SharePoint Foundation 2010 - Search running but not working. Errors in Event log

Question

I was recently tasked with the responsibility of setting up our SharePoint Foundation 2010 server with the built in SharePoint Search functionality.

We created two accounts for this purpose. A spSearch to run the service and spCrawl to crawl the content DBs. I setup the Foundation Search service with the spSearch account as the service account, the spCrawl account with pwd was added to the Content Access Acount. The database was added (no specific instance required) and the database left at default settings. I updated the index timings and clicked ok.

I then clicked on the start link and clicked again on the start button. I ensured the crawl account had access to the content database and added the server running search to the content database.

As near as I can tell none of the accounts are setup with any special rights or restrictions.

Since the Search was started we are receiving the following errors in Event Log:

Log Name: Application

Source: Microsoft-SharePoint Products-SharePoint Foundation Search

Date: 8/15/2012 3:11:53 PM

Event ID: 57

Task Category: Search service

Level: Warning

Keywords:

User: XXXXXXXXXXX

Computer: XXXXXXXXXXX

Description: A database error occurred. Source: Microsoft OLE DB Provider for SQL Server Code: 14 occurred 257 time(s) Description: [DBNETLIB][ConnectionOpen (Invalid Instance()).]Invalid connection.

Context: Application 'dfa254b7-8bac-4842-83b8-3033ebc424f2'
Event Xml:
<Event xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/win/2004/08/events/event">
  <System>
    <Provider Name="Microsoft-SharePoint Products-SharePoint Foundation Search" Guid="{1C415899-58B3-4BFC-9236-105E7FD38719}" />
    <EventID>57</EventID>
    <Version>14</Version>
    <Level>3</Level>
    <Task>173</Task>
    <Opcode>0</Opcode>
    <Keywords>0x2000000000000000</Keywords>
    <TimeCreated SystemTime="2012-08-15T21:11:53.516367700Z" />
    <EventRecordID>6100</EventRecordID>
    <Correlation />
    <Execution ProcessID="5720" ThreadID="3280" />
    <Channel>Application</Channel>
    <Computer>XXXXXXXXXXXXX</Computer>
    <Security UserID="XXXXXXXXXXXXX" />
  </System>
  <EventData>
    <Data Name="string0">Microsoft OLE DB Provider for SQL Server</Data>
    <Data Name="string1">14</Data>
    <Data Name="string2">257</Data>
    <Data Name="string3">[DBNETLIB][ConnectionOpen (Invalid Instance()).]Invalid connection.</Data>
    <Data Name="string4">

Context: Application 'dfa254b7-8bac-4842-83b8-3033ebc424f2'</Data>
  </EventData>
</Event>

I have tried everything I can think of and spent a day googling this issue with no luck. Any suggestions?

Thanks.

Answer 1

So I determined the problem on my own finally. This can be attributed to being the new guy and not knowing the configuration of the server. Turns out that SQL server had not been installed using a default instance, but because the named instance was the only one installed when connecting to it using SQL Server Management Studio without a specific instance in the connection string it still logged me into the named instance.

Once I realized the SharePoint database was on a named instance it was a quick fix to modify the search settings to point to the instance.

Search is now working.