How to run Microsoft full-text Search service on a separate machine(otherthanSQLServer)

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brianshaw03@yahoo.com - 18 Oct 2005 04:25 GMT

How to run Microsoft full-text Search service on a separate
machine(otherthanSQLServer)
Is it possible to create Microsoft Search Service for full-text search
on separate machine instead of running it on SQL Server machine? If so,
how? Can you point me to any best practice to architect it?

I am looking for possible architectures to improve performance of MS
full-text Search Services by taking MS Search services out from SQL
Server machine and implement it on separate machine.

I'd appreciate any help you could provide on it.

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John Kane - 18 Oct 2005 06:49 GMT

Brian,
No, it is not possible to the "Microsoft Search" (mssearch.exe) service
running on another machine without SQL Server 2000. However, you can use the
procedures documented in the following Kb article 240867 (Q240867) "INF: How
to Move, Copy, and Backup Full-Text Catalog Folders and Files" at
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;240867 to come close
to "propagating" the Full-text Indexing of the FT Catalogs on another
server. Note, this is also not possible with SQL Server 2005.

If you're trying to properly tune a server for Full-text Search, I can help,
but I need you to provide more info on your server's configuration as well
as software and database configurations. Below are SQL FTS resources, you
should review:

SQL Server 2000 Full-Text Search Resources and Links
http://spaces.msn.com/members/jtkane/Blog/cns!1pWDBCiDX1uvH5ATJmNCVLPQ!305.entry

Regards,
John

Signature

SQL Full Text Search Blog
http://spaces.msn.com/members/jtkane/

> How to run Microsoft full-text Search service on a separate
> machine(otherthanSQLServer)
[quoted text clipped - 7 lines]
>
> I'd appreciate any help you could provide on it.

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Matt - 31 Oct 2005 23:14 GMT

Hi John/All

I am trying to understand the best configuration for Full text search.

We are running full text search with 4GB RAM on SQL server 2000 on a
windows 2003 enterprise server. I have the
/3G option on in boot.ini. The VM setting is set at 2048 to 4095.

Typically SQL server acquires close to 3 GB RAM (about 2.87 GB) and the
rest "appears" available with task manager. While running full text
search queries we see mssearch.exe taking about 20MB RAM and it page
faults heavily.

I am not sure if this is an indicator of MSSearch running out of
memory. Also I am not sure as about 1GB memory is "available", why
MSSearch does not consume more memory?

I read it in the manual that the optimal configuration for full text
search
is

1. The virtual memory size to at least 3 times the physical memory
installed
in the computer.
2. The SQL Server max server memory server configuration option to 1.5
times
the physical memory (half the virtual memory size setting).

Do I have to set the above settings? If I had more virtual memory , I
am likely to have more page faults by my understanding. Is that true?
What are the right settings and what am I doing wrong?

Matt

> Brian,
> No, it is not possible to the "Microsoft Search" (mssearch.exe) service
[quoted text clipped - 30 lines]
> >
> > I'd appreciate any help you could provide on it.

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