Search Service Application error

Question

Search Service Application in SharePoint 2010 server is showing an error when trying to access the Content Source, Crawl Logs etc from Crawling Menu item.

Following is the error message:

System.InvalidOperationException: The search service is not able to connect to the machine that hosts the administration component. Verify that the administration component '117d62dc-feb6-463b-b465-6664e0638529' in search application 'Search Service Application' is in a good state and try again.

at Microsoft.Office.Server.Search.Administration.SearchApi..ctor(SearchServiceApplication application) at Microsoft.Office.Server.Search.Administration.SearchServiceApplication.get_SearchApi() at Microsoft.Office.Server.Search.Administration.ContentSourceCollection..ctor(Content parent) at Microsoft.Office.Server.Search.Administration.Content.get_ContentSources() at Microsoft.Office.Server.Search.Internal.UI.WebControls.ListContentSourcesControl.OnLoad(EventArgs e) at System.Web.UI.Control.LoadRecursive() at System.Web.UI.Control.LoadRecursive() at System.Web.UI.Control.LoadRecursive() at System.Web.UI.Control.LoadRecursive() at System.Web.UI.Control.LoadRecursive() at System.Web.UI.Control.LoadRecursive() at System.Web.UI.Page.ProcessRequestMain(Boolean includeStagesBeforeAsyncPoint, Boolean includeStagesAfterAsyncPoint)

Answer 1

Run the following powershell and check if it return show "{}" (NULL)

Get-SPEnterpriseSearchServiceInstance

if yes then:

$varInstance = Get-SPEnterpriseSearchServiceInstance -local    (assuming only one Search Service Application in the farm)

$varSearchApp = get-spenterprisesearchserviceapplication

then set search Admin component:

set-spenterprisesearchadministrationcomponent –searchapplication $varSearchApp –searchserviceinstance $varInstance

http://blogs.technet.com/b/poojk/archive/2011/11/28/sharepoint-2010-search-service-is-not-able-to-connect-to-administration-component-server.aspx

Answer 2

If you can use powershell or any other sharepoint management shells, here is how to get around this problem.

First, open the shell, and input this:

Get-SPTimerJob job-application-server-admin-service | fl

It will show parameters and their values on the console. Find the parameter IsDisabled. If it is true, then (of course) it is disabled. If this is the case, then type into the prompt:

Enable-SPTimerJob job-application-server-admin-service

To make sure you have executed it correctly, execute the first command again, and find the IsDisabled parameter. If it now shows false, then you should be good to go.