Help understanding SSP's to try to resolve an ongoing search-related issue

Question

Ok, so we have the following error when trying to edit our main SSP:
An unhandled exception occurred in the user interface.Exception Information: The specified account name is invalid.
Parameter name: account

Of course, there are also 2 events being logged on the Event Viewer every minute (one for main sharepoint, one for our mysites section *dif port*), with similar errors.

I've done a bit of research, and it appears to be because the old account doesn't exist anymore, and that this bug might be addressed in the latest Sharepoint service pack?

The problem is that I can't re-create the user because the domain the user was associated with no longer exists in any form. I've tried re-creating the domain and the user with no luck.

Now, here's my question...if I'm not able to upgrade Sharepoint or apply any patches, would I just be able to create a new SSP for the site? Honestly, I don't quite understand what an SSP means (I've been trying to read up but it's a lot to understand), so I don't know if I *lose* anything other than the time it takes to scan the entire site for search indexing.

Any suggestions would be appreciative :)

Answer 1

Moving to Admin as the search part of it seems secondary and the real question is all about SSPs.

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Answer 2

Yes, you can create a new SSP.  During creation, be sure to create a new SSP Admin site (new web app that has its own site collection for admin).  Associated your existing MySites web app with it as well as any other web apps being used - change these in Central Admin in the SSP area at the bottom of the left nav.  What you will lose here is your profile database, which cannot be backed up separately and is inherently part of the original SSP.  This info is what populates your MySites, so all of that info would be gone, if that's ok.

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SharePoint Architect || My Blog

Answer 3

Clayton, thanks for the quick response. I'll have to read about what consists of the profile database before I answer whether that's ok or not. :-) Our former Sharepoint admin left and I'm trying to pick up most of his responsibility without any real Sharepoint training, so I'm trying to learn this as best as I can.

I'm marking this as the answer since it technically does answer my question at hand. :-) Thanks Clayton.

Mike, thanks for moving it. I really wasn't completely sure where to categorize this.

Answer 4

Jordan, if you have no training and don't know how to do this sutff, then I would _highly_ and I mean HIGHLY recommend not fooling with it.  If your organization wants to actually use SharePoint as more than a little toy, then please implore your management to AT LEAST bring in a consultant (architect/admin) for a month to get things all straightened out and to train you as much as possible.  Then, you should go to an Admin bootcamp (Critical Path Training, SharePoint Experts, Mindsharp, etc) to immerse yourself in the topic after being exposed to an expert for a month.  I say a month, but that's just at a minimum in hopes that your mgmt buys off.  As an example at my client, I am an architect and have been here a year.  I recommended the hiring of an expert admin to handle all of that side of the deployment in place of me and to provide hands-on training to an internal resource who is going to eventually be the long-term admin.  The amount of time the new guy will be training under the expert admin?  9 months...

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SharePoint Architect || My Blog