SharePoint 2016 search configuration

Creating a Search Service Application in SharePoint 2016 requires multiple steps, including setting up the required accounts, creating the application, configuring its components, and ensuring it functions properly. Follow these steps carefully:

---

Step 1: Prepare the Environment

1.1. Ensure Prerequisites Are Met

• You must have SharePoint Server 2016 installed.
• Ensure you have SQL Server 2012 or later installed and configured.
• A Managed Service Account for the Search Service Application should be created in Active Directory.

---

Step 2: Create the Search Service Application

2.1. Open SharePoint Central Administration

1. Log in to your SharePoint 2016 server with Farm Administrator rights.
2. Open Central Administration.
3. Navigate to Manage Service Applications under the Application Management section.

2.2. Create a New Search Service Application

1. Click on New and select Search Service Application.
2. Provide a Name for the Search Service Application (e.g., SearchServiceApp).
3. Choose a Search Service Account (Preferably a Managed Account created earlier).
4. Under the Application Pool section:
   • Select Create a new application pool.
   • Provide a name (e.g., SearchAppPool).
   • Choose Configurable and select the Managed Account.
5. For the Search Admin Database, specify:
   • Database Server (e.g., SQLServerName).
   • Database Name (default is Search_Service_Application_DB).
   • Authentication (leave as Windows Authentication).
6. Configure the Analytics Reporting Database:
   • Provide the database name (Search_Service_Application_AnalyticsReportingStore).
   • Ensure the correct SQL Server instance is selected.
7. Configure the Crawl Store Database:
   • Provide the database name (Search_Service_Application_CrawlStoreDB).
   • Ensure SQL Server is correct.
8. Configure the Link Database:
   • Provide the database name (Search_Service_Application_LinksStoreDB).
   • Ensure SQL Server is correct.
9. Leave the Search Index Location as the default or change if necessary.
10. Click OK to create the Search Service Application.

---

Step 3: Configure the Search Service Application

3.1. Start Search Service

1. Go to Central Administration > Manage Services on Server.
2. Ensure the following services are running:
   • SharePoint Server Search
   • Search Query and Site Settings Service
   • If stopped, click Start.

3.2. Assign Service Application Proxy

1. Go to Central Administration > Manage Service Applications.
2. Select the newly created Search Service Application.
3. Click on Administrators from the ribbon.
4. Add appropriate user accounts and assign required permissions.
5. Click OK.

3.3. Configure Search Topology

1. Navigate to Central Administration > Manage Service Applications.
2. Click on your Search Service Application.
3. Select Search Administration from the left panel.
4. Under Topology, click on Manage Search Topology.
5. Ensure all components (Admin, Crawler, Content Processing, Analytics, Query Processing, and Indexing) are properly assigned to servers.
6. Click Apply Topology.

---

Step 4: Configure Content Sources and Crawl

4.1. Set Up Content Sources

1. In Search Administration, click on Content Sources.
2. By default, “Local SharePoint Sites” is created.
3. You can Edit it or Create a New Content Source.
4. Add the URLs to be crawled (e.g., https://yoursharepointsite).
5. Select the Crawl Schedule (Full/Incremental).
6. Click OK.

4.2. Start a Full Crawl

1. Go to Content Sources.
2. Click the Start Full Crawl option.
3. Wait for the crawl to complete.

---

Step 5: Test and Verify Search Service

5.1. Test Search Functionality

1. Go to a SharePoint site collection.
2. Use the Search Box to perform a search.
3. If results appear, the configuration is successful.

5.2. Verify Crawl Logs

1. In Search Administration, go to Crawl Logs.
2. Check for errors or warnings.
3. Troubleshoot any issues as needed.

---

Step 6: Additional Configurations (Optional)

• Create Search Schema: Modify managed properties.
• Configure Query Rules: Improve search relevance.
• Set Result Sources: Define different search results.
• Enable Continuous Crawl: Keep index updated.

---