Add query servers to expand a farm (Search Server 2008)

Applies To: Microsoft Search Server 2008

Topic Last Modified: 2008-02-27

This article explains how to add query servers to a Search Server 2008 deployment. To add a query server, you must complete the following tasks:

• Task 1: Add an application server to the farm

• Task 2: Configure application server roles

The following sections explain how to complete these tasks. You can repeat Tasks 1 and 2 at any time to add more query servers as appropriate for your organization.

Task 1: Add an application server to the farm

This section explains how to add an application server after you install Search Server 2008 on the first computer in a deployment. Follow these steps when you install the product on another computer:

• Step 1: Prepare hardware and software

• Step 2: Start the installation

• Step 3: Run the Search Server Preparation Tool

• Step 4: Complete the installation

You can repeat these steps to add more application servers to the farm.

Step 1: Prepare hardware and software

Before you begin a new installation, ensure that the computer that you want to add to the existing deployment meets the minimum requirements described in Determine hardware and software requirements (Search Server 2008).

Step 2: Start the installation

Use this procedure to begin the setup process on the computer that you want to add to the existing deployment. Ensure that you are logged on with an account that has local administrator permissions.

To start the installation

• To install Search Server 2008 from a product disc, insert the disc in the CD-ROM drive. The product installation Start screen appears.

  Note

  If the installation Start screen does not appear automatically after a short time, navigate to the root folder of the product disc and double-click the file Splash.hta.

• To install Search Server 2008 from a local disk or file share, navigate to the product location and double-click the file Splash.hta. The product installation Start screen appears.

Step 3: Run the Search Server Preparation Tool

The Search Server Preparation Tool checks your computer for required components and updates. The tool performs each of the following tasks, if necessary:

• For Windows Server 2003 operating systems:

  • Downloads and installs Service Pack 1 if no service pack is installed.

  • Downloads and installs Microsoft .NET Framework 3.0 if .NET Framework 2.0 and Windows Workflow Foundation Runtime Components are not installed.

• Activates the IIS Application Server role and enables ASP.NET Web Server extensions.

To run the Search Server Preparation Tool

1. On the installation Start screen, under Install, click Run the Search Server Preparation Tool. The Welcome to the Microsoft Search Server 2008 Preparation Tool screen appears.

2. As the Search Server Preparation Tool runs, follow the instructions to complete the procedure. The time required to complete the procedure varies depending on the number of components that the tool must install and the speed of your network connection.

3. On the Installation Complete screen, click Finish.

Step 4: Complete the installation

Use this procedure to complete the installation process.

To complete the installation

1. On the installation Start screen, click Install Search Server.

2. On the Enter your Product Key screen, enter your Product Key. After the installation program validates the Product Key, it places a green check mark next to the Product Key box.

3. Click Continue after the installation program verifies your Product Key.

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

5. On the Choose the installation you want screen, click Advanced. The Server Type screen appears.

6. On the Server Type screen:

   • In the Server Type tab, click Complete. This option installs the application server role and WFE server role. Installing the application server role enables you to configure this computer as a query server after the installation is complete.

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

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

7. Click Install Now. The Installation Progress screen appears. The process takes several minutes to complete.

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

   1. Ensure that the Run the SharePoint Products and Technologies Configuration Wizard now check box is selected.

   2. Click Close to start the Configuration Wizard.

9. In the Welcome to SharePoint Products and Technologies screen, click Next.

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

11. On the Connect to Server Farm screen, click Yes, I want to connect to an existing server farm, and then click Next.

    Note

    This differs from the option that you select on the Connect to Server Farm screen in the procedure "Run an Advanced installation" in Install Search Server 2008 or Search Server 2008 Express.

12. In each of the fields on the Specify Configuration Database Settings screen, specify the same values that you specified for the first server in the farm.

    Note

    To join the new server to the existing farm, you must specify the same values here that you specified for the first server.

    • Database Server – Name of the SQL Server host that you specified when you installed Search Server 2008 on the first computer in this farm.

