Site Search must be activated.

Check:

-          Open the Central Administration page from the server and on the quick launch there is a SSP created only for the search service. Once clicked on the SSP link it opens the Search Administration Page.

                                   

                                   

-          Try opening simple site and try for simple search. The results should be successful.

-          The above steps confirm that the Installation of Search Server Express is successful.