Checking Status

With the Index Server snap-in, you can easily check indexing status and see the properties of directories that are indexed as well as the cached properties.

To check the indexing status of a catalog

Select Index Server in the left frame of the MMC. The right frame displays a list of catalogs with information in several fields.

The following list explains each field:

Catalog: The friendly name of the catalog. For example, the name of the default catalog is Web.
Location: Shows the physical path to the catalog directory.
Size (Mb): Indicates the disk space in megabytes consumed by the indexes. This number may not increase right away. It is updated only periodically as the indexes are optimized. This counter does not include the size of the .prp file.
Total Docs: Indicates the number of objects that have been detected on the disk and indexed by the system. This number will grow as files are added.
Docs To Filter: Indicates the number of documents that have been indexed by the system.
Wordlists: Indicates how many temporary word lists have been created. As objects are indexed, the system creates word lists. When a certain number of word lists have been created (between 14 and 20, depending on the computer’s RAM), they are merged into a persistent index and cleared from memory. When a certain number of persistent indexes have been created, they are merged into a single persistent index, the master index.
Persistent Indexes: Shows you how many indexes are stored on the disk. The optimal number is one. As indexing proceeds, the system may create several persistent indexes. Periodically, these indexes are merged together to optimize system performance.

The following list shows all the messages that can appear in the Status field:

Shadow merge
Master merge
Annealing merge
Scan required
Scanning
Recovering (from corruption)

Most of these messages are informational. For example, when you see Master merge in the Status field, that means a master merge is taking place. Scan required is the only message that requires you to do something. When you see this message, you should force a scan, unless a scan is already taking place.

To see directories indexed by a certain catalog

Double click Index Server in the left frame of the MMC.

The individual catalogs appear.

Double-click the catalog name.
Under the catalog in the left frame, double-click Directories.

A list of directories appears in the right frame with information in the following fields:

Root: List of physical roots. All files below these roots are indexed (or excluded). The roots do not have to be virtual directories.
Alias: The path that the user adds. This path is returned to the client who issues a query from a remote computer.
Exclude: Yes means the directory has been excluded (not indexed) in the scope.

Note The paths you set for Path and Alias are returned only when CiScope is set to a physical scope. If you set CiScope as a virtual scope, then the virtual path is returned.

To see properties cached by a certain catalog

Double click Index Server in the left frame of the MMC.

The individual catalogs appear.

Double-click the catalog whose properties you want to view.
Under the catalog in the left frame, double-click Properties.

A list of properties appears in the right frame, displaying the following information:

Property Set: The property number identifies an individual property.
Property: The hexadecimal or string ID for the corresponding property.
Friendly Name: A label for a property in query restrictions and sort specifications. For a list of friendly property names, see List of Property Names.
Data Type: The data type expected for storing the corresponding property in the cache.
Cached Size: The amount of space in bytes allocated in the cache for a property.

If the Data Type and Cached Size fields for a property are blank, the property is not in the cache. It may not show up the results of a query, and it may not be available for value queries like @create > -1d.