How to set up Windows 2000 Indexing Service as a generic clustered service (292542)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Windows 2000 Advanced Server SP1
  • Microsoft Windows 2000 Advanced Server SP2
  • Microsoft Internet Information Services 5.0
  • Indexing Service
This article was previously published under Q292542
This article provides information about a configuration that is not supported by Microsoft Product Support Services. This article is provided for informational purposes only; Microsoft makes no guarantee that this configuration will function properly.
Caution This is not a Microsoft Approved Configuration. This configuration is an optional workaround to overcome known limitations with Indexing Service and Window 2000 Cluster Services. Configuring Indexing Service in this manner is done at your own risk. These configurations are not supported beyond Best Efforts.

SUMMARY

After you start Indexing Service and begin creating a Custom Catalog for your Web site, when you move the Web Instance and Disk Resource to the second node, the Custom Web Site Catalog has been stopped. This is by design. To move the Disk Resource from Node A to Node B, the file locks that are caused by indexing the disk must be released. This is done by stopping the catalog. However, after you move the IIS server instance and Disk Resource back to Node A, the catalog remains offline until you manually start it.

The Index Server Catalogs are not dynamic and do not automatically restart when the cluster instances return. There are three methods to configure Indexing Service to dynamically restart the catalogs in a clustered environment. This article describes all three configurations.

Note The steps in this article should only be performed after you have successfully clustered IIS and are able to move your IIS Resource Group between nodes without errors.

MORE INFORMATION

Configuration one: Using a batch file to restart the Index Service

To configure a batch file that runs a command to restart the Index Service as a Generic Application in Cluster Administrator, do the following:
  1. Create the batch file to stop and restart Indexing Service as follows:
    1. Right-click your Desktop, click New, and then click Text Document.
    2. Name the document Index.Bat.
    3. Right-click Index.Bat, and then choose Edit.
    4. Type net stop cisvc net start cisvc.
    5. Save and close Index.Bat.
    6. Move Index.Bat to the Inetpub directory.
  2. Open the Cluster Administrator.
  3. Right-click the Web Resource Group, click New, and then click Resource.
  4. Name the new resource Index Batch.
  5. Select Generic Application as the resource type, and then click Next.
  6. Select both Nodes as Possible Owners, and then click Next.
  7. In Dependencies, select Disk, Network Name, and IIS Server Instance, and then click Next.
  8. In Parameters, enter the following:
    1. In Command Line:, type cmd /k <Drive>:\inetpub\index.bat.
    2. In Current Directory:, type <Drive>:\inetpub\.
    3. Click to clear the Allow application to interact with desktop check box.
    4. Click to select the Use Network Name for Computer Name check box.
    5. Click Finish.
  9. Open the Index Server snap-in.
  10. Click the Index Server snap-in, so you can see the catalog status in the right-hand pane.
  11. In the Cluster Administrator, bring the new Index.bat Instance online. Note that Index Server will stop and restart.
  12. Right-click the Web Resource Group and move it to the opposite node. (Note that the Customer Web Catalog has stopped.)
  13. Move the group back. (Note that the services are restarted and the catalog is online.)

Configuration two: Use a Generic Cluster Service to allow the cluster service to control the Indexing Service

In this configuration, set up Indexing Service as a Generic Cluster Service in Cluster Administrator. The Indexing Service will be configured with two independent local catalogs, which means that you will need to allow Indexing Service to index the Web site content on Node A, and then move the IIS Resources to Node 2, and let the Indexing Service on Node B index the Web site content.

To set up Indexing Service as a Generic Cluster Service with two independent catalogs, do the following:
  1. On node A, open the Cluster Administrator and verify that the IIS Cluster Instances are owned by Node A. If not, move the IIS Cluster Group to Node A. (Minimize the Cluster Administrator.)
  2. Open the Indexing Service MMC snap-in on Node A (or the Computer Management MMC snap-in in the Administrative Tools).
  3. Create a new catalog:
    1. Right-click the Indexing Service snap-in, click to expand New, and then click Catalog. (The Add Catalog dialog box will be displayed.)
    2. Give the catalog a name and choose the path (a local path) where the catalog will reside. Click OK.
    3. You will receive a Warning that states:
      The catalog will remain off-line until Indexing Service is restarted.
    4. Right-click the New Catalog, and then click Properties.
    5. In the <your catalog name> properties, click the Tracking tab.
    6. In the WWW Server drop-down list, select the site that you want this catalog to index, and then click OK.
    7. Stop and restart the Indexing Service by right-clicking the Indexing Service snap-in, clicking Stop, and then clicking Start.
    8. Wait for the Indexing Service to index the Web site, and then stop the Indexing Service.
  4. Open the Cluster Administrator and move the Web Group to Node B.
  5. Repeat step 3 on Node B. (When the catalog has completed indexing the site and you have stopped the Indexing Service, move to the next step.)
  6. Open the Cluster Administrator.
  7. Right-click the Web Resource Group, click New, and then click Resource.
  8. Name the New Resource Indexing Service.
  9. Select Generic Service as the Resource Type, and then click Next.
  10. Select both Nodes as Possible Owners, and then click Next.
  11. In Dependencies, click Disk, click Network Name, click IIS Server Instance, and then click Next.
  12. In Generic Service Parameters, type CISVC in the Service Name field, leave the Start Parameter blank, click to check the Use Network Name for Computer Name check box, and then click Next.
  13. Leave the Registry Replication dialog box blank, and then click Finish.
  14. Bring the new Indexing Cluster Service online.
  15. Test fail over by moving the Web Group between both nodes and verify that the Indexing Service is coming online and the catalog is functioning correctly:
    1. Open Indexing Service on the node that does not own the Web Group, and where the Indexing Service is stopped.
    2. Open the Cluster Administrator, right-click the Web Group, and then click Move Group.
    3. In the Indexing Services snap-in, verify that it comes online when the Indexing Cluster Service comes online in the Cluster Administrator. (Repeat these steps on the opposite node.)
You now have a Clustered Indexing Service Instance with two independent catalogs that are indexing the same Web site content.

