Windows SharePoint Services 3 Search Event ID 2436

I was combing through the event logs on a server I set up recently when I ran across an Warning event occurring exactly every hour.

Log Name:      Application Source:        Windows SharePoint Services 3 Search Date:          7/22/2009 6:34:03 PM Event ID:      2436 Task Category: Gatherer Level:         Warning Keywords:      Classic User:          N/A Computer:      server.domain.com Description: The start address <sts3://SSP_URL/contentdbid={GUID}> cannot be crawled. Context: Application 'Search index file on the search server', Catalog 'Search' Details:     The object was not found.   (0x80041201)

After much research to no avail I had almost given up and decided it didn’t actually matter as there was nothing in the SSP that I actually needed to search. However, it finally dawned on me that the issue was that there was no root site for the SSP Web Application, just the /ssp/admin. I created an empty root and the issue immediately went away.

Also, I slept much better knowing that my event logs were nice and clean. :-)

Windows Live Writer

This is a test with Microsoft’s offline blog editing tool Windows Live Writer.

I do not like blogspot’s online editor and, working at a Microsoft Gold Partner, figured I would see what Microsoft has to offer.

So, here we go….

Web Part Management

There are times we want to manage Web parts on a SharePoint page but could not use "Edit Page" option, such as unhandled exception occurs in code and an error page is shown. In this case we normally use the Web part management page. SharePoint usually provides this link on the error page, but sometimes doesn't. So remembering the page will be helpful.

This is an application page called SPContnt.aspx. It takes one parameter url in the query string. So It would look something like

http://server/site/_layouts/spcontnt.aspx?url=http://server/site/default.aspx

This brings you to a page that will allow you to Close, Reset, and Delete Web Parts from the page.

Rebuilding System Databases (/cry)

So, I spent about 4 hours between last night and this morning troubleshooting an issue with one of my SharePoint machines. The master SQL database had somehow become corrupted and the service would not start. When you attempt to start it you get the following error in the event log:

Event Type: Information
Event Source: MSSQLSERVER
Event Category: (2)
Event ID: 3417
Date: 6/18/2008
Time: 5:19:25 PM
User: N/A
Computer: SERVER_NAME
Description:
Cannot recover the master database. SQL Server is unable to run. Restore master from a full backup, repair it, or rebuild it. For more information about how to rebuild the master database, see SQL Server Books Online.

For more information, see Help and Support Center at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp.
Data:
0000: 59 0d 00 00 0a 00 00 00 Y.......
0008: 0d 00 00 00 41 00 54 00 ....A.T.
0010: 4c 00 53 00 50 00 53 00 L.S.P.S.
0018: 44 00 30 00 31 00 56 00 D.0.1.V.
0020: 30 00 34 00 00 00 00 00 0.4.....
0028: 00 00 ..

In order to repair the master database I had to invoke the setup.exe from the install disk from the command line. The syntax to do this is as follows:

start /wait \sqlfoder\setup.exe /qb INSTANCENAME=[instance] REINSTALL=SQL_Engine REBUILDDATABASE=1 SAPWD=[strong_password]

The only issue with this is that if you have installed any of the service packs (which you should have) then that statement gives you the following error:

Installation package for the product SQL Server 2005 (64bit) cannot be found. Please locate a valid SQLRUN_SQL.MSI

After some searching I found the solution and it is to first run this command:

\sqlfoder\setup.exe /qb INSTANCENAME=myinstance REINSTALL=SQL_Engine REINSTALLMODE=v

After that succeeds you can run the normal rebuild database command listed above and it will succeed as well.

Now all you have to do is reattach all of your databases and you are good to go!

The First

This is my first entry in my first blog and is accurately named: The First. I am starting this blog because I am getting tired of not giving back to the IT community. I feel that about 75% of the answers to the issues I work are found either on a blog or in a forum and I have as of yet contributed to neither.

Now don't get me wrong I am a SharePoint evangelist and have many knowledgebase articles within my corporate intranet. I have not, however, contributed to the greater world of knowledge and how can I expect you all to keep supporting me when I do not give back?

Also, my close friend Alex Drake recently started one and it just seemed like the time. You can find his here. It has nothing to do with IT but he is an interesting guy and creates interesting things.

So, for now I will go back to work until I have useful information to put here.

Until then....