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FS4SP - Using the Windows Search connector

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Hello World of Search

 

Just a quickie today about a very useful feature in 2010: search your SharePoint content from your desktop machine (through the FAST provider).

  • Go to your favorite FAST Search Center.
  • Issue a test query to end up in the results page.
  • Locate and hit the icon as shown below

 

  • Add the Search Connector

  • Your Search Provider is now integrated in your desktop (Favorites Sidebar on windows 7)

 

 

  • Issue the same query as previously from your explorer search

 

 

  • Note the highlighting as well on your desktop search results.

 

It works fine on Win 8 too (highlighting improved)

Your search requests can be saved to future recall

In this example I set it to fetch content indexed by FAST Search Engine (Search connector created out of the FAST Provider). but you can download a search connector for People Search.

 

I invite you to explore the Search connector format (wrapper of an OpenSearch .osdx in a way) and useful application for federated search in windows client:

 

Federated Search in windows

https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-gb/library/windows/desktop/ff625899(v=vs.85).aspx

Deploying Search connectors 

https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-gb/library/windows/desktop/dd940454(v=vs.85).aspx

 

HTH