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Setting Up Microsoft Search Server 2010

IMPORTANT: As of Ektron version 9.3 SP1, Microsoft Search Server 2010 and Microsoft Search Server 2010 Express are no longer supported.

This section explains how to install Microsoft Search Server 2010. After installing it, follow Configuring Microsoft Search Server to configure the search provider. To learn how to use the search, read Using Microsoft Search Server features.

Prerequisites

Microsoft Search Server 2010 features

Installing Microsoft Search Server 2010

  1. Log into the search server as the user created for search purposes. As explained in Prerequisites, the user must be
    • a domain user
    • assigned the "log-on as a service" role
    • a member of the administrators group. That user must be logged in when Microsoft Search Server 2010 is being installed.
  2. Install Microsoft Search Server 2010. Make sure you use the farm install.
  3. Install or upgrade Ektron on its server, using the normal procedure. See Installing Ektron, Upgrading to Ektron 9.10 SP3. If you already installed Ektron, skip to Step 6.
  4. During the Ektron installation, choose Microsoft Search Server 2010 (Full).

  5. After the Ektron database setup, the following dialog appears. Click No.

    The Ektron installation completes.

  6. On the Ektron server, copy C:\Program Files(x86)\Ektron\CMS400versionnumber\Utilities\SearchServer\EktronSearchConfiguration.exe.
  7. Log onto the Microsoft Search Server 2010 server as the same user who ran the Search Server 2010 Install.
  8. On the Microsoft Search Server 2010 server, paste and run EktronSearchConfiguration.exe. The Search Administrator Credentials screen appears.
  9. Enter the domain, username, and password of a user with Windows Administrator privileges on the server you will use for Microsoft Search Server 2010.

  10. Determine the location of the folder that maintains the Ektron query service files.

  11. Select the port number to use with the Ektron query service website.

  12. The following screen appears. Click Yes if you are using Microsoft Search Server 2010. Click No if you are using Microsoft FAST Search Server 2010

  13. The Ektron files are installed and configured. A message instructs you to run the Search Configuration utility on the Ektron server. For documentation of that process, see Configuring Microsoft Search Server.

During installation, Ektron creates a new website in IIS to host the search services.

Configuring Microsoft Search Server

This section explains how to configure search using the Express or full version of Microsoft Search Server 2010. The Search Configuration screen lets you manage the Ektron's implementation of Search Server.

IMPORTANT: Ektron‘s Search Configuration screen provides access to a few commonly-used features of your search provider. To fully use search capabilities, use the search provider's administration utility.
Also, if you remove or edit Ektron website information using IIS, you must restart the Ektron Windows Service before using the Search Server Configuration screen.

Before you log into the Search Configuration screen

  • Is the Ektron Search Server Service started?
  • For ports opened between the Ektron server and the search server, are firewalls off?
  • Verify that the user entered during the Search Server installation is also the user running these Windows services:
    • SharePoint 2010 Timer
    • SharePoint Server Search 14
    • Ektron Search Server
  • Verify that the user entered during the Search Server installation is also the user set in the Advanced Settings > Identity field running these Application Pools:
    • <GUID> (there may be more than one)
    • SecurityTokenServiceApplicationPool
    • SharePoint Central Administration v4

Logging into Ektron's Search Configuration screen

  1. Log on to the server hosting Search Server as an administrator.
  2. Click the Windows Start menu > All Programs > Microsoft SharePoint 2010 Products > SharePoint 2010 Central Administration. If you're using Windows 8 or 2012, go to C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Microsoft SharePoint 2010 Products\SharePoint 2010 Central Administration.

    The port number appears in the browser address field, following http://server name

  3. Click the Windows Start menu >All Programs > Ektron > CMS400Vxx > Utilities > Search Configuration. If you're using Windows 8 or 2012, press the Windows key ()/Q then enter Search Config. Right click and choose Run as Administrator.
  4. The Connection Information screen appears.

  5. In the CMS Server Machine Name field, enter the Ektron server.
  6. In the SharePoint Administration URL field, enter http://, your search server name, colon(:), and port number (see Part 1: Install Microsoft Search Server 2010) For example, http://MySearchServer:12345.
  7. The Search Service Applications screen appears. Select appropriate Content and Query Service applications. Click Next.