    • Database Name – Name of the database that you specified when you installed Search Server 2008 on the first computer in this farm. You can click Retrieve Database Names to view a list of the databases that are on the SQL Server host.

    • Database Access Account – The database access account that you specified when you installed Search Server 2008 on the first computer in this farm.

13. Click Next. On the Completing the SharePoint Products and Technologies Configuration Wizard screen:

    1. Confirm your settings, ensuring that you entered the correct configuration database server name and configuration database name.

    2. If you want to use this computer to host the Central Administration Web site, click Advanced Settings. On the Advanced Settings screen, click Use this machine to host the web site, and then click OK.

       Note

       When you install Search Server 2008 on the first computer in a farm, that computer automatically hosts the Central Administration Web site. It is not necessary to host this Web site on more than one computer in the farm.

14. Click Next. The Configuration Wizard runs for several minutes to automate configuration tasks such as installing Search Server 2008 services and updating the farm configuration database with information for this new server.

15. On the Configuration Successful page, click Finish.

    Note

    If you are prompted for a user name and password, type the credentials for an account that has access to the Central Administration Web site. Add the site to the list of trusted sites in Windows Internet Explorer when you are prompted.

This completes the process of joining a new application server to a Search Server 2008 farm.

Task 2: Configure application server roles

You must now configure the application servers in your farm by doing the following:

• Step 1: Configure the index server

• Step 2: Configure query servers

Step 1: Configure the index server

The instructions under "Run an Advanced installation" in Install Search Server 2008 or Search Server 2008 Express explain how to deploy the first computer in a farm so that it is configured with the application server role and the WFE server role. As the sole application server for the deployment, that computer is automatically configured as the index server and query server. When you add an application server to a farm, we recommend that you continue to use the first server in the deployment as the index server. To do so, you must enable the index server role and disable the query server role on that first farm server as explained in the following procedure. Typically you need to perform this procedure only once for any farm that has multiple application servers.

To configure the index server

1. From the Central Administration Web site, click Operations.

2. On the Operations page, under Topology and Services, click Services on server.

3. On the Services on Server page, under Complete all steps below, click the first computer that you deployed for this farm. If the first computer that you deployed for the farm does not appear:

   1. Click the server name that currently appears.

   2. Click Change Server.

   3. In the Select Server dialog box, click the first computer that you deployed for this farm.

4. On the Services on Server page, in the Service column, find the service named Office SharePoint Server Search.

5. In the Status column for the Office SharePoint Server Search service, ensure that the status is Started.

6. In the Service column, click Office SharePoint Server Search.

7. On the Configure Office SharePoint Server Search Service Settings page, in the Query and Indexing section:

   1. Ensure that the Use this server for indexing content check box is selected.

   2. Clear the Use this server for serving search queries check box.

8. Click OK.

Configuration of the index server is now complete.

Step 2: Configure query servers

Use this procedure to configure each of your other application servers as query servers. On each of these servers, you enable the query server role and ensure that the index server role is disabled.

To configure a query server

1. From the Central Administration Web site, click Operations.

2. On the Operations page, under Topology and Services, click Services on server.

3. On the Services on Server page, under Complete all steps below, click an application server that you want to configure as a query server. If the computer that you want to configure as a query server does not appear:

   1. Click the server name that currently appears.

   2. Click Change Server.

   3. In the Select Server dialog box, click the computer that you want to configure as a query server.

4. In the Status column for the Office SharePoint Server Search service, if the status is Stopped, in the Action column, click Start. The Configure Office SharePoint Server Search Service Settings page opens.

5. On the Configure Office SharePoint Server Search Service Settings page, in the Query and Indexing section:

   1. Clear the Use this server for indexing content check box.

   2. Select the Use this server for serving search queries check box.

6. Click Start. The configuration of the application server as a query server is now complete.

See Also

Concepts

Plan to deploy Search Server 2008 or Search Server 2008 Express
Install Search Server 2008 or Search Server 2008 Express