"Basic site search" in SharePoint 2010 Foundation

Question

Hi everyone,

I have installed the SharePoint Server 2010, so unfortunately I can not check this myself.
Do you have an option to create "Search Service Application" in SharePoint 2010 Foundation?
If not, how do you provision "Basic site search" which is listed as feature available on SharePoint 2010 Foundation version?

Thanks in advance!

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Tofig

Answer 1

Hi Tofig,

No, you don't have the Search Service Application - you would at least need Search Server 2010 Express for that (which is free!).

When you create a site from the "Basic Search Center" template to provision a search centre, but this is a SharePoint Server feature that expects a SharePoint Server Search Application. Here is a list of site templates available in Foundation.

Be aware that Foundation Search queries only search within a single site collection.  (see: http://www.no-dumping.com/2011/09/20/sharepoint-configuring-foundation-search/)

You configure the search service in Central Admin like this:

1. Click Start, click All Programs, and then click SharePoint 2010 Central Administration.

2. In the User Account Control window, click Continue.

3. Click Central Administration.

4. In the System Settings section, click Manage services on server.

5. Click SharePoint Foundation Search, and then click Start.

6. On the Configure Microsoft SharePoint Foundation Search Service Settings page, type a user name and password for the Content Access Account, and then click Start.

I hope this helps!

joel

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joel
Joel's SharePoint Architect Blog
joelblogs.co.uk
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Answer 2

Thanks for you reply Joel!

I always thought that SharePoint Foundation Search service is only to search help (it also changes the name to SharePoint Foundation Help Search when started).

On my system, Basic site search (search box on the top right corner of the page)  was not working until I created a Search Service Application and run a crawl. I receive "The search request was unable to connect to the Search Service." message. So my assumption was that SharePoint Foundation Search is nt enough for "Basic site search".

Where do I find "Configure Microsoft SharePoint Foundation Search Service Settings" page, I could not find it on my system(SharePoint Server 2010)? I would like to test only Basic site search functionality(without provisioning the Search Service Application).

Thanks in advance!

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Tofig

Answer 3

Hi!

The Configure Microsoft SharePoint Foundation Search Service Settings page is only available on Foundation, and does not come with Server.

HTH

joel

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joel
Joel's SharePoint Architect Blog
joelblogs.co.uk
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Answer 4

We have a MSF2010 in our environment. I found there is a search services can be enable under "Central Admin\Application management\Service Application\Manage services on Server" once you provide a Service account and select the Search Server for each WebApp.

Is that the same stuff?

Thanks

Moses

Answer 5

That is indeed. :o)

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joel
Joel's SharePoint Architect Blog
joelblogs.co.uk
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Answer 6

Tofig, once you install Server it changes the way search works. You'll need to configure a Search Service application to get even basic search functionality now.

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Imagine what we could be...if we could just imagine. | Daniel A. Galant | Sr. SharePoint Solutions Architect EPC Group.net

Answer 7

to Daniel:

Also in Foundation version?

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Tofig

Answer 8

Joel & MoMo:

I did not get you exactly...

"Central Admin\Application management\Service Applications\Manage services on Server" is the place where you start/stop services. And there is no configuration possibilities except Database Server and Content Account over there...

I already started this service did that when started this service. However, as I mentioned above Basic site search (search box on the top right corner of the page) gave "The search request was unable to connect to the Search Service" message. Where exactly "Configure Microsoft SharePoint Foundation Search Service Settings" page can be found in Foundation version?

I my case I can configure search content sources and other settings only after creating Search Service Application. So as far as I understand the search content sources have to configured and crawled. Bu the question is how do you do that in Foundation. Do you have to create Search Service Application (like in Server version) or do you get configure page automatically when you start SharePoint Foundation Search Service?

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Tofig

Answer 9

If you install SharePoint Foundation there is no Search Service Application. 

If you install SharePoint Server (Standard/Enterprise) there is.

Here's a comparison of the various editions of SharePoint: http://sharepoint.microsoft.com/en-us/buy/pages/editions-comparison.aspx

joel

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joel
Joel's SharePoint Architect Blog
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Answer 10

Foundation does not allow you to configure content sources. It only indexes individual site collections, hence you can only query individual site collections. It indexes all site collections automatically. This is not configurable. There is no service application for search in Foundation.

http://www.astaticstate.com/2010/01/sharepoint-2010-service-architecture.html

If you would like further functionality for free, there is Search Server Express 2010, which you can install on top of a Foundation box and get content sources and a service application to configure. The caveat with that is Search Server Express 2010 search components (query/crawl) will not scale out.

joel

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joel
Joel's SharePoint Architect Blog
joelblogs.co.uk
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Answer 11

Tofig -

As Joel points out, SharePoint Foundation does not have a Search Service application. Based on your posts, you are not working with Foundation, you have installed SharePoint Server. SharePoint Server does have a Search Service application, which takes over the duties of search functionality in a SharePoint farm. Once you install Server, it adds more functions and features and changes the way certain elements of SharePoint operate. In order to get search functionality in Server, you need to configure a search service application. The Foundation search service, in Server, is modified and only searches help.

In a Foundation install, the search service searches the site collection only.

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Imagine what we could be...if we could just imagine. | Daniel A. Galant | Sr. SharePoint Solutions Architect EPC Group.net

Answer 12

First of all I want to thank you all for your posts!

Indeed as I indicated in my question, I am working with Server version and know how to configure search in it. I would like to know how this is being configured in Foundation version. I think I understand you right, but could you please confirm?

 - To my understanding you both (Joel & Daniel) saying that Foundation version is very different and there is no “Search Service Application” in it.
 - Furthermore Joel is saying that in Foundation you have a "Configure Microsoft SharePoint Foundation Search Service Settings" page.
 - When I ask where to find it, Joel said “Central Admin > Application management > Service Application > Manage services on Server”. 
 - And I replied that this is the place for services and there are no other options except content access account & database name. Additionally this was not sufficient on my system (Server version); the Basic search was complaining "The search request was unable to connect to the Search Service"
 - Daniel indicates this is because the Server version is completely different.

Is my interpretation correct?

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Tofig

Answer 13

Hi Tofig,

I've updated my previous posting with some clarification.

Yes, you're correct.

joel

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joel
Joel's SharePoint Architect Blog
joelblogs.co.uk
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Answer 14

Hi Joel,

can offer some further clarifaction on the installation of SSE 2010 'on top of SPF 2010' as I have read elsewhere in the forum here that you should not do this as it can 'break' SPF2010, and indeed when I tried this it di break things!

Elsewhere I have read posting (on this forum) that SSE2010 should be installed 1st and that it also includes and install SPF2010.

This is really confusing as I can also not find any 'official' guide to how to do this properly.

I have a customer who has SPF2010 installed on an SBS 2008 box (done using the guide published on Technet)

My client wishes to extend the search functionality within SPF2010 and to use SSE2010 seems a logical way to do this at no cost.

Obviously my concern is that of breaking a working production set-up. In this regard I am presently buildng a test platform to trial this.

All comments welcome!

Best regards

Archytype.

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Richard