Upgrade to Search Server 2008 from Search Server 2008 Express
Applies To: Microsoft Search Server 2008
Topic Last Modified: 2008-03-21
Note
Unless otherwise noted, the information in this article applies to both Microsoft Search Server 2008 and Microsoft Search Server 2008 Express.
You can upgrade a Microsoft Search Server 2008 Express Advanced deployment to Microsoft Search Server 2008 Advanced to enable the addition of one or more separate query servers to your configuration.
Important
A Basic deployment, whether Search Server 2008 Express or Search Server 2008, does not enable adding additional query servers to the farm. If you want to add query servers, but are working with an installation of Search Server 2008 Express Basic, you must uninstall Search Server 2008 and install Search Server 2008 Advanced. This article explains only how to upgrade from Search Server 2008 Express Advanced to Search Server 2008 Advanced.
A deployment of Search Server 2008 Express provides only one application server. On this server, the following two roles are enabled:
The index server role, which crawls content and indexes the crawled content.
The query server role, which serves user search queries.
Upgrading to Search Server 2008 allows multiple application servers to be joined in a farm. In a farm that has multiple application servers, the index server role is enabled on one and only one computer, and the query server role is enabled on one or more computers. Distributing the index and query server roles in this way helps balance the load and contributes to increasing system performance, capacity, and availability. For information about Basic and Advanced installation options and server roles in Search Server 2008 and Search Server 2008 Express, see Plan to deploy Search Server 2008 or Search Server 2008 Express.
Upgrade to Search Server 2008 from Search Server 2008 Express
To upgrade, contact Microsoft Corporation or your vendor for the installation media for Search Server 2008, and a Product Key, and then use the following procedure.
Important
You must be a local server administrator to perform this task. For more information about installing Search Server 2008, see Install Search Server 2008 or Search Server 2008 Express.
To upgrade to Search Server 2008 from Search Server 2008 Express
On the installation Start screen, click Install Search Server.
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.
After the installation program verifies your Product key, click Continue.
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.
The upgrade continues based on the current installation of Search Server 2008 Express.
Note
If Search Server 2008 Express was installed by using the Basic installation option, you can upgrade only to Search Server 2008 Basic. Alternatively, if Search Server 2008 Express was installed by using the Advanced installation option, you can upgrade only to Search Server 2008 Advanced.
If Search Server 2008 Express was installed by using the Basic installation option, you cannot add additional query servers after you complete the upgrade. For information about Basic and Advanced installation options and server roles in Search Server 2008 and Search Server 2008 Express, see Plan to deploy Search Server 2008 or Search Server 2008 Express.Follow the steps in the SharePoint Products and Technologies Configuration Wizard.
Important
Search Server 2008 Express is still visible in Control Panel after you install Search Server 2008. Do not uninstall Search Server 2008 Express. Doing so will uninstall your server farm, and this action is not recoverable.
Add a query server
After you complete the installation, you can optionally add a query server to the deployment by installing Search Server 2008 with the Advanced installation option on another host computer, and then doing the following during the installation:
Specify the Complete option that installs all Search Server 2008 components, including the application server role.
Specify the same SQL Server host computer and database that was specified when Search Server 2008 Express was installed on the original computer.