Install Search Server 2008 or Search Server 2008 Express
Applies To: Microsoft Search Server 2008
Topic Last Modified: 2008-02-22
This article explains how to install Microsoft Search Server 2008 or Microsoft Search Server 2008 Express on the first computer in a Search Server deployment. This installation produces a fully functional Search Server configuration.
This article contains the following main sections:
Prepare for installation
Install and configure Search Server
Prepare for installation
In this section:
Determine the kind of deployment you need
Prepare hardware and software
Determine the kind of deployment you need
Before you begin an installation, ensure that you understand the differences between Search Server 2008 and Search Server 2008 Express, as well as the installation options for each product. Certain installation options enable you to add servers at any time to expand an existing deployment. For more information, see Plan to deploy Search Server 2008 or Search Server 2008 Express.
Prepare hardware and software
Ensure that the host computer meets the minimum requirements described in Determine hardware and software requirements (Search Server 2008).
Note
If you install Search Server 2008 or Search Server 2008 Express with the Advanced installation option, you must specify an existing database server that is running either Microsoft SQL Server 2005 with at least SP2, or SQL Server 2000 with at least SP3a. Some advanced features require SQL Server 2005 Analysis Services with at least SP2. For information about hardware and software requirements for deploying a database server running SQL Server 2005, see SQL Server 2005 System Requirements.
Install and configure Search Server
Ensure that you are logged on with an account that has local administrator permissions, and then do the following.
Start the installation
Run the Search Server Preparation Tool
Install Search Server 2008 or Search Server 2008 Express
Start the installation
Follow this procedure to begin the setup process.
To start the installation
Start the installation by doing one of the following:
Download and install Search Server 2008 Express:
Download Search Server 2008 Express from the Microsoft Enterprise Search Web site. Select the download option that corresponds to the x86 or x64 operating system architecture (32-bit–based or 64-bit–based) on which you plan to install Search Server Express.
Navigate to and run the downloaded file, SearchServerExpress.exe, which is a self-extracting archive. The file automatically uncompresses and the Search Server Express installation Start screen appears.
To install Search Server 2008 or Search Server 2008 Express 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 or Search Server 2008 Express 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.
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
On the Search Server installation Start screen, under Install, click Run the Search Server Preparation Tool. The Welcome to the Microsoft Search Server 2008 Preparation Tool screen appears.
Follow the instructions as the Search Server Preparation Tool runs. 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.
On the Installation Complete screen, click Finish.
Install Search Server 2008 or Search Server 2008 Express
Follow this procedure to continue the installation process.
To install Search Server 2008 or Search Server 2008 Express
On the installation Start screen, click Install Search Server.
For Search Server 2008 only:
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.
Click Continue after the installation program verifies your Product Key.
On the Read the Microsoft Software License Terms screen, review the terms, select the I accept the terms of this agreement check box, and click Continue.
On the Choose the installation you want screen, click Basic or Advanced.
For an explanation of the Basic and Advanced installation options, see "Choosing Basic or Advanced installation" in Plan to deploy Search Server 2008 or Search Server 2008 Express.
Depending on whether you chose the Basic or Advanced installation option, proceed to one of the following sections in this article to complete your installation:
Run a Basic installation
Run an Advanced installation
Run a Basic installation
Follow this procedure to complete a Basic installation.
To complete a Basic installation
On the Choose the installation you want screen, click Basic. The Installation Progress screen appears. This part of the setup process takes several minutes to complete.
On the next screen, which prompts you to complete the configuration:
Ensure that the Run the SharePoint Products and Technologies Configuration Wizard now check box is selected.
To start the Configuration Wizard, click Close.
On the Welcome to SharePoint Products and Technologies screen, click Next.
In the dialog box that notifies you that some services might be restarted or reset during configuration, click Yes.
The Configuration Wizard runs for several minutes to automate configuration tasks such as installing Search Server services, installing and configuring SQL Server databases, and creating the Search Server Web applications and sites for Central Administration, Search Administration, and the Search Center.
On the Configuration Successful screen, click Finish. Your Basic installation is now complete. A Web browser opens the Welcome to Microsoft Search Server 2008 page, which provides guidance for configuring your Search Server installation.
Note
If you are prompted for your user name and password, type the credentials you used to log on to the computer. Add the site to the list of trusted sites in Windows Internet Explorer when you are prompted.
On the Welcome to Microsoft Search Server 2008 page, follow the instructions to do the following:
Open the Search Administration Web site to configure and monitor Search Server.
Begin crawling content to build a content index.
Open the Search Center site to try a search.
Note
This completes the Basic installation process. The remaining procedures in this article pertain to Advanced installation only.
Run an Advanced installation
Use the following procedure to run an Advanced installation. Then proceed to the following section, Complete the Search Server Configuration page, to configure and complete your Advanced installation.
To run an Advanced installation
On the Choose the installation you want screen, click Advanced. The Server Type screen appears.
On the Server Type screen:
In the Server Type tab, click Complete. This option installs the application server role and Web front-end server (WFE) role.
For an explanation of the application server role and WFE server role, see "Choosing Basic or Advanced installation" in Plan to deploy Search Server 2008 or Search Server 2008 Express.
Optional: In the File Location tab, change the installation path or the location for content index files.
Optional: In the Feedback tab, specify whether you want to participate in the Customer Experience Improvement Program.
Click Install Now. The Installation Progress screen appears. The process takes several minutes to complete.
On the next screen, which prompts you to complete the configuration:
Ensure that the Run the SharePoint Products and Technologies Configuration Wizard now check box is selected.
