@SPC_ORG SP2013 Search by @bniaulin

Continuous crawl:
 - only works on SP Content sources;
 - by default every 15 min;

Use continuous crawl diligently, only on the content source that they need it.

NO XSLT, use html, css, js

SP2013 SP1 has ability to turn the Optimistic overwrite for title - MetadataExtractorTitle

2 web parts for Search:
SearchResult web part - you have to have a custom display template
Content Search web part - you can re-map the properties

2 types of templates:
1. Control (a container for item display template)
2. Item Display

! Don't touch automatically created js file out from content template

Result types helps to vary item templates based on the rule (conditions)

Resources:
http://tympanus.net/codrops/

#SP24 : Search strategy

Jeff Fried presented #SP24S034 the successful Search Strategy. People first.

Key other takeaways:

The common traps in search architecture

Trap #1. "Trying to build a google"

It's a wrong goal because:

 - Google has a huge support to keep it running

 - Google goal is different than enterprise goal of the company. 

The enterprise search goal is business process centric.

Trap #2. "One Search Center for everything"

Search should be business process specific

Ex. Online shopping, dinner, apartment rent

Trap #3. "Stand up OOB search and walk away"

Search needs maintenance

Trap #4. "The technology first"

Even though indexes are crucial for search, need to remember that people create meaning out of the indexes.
So we need to know people first - what and how they search

Jeff introduced a concept of Information Strategy that ties together:
 - Information Governance;
 - Information Architecture;
 - Information Security;
 - Information Intelligence.

Meantime, the Search Strategy is a 3 part interdependent system:

And here are the keys of the success in Search Strategy:

Context – users need to find different info depending on their role, needs, tasks.

Hence the notion of having one place to find everything is not efficient.

Jeff's related presentation

Application Server Administration job failed for service instance:Access to the path 'C:\Windows\system32\drivers\etc\HOSTS' is denied.

Application Server Administration job failed for service instance Microsoft.Office.Server.Search.Administration.SearchServiceInstance (db7e7060-eba7-4b6c-b09e-242978fa6e97).
Reason: Access to the path 'C:\Windows\system32\drivers\etc\HOSTS' is denied.

Having this error?

Read on and you will know why Search writes in the host file and how to give access to the host file.

First of all, Search service writes in the host file when you use a dedicated server for crawling 
For more details - sharepoint 2007 search writes wrong IP in host file

Wondering if you need to use a dedicated server? Read this simple and useful article - Configure a dedicated front-end Web server for crawling (Office SharePoint Server 2007)

In case you need to keep a dedicated server for crawling, to fix the issue with access to host file, do following:
 Set permissions for group WSS_Admin_WPG on host file
Make sure that you Set "Modify" BUT NOT "Full control" (otherwise Search deletes HOST file)

sharepoint 2007 search writes wrong IP in host file

Wondering why host file has wrong IPs for SSP or your portal?
And you can clearly see that these records made by Search service.
 #Added by Office SharePoint Server Search


I found a wonderful post about it : Configure a dedicated front-end Web server for crawling (Office SharePoint Server 2007)

"When you use the Configure Office SharePoint Server Search Service Settings page in Central Administration to select a dedicated front-end Web server for crawling the SharePoint timer service writes the entries to the Hosts file"

The host file may have wrong IPs written by search service in the following cases:

• The server that you specified as your dedicated front-end Web server for crawling has multiple IP addresses assigned to one or more network cards.
• Your server farm is using network load balancing.

To quickly fix it:
 1.  Go to Central Administration /_admin/Server.aspx, click on "Office SharePoint Server Search".
Select "Use all web fronts end computers for crawling"
 2. Change IPs in the host file.


After this fix, search service will not overwrite host file.

Search Service Application: Architecture in one page

Search service application consists of the following pieces:

1. Administration interface (_admin/ServiceApplications.aspx)

2. Crawl component

3. Databases (Administration, crawl, property)

4. Index partition (Query component) 

Crawler - a component that browses the contents automatically on a regular basis. The goal of the crawling process is to provide up-to-date data from the data store to the indexer(s).

Indexer -a component that collects and stores crawled data. The goal is to make data available for fast and precise information retrieval during the queries.

Query -  a component that provides UI for entering the user queries, presents the result set to the end users. It communicates with the Indexer component directly to get the result.

(Real World SharePoint 2010: Indispensable Experiences from 22 MVPs)

SharePoint 2007 defined 2 search roles: Query and Index.

With modularity of SharePoint 2010, these functions are defined as components.

The Index role(2007) has been renamed as the crawl component (2010).

In 2010 you have 2 components:

 - Crawl component;

 - Query component.

In 2010 you can make Search fault tolerance by having several crawl and query components (with option "Failover-only Query Component").

To run a Query component on a server, the service "Search Query and Site Settings Service" should be started. (refer to Service Application : Architecture in one picture)

Search: Where indexes are stored? How to change the indexes location?

[What you have]:
A farm with search enabled.

[What you want]:
You want to change the default location of indexes


[What you want to know]: 

The default location for indexes is:

C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office Servers\12.0\Data\Office Server\Applications\{GUID of the content database}

[What you want to do]:
Go to central adminstration -> _admin/managessp.aspx
Click properties - Index Server -> Path for index file location