    Ektron's Search Server Configuration screen appears.

Managing the search configuration

This section explains how to use the Search Configuration screen.

When your Search Server configuration is properly set to connect to your Web server, the following appears on the screen.

  • CMS Database. Information about Search Server's connections to your website.
    • Site ID. The IIS site ID on the Web server.
    • Database. The database that Search Server crawls.
    • Database Server. The name or IP address of the site's Web server.
    • Site URL. The URL visitors use to view the website.
    • Version. The website's Ektron version.
  • CMS Database Connection String. Search Server uses the CMS Database Connection string to connect to your Ektron database. If the database is on the same domain as your search server, set Integrated Security to true. Otherwise, set Integrated Security to false and enter a SQL username and password.

    You may leave the field blank to use the connection string in your web.config file (for a first-time registration) or a previously-used string (for subsequent registrations).

    Or, you can enter a connection string if you wish to override the default connection string chosen by the registration process. Here is a sample connection string that gives search access to a specific SQL user:

    connectionString="server=Ektron1;database=OnTrek;Integrated Security=FALSE;user=ABC;pwd=123;"

    If you manually enter a connection string, the server name and database name must match those values in the web.config's connection string.

    Best Practice 

    Use SQL authentication rather than Integrated Security. Although Integrated Security is supported, the connection is made in the context of the search service account (Windows user) provided during installation. If this user does not have access to the database, the connection fails.
  • Crawl Interval. Set the incremental crawl intervalWhenever a crawl finishes, Ektron begins to track the time. After the number of seconds specified in the Incremental Crawl Interval expires, Ektron checks for changes to the database. If any occurred, a new incremental crawl starts. If none occurred, the timer is reset. Incremental crawls enhance your search's performance by using fewer resources..
  • Search Server Credentials. Enter the domain, username, and password of a user with privileges to connect to Search Server.
  • Advanced Options
    • Crawl Tracing. Use the drop-down to specify a level of detail collected by the crawl log. A separate log is created for each crawl, and is saved to the Data Directory.
    • Data Directory. Identify the folder on your Search Server that stores a copy of Ektron content needed by Search Server. The directory also stores protocol logs, which track crawl activity. The default value is C:\EktronSearchData.
    • Secondary Search Servers. Use this area to add secondary search servers to a load-balanced cluster. You would only do this on a primary server, to identify its secondary servers. See also: Setting up a load-balanced search with Microsoft Search Server 2010
      1. In the Secondary Search Servers section, click Add ().
      2. Insert the name of the secondary servers.
      3. Click Register Site.

Updating the site registration panel

If you make changes to the Site Registration panel, you need to register the site again.

  1. Start the Search Configuration Utility. See also: Logging into Ektron's Search Configuration screen.
  2. If the Ektron server has several databases, select one from the drop-down.

    NOTE: If your Ektron version supports multi-site, the CMS Databases drop-down lists the multi-site database only once. The site Url may correspond to the main site or any sub-site (depending on their order in IIS).

  3. In the Search Server Credentials area, enter the Domain, Username, and Password for your Search Server.
  4. Click Register Site. A confirmation window appears.
  5. Click Yes. Progress appears in a window.


  6. When finished, click Close.

Troubleshooting site registration

Error: Failed to connect to specified Search Server. Please verify that your Search Server URL and port number are valid and try again.

Possible solution:

  1. Open the Windows Services control panel.
  2. Right-click Ektron Search Server Service.
  3. Choose Properties from the context menu.
  4. Select the Log On tab from the properties dialog window.
  5. Select the radio button labeled This account.
  6. Enter the credentials to match those of the SharePoint Server Search 14 (OSearch14) service.
  7. Commit your changes.

Optimizing Microsoft Search Server 2010 with Ektron

After installing Microsoft Search Server 2010, you can do several things to optimize Ektron's use of that technology. These actions ensure you are doing everything possible to help site visitors find Ektron content.

Defining unusual file extensions used in aliasing

Ektron's Aliasing feature lets you create human-readable URLs, such as support.episerver.com. The URL Aliasing Configuration screenlets you define file types that may be applied to aliased pages. See also: Creating user-friendly URLs with aliasing

If you define an aliasing file type that is not on Search Server's file type list, you must add the missing type to Search Server. Follow these steps to accomplish that.

