SQL Server Full-Text Search - Fulltext options grayed out

Author

Fulltext options grayed out

Martijn Saly

2005-10-27, 7:56 am

This is an old one, but I haven't been able to fix this just yet. We
have a Win2k SP4 server which runs SQL server 2000 with the latest
service packs and updates and everything. The server is a webserver
that's being hosted at a hosting provider. There's absolutely nothing
special or exotic about its configuration. Just Win2k, SQL2k and IIS5.

The problem is that when I connect to this server from the EM, all
options regarding fulltext indexing are disabled. With our local
developemnt server we had this problem as well, but I solved it by
executing "exec sp_fulltext_database
'enable'" and reconnecting to that
server. But that doesn't work for the webserver...

I know for a fact that fulltext indexing is working perfectly fine on
the webserver. First of, because of the fact that there's a database
that's already using fulltext indexing successfully. Secondly, because I
can use the sp_fulltext_* procedures successfully. So why would the EM
still refuse to let me use it?

--
Thanks,

Martijn Saly

Hilary Cotter

2005-10-27, 7:56 am

Have a look at this link - http://www.indexserverfaq.com/tablenotenabled.htm

--
Hilary Cotter
Looking for a SQL Server replication book?
http://www.nwsu.com/0974973602.html

Looking for a FAQ on Indexing Services/SQL FTS
http://www.indexserverfaq.com
"Martijn Saly" <martijn@thany.org> wrote in message
news:%23P05%239g2FHA
.1140@tk2msftngp13.phx.gbl...
> This is an old one, but I haven't been able to fix this just yet. We
> have a Win2k SP4 server which runs SQL server 2000 with the latest
> service packs and updates and everything. The server is a webserver
> that's being hosted at a hosting provider. There's absolutely nothing
> special or exotic about its configuration. Just Win2k, SQL2k and IIS5.
>
> The problem is that when I connect to this server from the EM, all
> options regarding fulltext indexing are disabled. With our local
> developemnt server we had this problem as well, but I solved it by
> executing "exec sp_fulltext_database
'enable'" and reconnecting to that
> server. But that doesn't work for the webserver...
>
> I know for a fact that fulltext indexing is working perfectly fine on
> the webserver. First of, because of the fact that there's a database
> that's already using fulltext indexing successfully. Secondly, because I
> can use the sp_fulltext_* procedures successfully. So why would the EM
> still refuse to let me use it?
>
> --
> Thanks,
>
> Martijn Saly

John Kane

2005-10-27, 7:56 am

Martijn Saly,
The behavior you are seeing is by design for SQL Server 2000 as the
"Microsoft Search" service is an external service and cannot be directly
controlled by the EM when accessed across the Internet or when the server is
registered using an IP address or server alias. However, as you had found
using the system stored procs sp_fulltext_* does succeed. For now, your
best solution is to continue to use the sp_fulltext_* procedures.

Thanks,
John
--
SQL Full Text Search Blog
http://spaces.msn.com/members/jtkane/

"Martijn Saly" <martijn@thany.org> wrote in message
news:%23P05%239g2FHA
.1140@tk2msftngp13.phx.gbl...
> This is an old one, but I haven't been able to fix this just yet. We have
> a Win2k SP4 server which runs SQL server 2000 with the latest service
> packs and updates and everything. The server is a webserver that's being
> hosted at a hosting provider. There's absolutely nothing special or exotic
> about its configuration. Just Win2k, SQL2k and IIS5.
>
> The problem is that when I connect to this server from the EM, all options
> regarding fulltext indexing are disabled. With our local developemnt
> server we had this problem as well, but I solved it by executing "exec
> sp_fulltext_database
'enable'" and reconnecting to that server. But that
> doesn't work for the webserver...
>
> I know for a fact that fulltext indexing is working perfectly fine on the
> webserver. First of, because of the fact that there's a database that's
> already using fulltext indexing successfully. Secondly, because I can use
> the sp_fulltext_* procedures successfully. So why would the EM still
> refuse to let me use it?
>
> --
> Thanks,
>
> Martijn Saly

Martijn Saly

2005-10-27, 7:56 am

John Kane wrote:
> Martijn Saly,
> The behavior you are seeing is by design for SQL Server 2000 as the
> "Microsoft Search" service is an external service and cannot be directly
> controlled by the EM when accessed across the Internet or when the server is
> registered using an IP address or server alias. However, as you had found
> using the system stored procs sp_fulltext_* does succeed. For now, your
> best solution is to continue to use the sp_fulltext_* procedures.

So if the EM can't find the search service, it decides it is not
started? I wonder why the EM doesn't just try to do what I ask and then
give an error if it didn't work (for whatever reason).

So if the Search service can't be found or can't be accessed, the EM
shouldn't simply decide for itself that the service is stopped. That's
just very unhandy (or as some people would say: MS logic) ;)

Do you know whether this is fixed with SQL 2005?

--
Thanks,

Martijn Saly

John Kane

2005-10-28, 3:23 am

Martijn Saly,
It's true that under the conditions I stated that the EM "cannot find" the
MSSearch service (via RPC call), but it is not true that the MSSearch
service is not started, otherwise you would of gotten an error when you
executed the sp_fulltext_* procedures. Again, its not that it is stopped,
the EM assumes so, because it cannot detect the service.

At this time, I'm not sure if this is still an issue for the SQL 2005
Management Studio (SSMS), as I don't have access to an external SQL Server
2005 box via the internet, but I might be able to register one with an IP
address on a domain tomorrow and I'll report back here on what happens.

Regards,
John
--
SQL Full Text Search Blog
http://spaces.msn.com/members/jtkane/

"Martijn Saly" <martijn@thany.org> wrote in message
news:Od$BhCv2FHA.3876@TK2MSFTNGP09.phx.gbl...
> John Kane wrote:
>
> So if the EM can't find the search service, it decides it is not started?
> I wonder why the EM doesn't just try to do what I ask and then give an
> error if it didn't work (for whatever reason).
>
> So if the Search service can't be found or can't be accessed, the EM
> shouldn't simply decide for itself that the service is stopped. That's
> just very unhandy (or as some people would say: MS logic) ;)
>
> Do you know whether this is fixed with SQL 2005?
>
> --
> Thanks,
>
> Martijn Saly

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