Increase query capacity (FAST Search Server 2010 for SharePoint)

 

Applies to: FAST Search Server 2010

To improve query performance and availability, you can scale out with an additional search row.

Note

When you add a second search row you should normally have two query processing servers in your deployment. For more information about topology options and planning, see Plan search topology (FAST Search Server 2010 for SharePoint).

In this article:

• Add a search row

• Add the search row role to a backup indexer row

• Configure a new combined backup indexer and search row

• Remove a search row

• Add a query processing server

Add a search row

To add a search row, you install and deploy one query matching server for each index column in the farm.

To add a search row to a new set of servers

1. Determine the changes you must apply to the deployment configuration file (deployment.xml):

   • For the searchcluster element, add a row sub-element with the search attribute set to true.

   • Add a host element for each server in the new search row. Add a searchengine sub-element with the row number of the new search row.

2. Follow the steps in Reconfigure the deployment including adding new servers.

Add the search row role to a backup indexer row

If your farm deployment includes a backup indexer row, you can add the search row role to the servers of the backup indexer row.

To add the search row role to the servers in a backup indexer row

1. Determine the changes you must apply to the deployment configuration file (deployment.xml):

   • searchcluster: For the row element that represents the backup indexer, you change the search attribute value from false to true.

2. Follow the steps in Reconfigure the deployment without adding new servers.

Configure a new combined backup indexer and search row

For many deployments it is convenient to deploy backup indexer and query matching on the same row.

Follow the steps in Add a backup indexer row. Make sure that you set the search attribute value to true in the deployment configuration file (deployment.xml).

Remove a search row

Follow the steps in Remove servers from the farm deployment, where you change the following elements in the deployment configuration file (deployment.xml):

• searchcluster: Remove the row element for the search row.

• host: Remove the host element for each server in the search row.

Add a query processing server

You can add the query processing role to a new or an existing server in the deployment.

To add a query processing server

1. Determine the changes you must apply to the deployment configuration file (deployment.xml):

   • If you add a new server, add a host element.

   • Add a query element to the host element for the server that shall have the query processing role.

2. Reconfigure the deployment:

   • If you add the query processing role to a new server, follow the steps in Reconfigure the deployment including adding new servers.

   • If you add the query processing role to an existing server, follow the steps in Reconfigure the deployment without adding new servers.

3. Update the connection configuration for the interface between the Query SSA and the query processing server. Follow the steps in Update Query SSA connection configuration.

See Also

Concepts

Plan FAST Search Server farm topology (FAST Search Server 2010 for SharePoint)
Increase indexing capacity (FAST Search Server 2010 for SharePoint)
Reconfigure the farm deployment (FAST Search Server 2010 for SharePoint)
deployment.xml reference

Other Resources

FAST Search Server 2010 for SharePoint Capacity Planning (white paper)