  1. Go to Windows Start button > All Programs > Microsoft Search Server > Search Administration. If you're using Windows 8 or 2012, press the Windows key () /Q then enter Search Administration.
  2. Click File Types (as illustrated in the following figure).

  3. Review the Search Server's file type list.
  4. If you do not see all extensions defined on the URL Aliasing Configuration screen, click New File Type (shown in the previous image), then add the missing file types.

Windows services used by Microsoft Search Server 2010

Ektron's search feature uses several Windows services to monitor database updates, determine if a new crawl needs to be launched, and perform the database crawl. This section explains the operation of these services.

How services process content updates

  1. As Ektron content is added, changed or deleted, the Ektron database is updated.

    NOTE: To learn about which events trigger a crawl, see Full vs. incremental crawls.

  2. If the change warrants a full crawl, it is launched immediately.
  3. If the change warrants an incremental crawl, the Ektron Search Server Service updates the flag that determines if a crawl needs to be started to Yes. You can view this flag on the Search Status screen's Incremental Crawl Request Pending field. When the crawl interval expires, the Ektron CMS File Helper Service sends content updates to the Ektron Protocol Handler Service.
  4. The Ektron Protocol Handler Service feeds the content updates to Search Server.

How queries are processed

Querying is the process by which Ektron retrieves content from the search index.

The Ektron site uses Ektron's Query Service to connect to Microsoft Search Server 2010.

Default settings for managed properties created by Ektron

When Ektron content is crawled by Microsoft Search Server 2010, the following default values are set for these metadata properties. You can edit the values using the Microsoft Search Server 2010 Central Administration console.

  • Queryable. True
  • StemmingEnabled. False
  • RefinementEnabled. False
  • MergeCrawledProperties. True
  • SubstringEnabled. False
  • DeleteDisallowed. False
  • MappingDisallowed. False
  • MaxIndexSize. 1024
  • MaxResultSize. 64
  • DecimalPlaces. 10
  • SortableType. SortableEnabled
  • SummaryType. Static

Setting up a load-balanced search with Microsoft Search Server 2010

You can use load balancing to distribute your search's workload across multiple servers. Load balancing improves search's performance by significantly decreasing the time to complete search crawls and process search queries (especially when a site is under a heavy load).

This section describes 2 scenarios for setting up Load Balanced search.

Adding a site to a server that hosts Microsoft Search Server 2010 and Ektron

  1. On the Ektron server, run the Site Setup utility: Windows Start button > Programs > Ektron >version> Utilities > CMS400 Site Setup. If you're using Windows 8 or 2012, press the Windows key () /Q then enter CMS400 Site Setup.
    See also: Installing a site
  2. During the Ektron installation, you are prompted to choose a search provider. Choose Microsoft Search Server 2010 Full.

  3. The setup continues as normal. After the installation is complete, the following dialog appears. Click Yes.

    The Search Configuration screen appears. For documentation of that process, see Managing the search configuration

Installing Microsoft Search Server 2010 to a primary server in a load balance cluster

Use this procedure if you have not installed Microsoft Search Server 2010 on the primary server in a Load Balance cluster.

Prerequisite

  1. Obtain, download, and install Microsoft Search Server 2010.

    NOTE: You may be informed that you need to run the Products Preparation Tool before beginning the installation.

  2. Choose Server Farm when you are prompted for an installation type.

  3. On the Server Type tab, select Complete then click Install Now. Search server is installed.

  4. Run the Configuration Wizard, which lets you set up Microsoft Search Server 2010. The SharePoint Configuration Wizard is launched.
  5. Choose Create a new server farm on the Connect to a server farm screen.

  6. Specify a database server, name, and user name and password for access to the account.
    1. For Database name, accept the default of SharePoint_Config.
    2. Enter a Username and Password of a SQL user with the sysadmin role. Microsoft Search Server 2010 uses them to access your Ektron database. Click Next.

  7. Enter a password for access to the server farm.

  8. Enter a port number and Security settings. You may enter any open http port. For Security Settings, choose NTLM.

  9. Click OK to confirm the information you entered.
  10. Click Finish to launch the SharePoint Central Administration site to allow for additional configuration and provisioning. Noted that the first installation in a farm does not create a Web application or provision a site. See also: SharePoint 2010 Central Administration.

