Windows Sharepoint Services 3.0 and Search Service

Question

We've setup the sharepoint services sites and works nicely. We've also setup multiple sites such as: http://192.168.100.52/, http://192.168.100.52/sites/IT, http://192.168.100.52/sites/Finance and couple other sites under the root.

We've setup the search service as per Ms said BUT my impression that when you search you only search within site that you are on so it can't not search a global search. How do I achieve this? From what I heard this is a limitation of WSS, correct? I've also heard that there is another Ms Search Server service that allow to do this. Is this right?

BTW ... we are using WSS 3.0 not SPPS 2007.

I am appreciated your comment.

Thanks

Answer 1

This is indeed a limitation of WSS, for full blown cross sitecollection search you need MOSS. There are some workarounds (like this) and third part tools (KwizCom). Also it is possible to "upgrade" your wss 3.0 installation to Search Server 2008, as per this Technet article.

Answer 2

You can setup a Search Server Express outside the WSS. Then in SSE admin create an index that includes the WSS sites. Finally, create a WSS site called "our company global search" and use it for the cross-wss site searches.

Other than that WSS will only give you search option of searching the currrent site and below.