Components of a Virtual Search Server

A virtual search server is a fully functioning, self-contained search service created for a particular audience, such as a department, organization, or a specific group of customers.

A virtual search server typically contains its own indexes, log files, administration interface, search and print templates, scheduled events, virtual search server name, and an optional alias.

Providing search services involves creating one or more virtual search servers.

NOTE:  Users cannot search more than one virtual search server at a time. However, a virtual search server can contain indexes created from content on multiple Web sites or file servers.

Taking the time to plan your search service strategy can save you time and money and improve the quality of your service.

When you create a new virtual search server, you create an independent search service, meaning that it is self-contained and doesn't depend on, or interact with, other virtual search servers.

Each virtual search server that you create typically contains one or more of the following components:

• Indexes: Files that hold key words and associated URLs of Web sites or file server content that have been indexed, or crawled.
• Themes: When applied, a theme instantly adds a common look and feel to your search page, search and print results pages, and response and error message pages.
• Search and Print Results Templates: Templates that become populated with the results of a search and then are displayed to the user. Depending on which templates are used, the level of detail displayed in search and print results varies.
• Scheduled Events: Index management, such as updating or regenerating, can be automated to occur at specific intervals using the Scheduling feature.