Using Windows XP as an Index server?

We have about 200-600GB (no one knows!) of data on a netwok share. Of this
data we only want to index the word documents, possibly 5,000 files.

Here's the plan:

1. Enable the Indexing Service on a *dedicated* Windows XP machine to create
a catalog of the files on the Server.

[PC1] [PC2] [PC3]
|______|______|
|
[PC4 - contains catalog of files on server]
|
[Server]


This way the job of keeping the catalogue up to date is removed from the
server.

My questions are:

1. Does anyone see any potential problems in this physical configuration?
Other than backups what disadvantages are there in using an XP machine to
create and maintain a catalogue of server files across the network?

2. Is it possible to only catalog word files (*.doc *.rtf)

3. Is there anything I've missed? ;o)

Paul

This is possible, the problem is security will not be respected. So the
users will be able to query documents for words and get hits to documents
which the crawl account has rights to read. But when they click on the
hyperlinks they may get access denied.

1) Windows XP does not offer the performance for Indexing Services that
Windows 2000 or Win2003 offers. This is the main problem you will encounter.
2) Yes. You would have to remove the persistenthandler from all extensions
that show up in the registry. Use FiltReg for a report of the iFilters and
document extensions they index. Also make sure you are not indexing files of
unknown extensions.
3) I'm sure there is, but I can't think of something right now.

--
Hilary Cotter
Looking for a SQL Server replication book?
http://www.nwsu.com/0974973602.html

Looking for a FAQ on Indexing Services/SQL FTS
http://www.indexserverfaq.com
"Paul H" <nospam@nospam.com> wrote in message
newsQ28f.8905$Jl3.5996@newsfe4-gui.ntli.net...
> We have about 200-600GB (no one knows!) of data on a netwok share. Of
this
> data we only want to index the word documents, possibly 5,000 files.
>
> Here's the plan:
>
> 1. Enable the Indexing Service on a *dedicated* Windows XP machine to
create
> a catalog of the files on the Server.
>
> [PC1] [PC2] [PC3]
> |______|______|
> |
> [PC4 - contains catalog of files on server]
> |
> [Server]
>
>
> This way the job of keeping the catalogue up to date is removed from the
> server.
>
> My questions are:
>
> 1. Does anyone see any potential problems in this physical configuration?
> Other than backups what disadvantages are there in using an XP machine to
> create and maintain a catalogue of server files across the network?
>
> 2. Is it possible to only catalog word files (*.doc *.rtf)
>
> 3. Is there anything I've missed? ;o)
>
> Paul
>
>

Many thanks Hilary,

Could you just clarify the XP versus Win2003 performance issue? Is there a
URL you can give me that details this. Or do you know by how much the
performance is degraded and in what way (compilation/search)?

Regards,

Paul

> This is possible, the problem is security will not be respected. So the
> users will be able to query documents for words and get hits to documents
> which the crawl account has rights to read. But when they click on the
> hyperlinks they may get access denied.
>
> 1) Windows XP does not offer the performance for Indexing Services that
> Windows 2000 or Win2003 offers. This is the main problem you will
> encounter.
> 2) Yes. You would have to remove the persistenthandler from all extensions
> that show up in the registry. Use FiltReg for a report of the iFilters and
> document extensions they index. Also make sure you are not indexing files
> of
> unknown extensions.
> 3) I'm sure there is, but I can't think of something right now.
>
> --
> Hilary Cotter
> Looking for a SQL Server replication book?
> http://www.nwsu.com/0974973602.html
>
> Looking for a FAQ on Indexing Services/SQL FTS
> http://www.indexserverfaq.com
> "Paul H" <nospam@nospam.com> wrote in message
> newsQ28f.8905$Jl3.5996@newsfe4-gui.ntli.net...
>> We have about 200-600GB (no one knows!) of data on a netwok share. Of
> this
>> data we only want to index the word documents, possibly 5,000 files.
>>
>> Here's the plan:
>>
>> 1. Enable the Indexing Service on a *dedicated* Windows XP machine to
> create
>> a catalog of the files on the Server.
>>
>> [PC1] [PC2] [PC3]
>> |______|______|
>> |
>> [PC4 - contains catalog of files on server]
>> |
>> [Server]
>>
>>
>> This way the job of keeping the catalogue up to date is removed from the
>> server.
>>
>> My questions are:
>>
>> 1. Does anyone see any potential problems in this physical configuration?
>> Other than backups what disadvantages are there in using an XP machine to
>> create and maintain a catalogue of server files across the network?
>>
>> 2. Is it possible to only catalog word files (*.doc *.rtf)
>>
>> 3. Is there anything I've missed? ;o)
>>
>> Paul
>>
>>
>
>