Configuration three: Use a Generic Cluster Service to allow the cluster service to Control the Indexing Service with a Shared Catalog

In this configuration, set up Indexing Service as a Generic Cluster Service in the Cluster Administrator. The Indexing Service will be configured with one shared catalog (on the same shared disk that the IIS Instance content resides on). This means you will only need to allow Indexing Services to index the Web site content on Node A. When the Index Server Instance moves to Node B, the catalog from Node 1 will be available and a re-index will not be needed. This makes for fast recovery when a Cluster Member fails. However, there is a risk of catalog corruption that would then affect both Indexing Services.

Note To reduce the chance of catalog corruption, you must have the catalog content on the Web Groups Shared Disk and the Indexing Service Instance in the Web Group. Also, the Indexing Service Cluster Instance must be dependent on all three: The Disk Resource, Network Name, and IIS Server Instance.

To set up Indexing Service as a Generic Cluster Service with a single shared catalog, do the following:
  1. On Node A, open the Cluster Administrator and verify that the IIS Cluster Instances are owned by Node A. If not, move the IIS Cluster Group to Node A. (Minimize the Cluster Administrator.)
  2. Open the Indexing Service MMC snap-in on Node A (or the Computer Management MMC snap-in in Administrative Tools).
  3. Create a new catalog:
    1. Right-click the Indexing Service snap-in, click to expand New, and then click Catalog. (The Add Catalog dialog box will be displayed.)
    2. Give the catalog a name and choose the path (a local path) where the catalog will reside (the Shared Disk Resource where your IIS Web Content Resides). Click OK.
    3. You will receive a Warning that states:
      The catalog will remain off-line until Indexing Service is restarted.
    4. Right-click the New Catalog, and then click Properties.
    5. In the <your catalog name> properties, click the Tracking tab.
    6. In the WWW Server drop-down list, select the site that you want this catalog to index, and then click OK.
    7. Stop and restart the Indexing Service by right-clicking the Indexing Service snap-in, clicking Stop, and then clicking Start.
    8. Wait for the Indexing Service to index the Web site, and then stop the Indexing Service.
  4. Open the Cluster Administrator and move the Web Group to Node B. (This will allow Node B to connect to the Disk Resource when setting up the catalog on this node.)
  5. Repeat step 3 on Node B. (When the catalog has completed indexing the site and you have stopped the Indexing Service, move to the next step.)
  6. Open the Cluster Administrator.
  7. Right-click the Web Resource Group, click New, and then click Resource.
  8. Name the New Resource Indexing Service.
  9. Select Generic Service as the Resource Type, and then click Next.
  10. Select both Nodes as Possible Owners, and then click Next.
  11. In Dependencies, click Disk, click Network Name, click IIS Server Instance, and then click Next.
  12. In Generic Service Parameters, type CISVC in the Service Name field, leave the Start Parameter blank, click to check the Use Network Name for Computer Name check box, and then click Next.
  13. Leave the Registry Replication dialog box blank, and then click Finish.
  14. Bring the new Indexing Cluster Service online.
  15. Test fail over by moving the Web Group between both nodes and verify that the Indexing Service is coming online and the catalog is functioning correctly:
    1. Open Indexing Service on the node that does not own the Web Group, and stop the Indexing Service.
    2. Open the Cluster Administrator, right-click the Web Group, and then click Move Group.
    3. In the Indexing Services snap-in, verify that it comes online when the Indexing Cluster Service comes online in the Cluster Administrator. (Repeat these steps on the opposite node.)
You now have a Clustered Indexing Service Instance with a single shared catalog indexing the Web Site content.
Modification Type:MajorLast Reviewed:10/13/2004
Keywords:kbhowto KB292542 kbAudDeveloper
©2004 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.