Programmatically Administering FAST Search Server 2010 for SharePoint

Applies to: SharePoint Server 2010

In this article
In This Section
Introduction to the FAST Search Server Administration Object Model
Managing Search Scopes
Creating a Custom Indexing Connector

This section provides information on how to programmatically administer Microsoft FAST Search Server 2010 for SharePoint using the Administration object model. Microsoft.SharePoint.Search.Extended.Administration.

In This Section

• Introduction to the FAST Search Server Administration Object Model

• Managing Search Scopes

• Creating a Custom Indexing Connector

• Index Schema (FAST Search Server 2010 for SharePoint)

Introduction to the FAST Search Server Administration Object Model

The Microsoft FAST Search Server 2010 for SharePoint administration object model provides methods for deployment, system administration, index schema management, linguistic tuning and keyword management.

For more information about the object model namespaces and interfaces, see Microsoft.SharePoint.Search.Extended.Administration.

For more information about how to access the object model via Windows PowerShell, see About Windows PowerShell cmdlets on Microsoft TechNet.

Managing Search Scopes

A search scope is a predefined property filter expression that you can use to limit a query.

In FAST Search Server 2010 for SharePoint, a generated search scope represents a predefined property filter that is added to the query. You can specify a search scope by using the SharePoint Server Site Administration UI, by using the Windows PowerShell interface, or by using the Scope interface in the SharePoint Server search Administration object model.

When using the Scope interface, you can specify a search scope in two ways:

1. By using the ScopeRule interface. This is similar to how you specify a search scope in SharePoint Server search, except that you do not need to compile the search scope.

2. By using the Filter property. In this property you can specify the scope filter as a string according to the FQL query syntax. The scope filter is equal to an FQL expression enclosed in an FQL FILTER operator.

   If you want to specify a full-text index in the search scope filter, you can use the special scope filter syntax, as follows.

   FullTextIndex=<name of full-text index>
   

   Important

   You can use the special full-text index scope filter syntax only when you define search scope filters. It is not valid FQL syntax.

Creating a Custom Indexing Connector

You can create a custom indexing connector by using the SharePoint Server 2010 Connector Framework. You may create an indexing connector that can be used to crawl content for SharePoint Server search and FAST Search Server 2010 for SharePoint.

For more information, see SharePoint Server Search Connector Framework.

Certain procedures in the referred articles assume there are only one Search service application in the SharePoint Server 2010 farm. When you deploy FAST Search Server 2010 for SharePoint you will have multiple SSAs defined in your SharePoint Server 2010 farm. Use the following Windows PowerShell command to retrieve a reference to the correct SSA:

$ssa = Get-SPEnterpriseSearchServiceApplication –Identity <Name of your Content SSA>

Replace <Name of your Content SSA> with the name of the FAST Search Content SSA in your farm.