Click Close to start the Configuration Wizard.
On the Welcome to SharePoint Products and Technologies screen, click Next.
In the dialog box that notifies you that some services might be restarted or reset during configuration, click Yes.
On the Connect to Server Farm screen, click No, I want to create a new server farm, and then click Next.
On the Specify Configuration Database Settings screen, fill in the following fields as appropriate for your organization:
Database Server – Name of an existing SQL Server host running one of the following product versions:
- SQL Server 2000 with at least SP3a.
- SQL Server 2005 with at least SP1. Some advanced features require SQL Server 2005 Analysis Services with at least SP2.
Database Name – Accept the default database name (SharePoint_Config) or type a different name. If the specified database already exists, it must be empty. If the database does not exist, it is created.
Make a note of the database name you specify here in case you add servers to your Search Server deployment later. It might be helpful to specify a friendly name that you can remember. You need to specify the database name again when you install Search Server on additional servers for your farm.
Database Access Account – Follow the instructions on the screen.
Click Next.
On the Completing the SharePoint Products and Technologies Configuration Wizard screen, confirm your settings, ensuring that you entered the correct Configuration Database Server name and Configuration Database Name.
Click Next. The Configuration Wizard runs for several minutes to automate a number of configuration tasks.
On the Configuration Successful page, click Finish. A Web browser opens and loads the Search Server Configuration page.
Note
If you are prompted for your user name and password, type the credentials you used to log on to the computer. Add the site to the list of trusted sites in Windows Internet Explorer when you are prompted.
Complete the Search Server Configuration page (Advanced installation only)
The Search Server Configuration page appears at the end of the Advanced installation process. You complete the Search Server Configuration page only once for any particular server farm. There are two main groups of settings on the page:
Required For most deployments, you need to specify settings in the Required group only. Configure these settings as appropriate for your organization.
Optional All settings in this group are default values. To modify any of these values, expand the appropriate section and modify the default values.
To complete Search Server Configuration page Required settings
In the Default Account For Services section, type the user name and password for the default services account.
In the Search Center Account section, type the user name and password for the account for the application pool identity of the default Search Center site.
In the Search Contact E-mail section, type the e-mail address of a person in your organization.
If you do not need to configure any of the settings in the Optional section of the Search Server Configuration page:
Click OK. The Operation in Progress page displays the progress of starting services, creating the shared services provider, and creating the Web applications and sites for Central Administration, Search Administration, and the default Search Center site. This configuration takes several minutes. Your Advanced installation and configuration is now complete.
On the Search Server Configuration is Complete screen, click OK. A Web browser opens the Welcome to Microsoft Search Server 2008 page, which provides guidance for configuring your Search Server installation.
On the Welcome to Microsoft Search Server 2008 page, follow the instructions to do the following:
i. Open the Search Administration Web site to configure and monitor Search Server.
ii. Begin crawling content to build a content index.
iii. Open the Search Center site to try a search.
To complete Search Server Configuration page Optional settings
In the Search Center Site section, specify whether to create a Search Center site. The Search Center site hosts the end-user search page and results pages.
To create a Search Center site using default settings, click Yes.
If you do not need a Search Center site, or if you plan to create and configure a Search Center site later, click No. If you click No, a default Search Center site is not created.
In the Index File Location section, accept the default setting or specify a different path for the index files.
In the Search Services Administration Account section, to use an account other than the default account for services, specify credentials of an existing user account.
In the Database for Search Administrative Settings section:
Type the name of the search services database for query logs and administrative settings.
Specify the Database authentication method. We recommend using Windows authentication.
In the Search Service Account section, to use an account other than the default account for services, specify credentials of an existing user account.
In the Database for the Search Service section:
Specify the database server and database for volatile search-related data, or accept the default settings.
Specify the Database authentication method. We recommend using Windows authentication.
In the Help Search Service Account section, to use an account other than the default account for services, specify credentials of an existing user account.
In the Database for the Help Search Service section:
Specify the database server and database for data for the service that indexes Help content.
Specify the Database authentication method. We recommend using Windows authentication.
In the SSL for Web Services section, specify whether to use secure sockets layer (SSL) encryption to protect servers using Web services.
Note
If you click Yes to use SSL, Web services are not available until you use Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager to add an SSL certificate to each farm server.
After you finish specifying configuration settings:
Click OK. The Operation in Progress page displays the progress of starting services, creating the shared services provider, and creating the Search Server Web applications and sites for Central Administration, Search Administration, and the default Search Center if you are creating one. This configuration takes several minutes. Your Advanced installation and configuration is now complete.
On the Search Server Configuration is Complete screen, click OK. A Web browser opens the Welcome to Microsoft Search Server 2008 page.
On the Welcome to Microsoft Search Server 2008 page, follow the instructions to do the following:
Open the Search Administration Web site to configure and monitor Search Server.
Begin crawling content to build a content index.
Open the Search Center site to try a search.
Note
After you install Search Server 2008 with the Advanced installation option, you can add query servers to expand your deployment at any time. For information about Search Server topology options and the advantages of adding query servers to a deployment, see Plan to deploy Search Server 2008 or Search Server 2008 Express. To add one or more query servers to your deployment, follow the instructions in Add query servers to expand a farm (Search Server 2008).
See Also
Concepts
Determine hardware and software requirements (Search Server 2008)
Planning and architecture for Search Server 2008
Plan to deploy Search Server 2008 or Search Server 2008 Express
Add query servers to expand a farm (Search Server 2008)