    The following screen appears within SharePoint.

  11. Click Start the Wizard and complete the wizard.

Adding servers to a load balance cluster

Prerequisite

2 servers running Microsoft Search Server 2010; the servers cannot use Search Server Express.

See Hardware and software requirements (Search Server 2010)

When setting up search load balancing, you need to decide which server is the primary one, and which is/are the secondary one(s). This procedure describes how to set up a single secondary server in a load balanced cluster. To set up additional secondary servers, follow these instructions for each secondary server. See also: Installing Microsoft Search Server 2010 to a primary server in a load balance cluster

Part 1: Install Microsoft Search Server 2010

  1. Obtain, download, and begin to install Microsoft Search Server 2010.

    NOTE: You may be informed that you need to run the Products Preparation Tool before beginning the installation.

  2. For an installation type, choose Server Farm.

  3. On the Server Type tab, select Complete then click Install Now.

    Search server is installed.

  4. Run the Configuration Wizard, which lets you set up Microsoft Search Server 2010. The SharePoint Configuration Wizard is launched.
  5. On the Connect to a server farm screen, choose Connect to an existing server farm.

  6. On the Specify Configuration Database Settings screen, in the Database server field, enter the primary server in the load balance cluster.
  7. Click Retrieve Database Names. The primary server's database appears in the Database name field.

  8. Enter the same passphrase that you entered when setting up the primary server. See also: Installing Microsoft Search Server 2010 to a primary server in a load balance cluster
  9. Complete the remaining prompts; the wizard uses information to configure Microsoft Search Server 2010.

Part 2: Set up query components

In this procedure, you create 2 query components. One defines this secondary server as a failover server, which takes over processing if the primary server goes offline. The second query component distributes the processing of search queries among search servers.

  1. Open Microsoft Search Server 2010's Central Administration screen.

  2. Click Manage service applications (highlighted). The Service Applications screen appears.
  3. Click Search Service Application 1. The Search Service Application 1: Search Administration screen appears.

  4. Scroll down to Search Application Topology and click Modify (highlighted).

  5. To set up the failover server, under Index partition 0, click Query Component, then Add Mirror.

  6. Use the following information to complete the Add Mirror Query Component screen.
    • Server. Enter the server to which you are currently signed on.
    • Associated Property database. Select the primary server and the database you specified in Step 4.
    • Location of Index. Accept the default.
    • Failover-only Query Component. Ektron recommends checking this box. If you do, and the primary search server goes offline, the secondary server processes all search queries until the primary server returns.
  7. The Search Service Application 1: Search Administration screen reappears. Click Apply Topology Changes.

    The secondary server now appears under Index Partition (highlighted).

  8. Set up a query component to distribute the workload of handling search queries. To do that, from the Search Application Topology area, click New > Index Partition and Query Component.

  9. The Add Query Component Screen appears. Complete Part 2: Set up query components, but this time do not check the Failover-only Query Component box.

  10. The Search Service Application 1: Search Administration screen reappears. Click Apply Topology Changes.
  11. To do that, from the Search Application Topology area, click New > Crawl Component.

  12. Specify the fields when the Add Crawl Component screen appears.

    • Server. Enter the server to which you are currently signed on.
    • Associated Crawl database. Select the primary server and the database you specified in Step 4.
    • Temporary Location of Index. Accept the default.
  13. The secondary server appears under Crawl (highlighted).

  14. Close Search Server Administration.

    NOTE: You only need to follow the next 2 steps once. So, if you are setting up multiple secondary servers, you can skip these 2 steps after setting up the first one.

  15. On the Ektron server, copy C:\Program Files (x86)\Ektron\CMS400versionnumber\Utilities\SearchServer\EktronSearchConfiguration.exe.
  16. On both search servers, paste EktronSearchConfiguration.exe and run it.
  17. On your Ektron Web server, open the Search Configuration screen, available from C:\Program Files (x86)\Ektron\CMS400vxx\Utilities\SearchServer\Ektron.Cms.Search.Config.UI.exe.
  18. Click Advanced Options.
  19. In the Secondary Search Servers section, click Add () then insert the name of the secondary server(s).

  20. Click Register Site.

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