Index Server Manager Overview

The Microsoft Index Server Manager snap-in is a new graphical administration tool that simplifies various complex administrative tasks. With this tool you can do the following:

•	Check indexing status and see the properties of directories that are indexed as well as the cached properties.

•	Set global properties that affect all catalogs on a server.

•	Create new catalogs and configure them for optimum performance.

•	Add and remove a property from the cache and modify property settings.

•	Determine which directories will be indexed and which will not.

•	Force Index Server to scan a virtual directory.

•	Force Index Server to merge all indexes into one master and when it is appropriate to do so.

The Help files for the Index Server Manager contain only context-sensitive help. For step-by-step instructions on using Index Server, see the HTML documentation. Click Start on the Taskbar. Then click Programs and Windows NT 4.0 Option Pack and Product Documentation. In the Contents, click Microsoft Index Server.


Stop Service to Remove Catalog

Before you can delete a catalog, you must stop the Content Index service.

To stop the Content Index service

1.	In the Microsoft Management Console (MMC), right click Index Server on Local Machine.

2.	Click Stop.

Now you can remove the catalog.

Note

After removing the catalog, you should restart the Content Index service with the same procedure, except click Start.


Adding a Catalog

This dialog box adds a catalog to your site. Add a catalog to spread queries over several catalogs to improve performance and to control information that users can access.

Name

Type the name you want to give the new catalog. You can type any name. This name will appear in the Microsoft Management Console once the catalog has been created. For example, the default catalog is named Web.

Location

Click the Browse button and select the directory under which you want the new catalog to be stored. Index Server will create the Catalog.wci directory and store index files there.


Permanently Deleting a Catalog

Click the Yes button to permanently delete this catalog, or click the No button to leave the catalog as is.


Committing Changes

Click the Yes button to write your changes to the cache, or click the No button to discard your changes. Note Writing to the cache may take a while, depending on the size of the cache.


Adding a Scope

This dialog box adds a nonvirtual directory to the scope.

Path

Type the path to the directory you are adding to the scope, or click the Browse button and select the directory you want to add to the scope.

Alias (UNC)

Type the server name and path for this directory. For example:

\\servername\directory_alias

What you type in this box is returned to the client executing a query on this directory.

Account Information

If the server name you typed in the Alias (UNC) box is different from the local computer, fill in the user name and password for the computer so that it can be accessed.

Type

If the directory contains a scope that is not indexed, select Exclude.


Removing a Directory

Click the Yes button to remove this directory from indexing, or click the No button to keep this directory available for indexing.


Adding and Removing a Property

If a property is queried for frequently, you should add it to the property cache to decrease the time it takes to return results. You must add HTML meta properties to the property cache to make them available to be retrieved in a query and returned in the results.

Cached

Select this option to add a property. Clear this option to remove a property.

Data type

Select the appropriate data type for the property. For a list of properties and their datatypes, see "List of Property Names" in the HTML documentation.

Size

Select the size (in bytes) you want for the property or accept the default of 8 bytes. For string properties there is an overflow mechanism, so it is best to select the median size of the amount of space you need to allocate.


Rescanning a Directory

Click the Yes button to rescan every file in the directory, or click the No button to scan only the changes since the last scan.


Merging Indexes

Click the Yes button to merge smaller indexes into one index, or click the No button if you decide not to merge indexes. You should merge indexes in a catalog if the response time for queries begins to slow down. Combining indexes will free resources in memory and on the hard drive, and allow a quicker response time.

Note

Merging indexes is a CPU intensive task, during which query response time may temporarily slow down.


Connecting to a Computer

This dialog box connects you to the computer you want the Index Sever snap-in to manage.

Local computer

Leave this option selected if you want the Index Server snap-in to manage the computer where the Microsoft Management Console (MMC) is installed.

Another computer

Select this option if you want the Index Server snap-in to manage another computer. Type the computer name in the box to the right. For example, type mycomputer. Note: Do not precede the computer name with backslashes because the MMC adds the backslashes automatically.


Determines whether files with unregistered extensions will be filtered or not. By default, these files are filtered. For information about setting this property in the registry, see FilterFilesWithUnknownExtensions in the Index Server HTML documentation.


Controls whether summaries are generated for files found in a search and returned on the results page. By default, summaries are generated. For information about setting this property in the registry, see GenerateCharacterization in the Index Server HTML documentation.


Sets the maximum number of characters for summaries of files returned in a search. For information about setting this property in the registry, see MaxCharacterization in the Index Server HTML documentation.


The name of the catalog, as it appears in the Microsoft Management Console.


The physical path to the catalog directory.


The size of the index in megabytes.


Select the box to index and update virtual directories.


Select the specific virtual server you want to associate with this catalog. For details, see "Associating a Catalog with a Virtual Server" in the Index Server HTML documentation.


Select the box to index and update news directories.


Select the specific virtual news server you want to associate with this catalog.


Identifies an individual property by number.


The hexadecimal ID for the corresponding property.


Select this option to add a property to the cache. Clear this option to remove a property from the cache.


Select the appropriate data type for the property you want to add to the cache. For a list of properties and their datatypes, see "List of Property Names" in the HTML documentation.


Select the size (in bytes) you want for the property or accept the default of 8 bytes. For string properties there is an overflow mechanism, so it is best to select the median size of the amount of space you need to allocate.


Type the path to the directory you want to add to the scope, or click the Browse button and select the directory.


Click the Browse button and select the directory you want to add to the scope.


If the directory you are adding is on a computer different from the local computer, type the Uniform Naming Convention (UNC) path to that computer. Use this format: \\computername\sharename. What you type in this box is returned to the client who executes a query on this directory.


If the directory you are adding is on a computer different from the local computer, type a doman name and user name that have permission to access that computer. Separate the domain name from the user name with a backslash: domainname\username


Type the password that corresponds to the user name you typed in the User Name box.


Accept the default Include if you want the entire directory to be searched, including subdirectories.


Select Exclude if the new directory contains a scope that you do want to be searched.


Leave this option selected if you want the Index Server snap-in to manage the computer where the Microsoft Management Console is installed.


Select this option if you want the Index Server snap-in to manage another computer. Type the computer name in the box to the right. Do not precede the computer name with backslashes.