Microsoft's Enterprise Search Line-Up - TechRepublic

Microsoft’s Enterprise Search Line-Up

  • federationimportfld(mss).jpg

    Search Server Search Federation

    On November 6, Microsoft rolled out a new member of its enterprise search line-up: Search Server 2008 Express. This free, entry-level SKU builds on the search technology that is at the heart of SharePoint Server. Microsoft made available today for download a release candidate of Search Server Express.

    \r\n\r\nThe features and functionality in Search Server 2008 Express is almost identical to what’s in SharePoint Server 2007 and the mid-level Search Server product.

    \r\n\r\nThis is the interface for importing search federation field into Microsoft Search Server 2008’s administrative back end.

  • Enterprise Search in SharePoint: People Search

    Microsoft’s enterprise search technology is based on what’s available in SharePoint Server. This shot shows how people-search results are displayed in Office SharePoint Server 2007 search.

  • Search Server: Query information analyzed

    Search Server — the rebranded Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 for Search product — can export directly to Excel information about search queries.

  • Search Server: Reporting Interface

    This is a screen shot of SharePoint Server 2007’s reporting interface, showing search queries.

  • Search Server 2008: Admin Dashboard

    Search Server 2008 features an administrator dashboard, allowing users to see a big-picture view of their search-specific data.

  • Enterprise search offerings compared

    This screen capture shows Search Center as it appears in both Microsoft Search Server 2008 and Office SharePoint Server 2008.

  • Search Center: E-mail Alerts

    Search Center — in both Microsoft Search Server 2008 and SharePoint Server 2007 — is set up to show e-mail alerts.

  • Search Center: Federated search results

    Federated search results are displayed in the System Center module in both Search Server 2008 and SharePoint Server 2007.

  • Search Center: Query Correction

    In both Search Server 2008 and SharePoint Server 2007, query corrections figure in the Search Center modules.

  • Enterprise search results on display

    Here’s how search results look in Search Center in both Search Server 2008 and SharePoint Server 2007.

  • Search Center: RSS Feeds

    In both Search Server 2008 and SharePoint Server 2007, users can see RSS feeds of their search results.

  • Search-term entry

    This shot shows the appearance, in both Search Server 2008 and SharePoint Server 2007, the entry of a search term into System Center.

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Mary Jo Foley

Mary Jo Foley has covered the tech industry for 30 years for a variety of publications, including ZDNet, eWeek and Baseline. She is the author of Microsoft 2.0: How Microsoft plans to stay relevant in the post-Gates era (John Wiley & Sons, 2008). She also is the cohost of the "Windows Weekly" podcast on the TWiT network.