I've been searching for ways to do this but I haven't come up with anything.  Surely this is a very common need/want.  Basically I want to use Sharepoint Foundation 2010 but I would like to run Search Server Express in the same installation.  Additionally instead of going to a dedicated search page and then searching, I'd like to add the Search Server Express search functionality as a Web Part to the Sharepoint Foundation home page.  Is there any documented procedures to this?  If not how have you done it?

You cannot run SPF and Search Server Express in the same instance (installation). Not sure what is your setup, but SSE is built on 'top' of SPF so if you install only SSE, you will get SPF.

I think I know what you're saying.  Basically I can just add a new site to SSE and that will get me where I need to go.  I've actually done that now, but I'm having a hard time getting the search function in the new site I created to use the SSE search collections.  It just returns results from within that site and not the SSE results.

Hi atomize22,

All machines in a farm MUST run the same product, so you cannot have a Search Server Express machine in a SharePoint foundation farm.   The way to configure this is to use just install Search Server Express on all the machines and put them in the same farm. This way you have the advanced search web parts and ability to search without additional configuration. The Search Server Express Search Service Application is limited to components only running on one machine, but you can have multiple machines in the farm. The machines you would have put Foundation on will still have all the features of Foundation (since Search server is built on foundation) and can perform all the normal Foundation roles. The machine you configure to run the Search Service application can just service the search components/services.

I did the same thing i installed SharePoint foundation 2010 and I installed Search server express 2010 on another Server.  I should have installed Search server express 2010 instead.

So do i understand correcly that we can still use the Search server express 2010 installation with SharePoint foundation 2010 but would require additional configuration.

I wish it was just one packadge that included both

make sure you have not installed Sharepoint Foundation Server 2010 ontop of WSS 3.0.

make sure the Server Role is NOT WFE

http://img690.imageshack.us/img690/8870/wss12install.png

Hi David,

There is a package that includes both, as mentionned by Alpesh SPF is included in the Search Server Express package.

Jonathan

Hi Hiran,

Thanks for the reply.  But is it possible to upgrade existing SharePoint Foundation sites to Search Server Express?   I realize that if you are starting from scratch it's easier just to install SSE because it includes SPF but that doesn't work for existing deployments.

I did find one chap who made it work but was hoping to get something a bit more official.  See his post here: http://sharepointony.info/2011/02/17/sp-foundation-search-server-express-ifilters/

Thanks very much for the help,

Chris

we're thinking about doing the install over foundation.  bigluzer2 says:

 

"make sure you have not installed Sharepoint Foundation Server 2010 ontop of WSS 3.0.

make sure the Server Role is NOT WFE"

 

Why not and what will happen?

 

tim

 

Hi, 

Not sure if it can help, but I have installed SharePoint Foundation 2010 and SearchServer Express on one server (standalone installation) with SP1, Claim authentication FBA, Incoming emails, and other functionalities. The installation order is important and I wrote it down in my blog http://sharepointtips2012.blogspot.com/2012/01/sharepoint-foundation-and-search-server.html

All functionalities are working now.

 

Charles

 

 

The post mentioned has moved, here is the new link:

http://sharepointony.info/blog/Lists/Posts/Post.aspx?ID=16

Since I see that this post is still getting some visibility, it is important to point out that the "Answer" is NOT correct. Search Server Express 2010 runs on SharePoint Foundation 2010, on one server or in a farm configuration, I have deployed it several times. Perhaps what the poster is incorrectly interpreting is that the Query and Indexing roles must run on a single server, and cannot be split like the search role on SharePoint Server. I have configured BOTH Search server express running on a single SPF2010 server snd in a SPF2010 server farm, AND search server express using a separate "Search" server.

I have also seen articles which say that Search Server Express can only be configured in a farm that is a member of a domain (not workgroup) even to go so far as to say it is unsupported. This also is NOT TRUE. I have configure search server express in a workgroup. It is significantly more complex, and cannot be done using the UI (you must use powershell) but it is absolutely a supported configuration (I even went through this with MS Support, and they agree it is completely supported)