Project Description

The SSPScopeDeploy.wsp solution extends the SSP Search Management Interface with three new abilities:
Deploy Search Center Template SRCHCEN#0 to Site Collection(s)
Deploy Shared Search Scope(s) to Site Collection
Retract Shared Search Scope(s) From Site Collection

This automates the largest part of the "heavy lifting" when dealing with Shared Search Scopes and Many Site Collections; greatly reducing the effort required to implement a new Shared Search Scope across the enterprise.
*Important Note: This version requires your SSP Web Application and Web Applications attached to the SSP (where the Site Collections in question exist) to be running under the same service Account (i.e. the Same Application Pool Account... This will be addressed with version 1.2 due out in October 2008*
This solution completely automates the Shared Scope Deployment Process from over 10 seperate and lengthy steps, for each and every search scope in each and every site collection, into a simple button click and a smile!

Upon installation and activation you will find these abilities added to each SSP in your Farm.
These Admin Pages only surface items from web applications attached to the SSP your are in.
The SSPSearchCenterDeploy.aspx automates the generation of a Search Center in a given Site Collection.
The SSPScopeDeploy.aspx automates the deployment of one or more Shared Search Scopes to a given site collection.
The SSPScopeRetract.aspx automates the removal of one or more Shared Search Scopes from a given site collection.
Important Note: this version will only work if Your SSP Web Application and Web Applications containing the Site Collections in question are running under the same service account... this will be addressed in version 1.2 due out in October 2008

What it is:

This plug-in inserts itself into the Search section of every Shared Service Provider's main page in your Farm.
The goal of this tool is to dramaticaly decrease the time it takes to utilize newly created Shared Search Scopes from your SSP into your various Site Collections. This automates the lengthy multi-step process involving the actual creation of the Shared Scope, the addition of the Scope to the Site Collection, two search web page creations to support this.... configuring multiple items across 3 different Search pages (e.g. to have a new tab that points to this scope, not to mention the configuration of multiple Search results and search web parts to utilize this new scope), and then re-configuring the Shared Scope to utilize the search results page... It even allows you to Deploy a Search Center to your site collection if need be in order to use Shared Scopes in a given location. Or paraphrasing from the great Salesman Ron Popeil...

<Ron Popeil>
The most amazing thing about this tool is that it is so easy to use...
You just Set it... and Forget it...
You don't have to worry about anything else folks... it's just that simple...
Say it with me... Set it... and Forget it...
</Ron Popeil>

Setup Process:

This product is packaged up into an easily deployable SharePoint solution, SSPScopeDeploy.wsp, and an associated Install.bat file to insert and activate this into your farm... Just unzip the files onto your SharePoint machine and run the batch file... It's just that simple! You get three tools to ease working with Shared Scopes in the SSP.

How it works:

SSPScopeDeploy is a Farm based solution that adds 3 administration capabilities into every SSP...
For more information including screenshots detailing how this tool is utilized visit: http://nhmn.com/blogs/pointedman/PointedPost/08-05-02/SharePoint_SSPScopeDeploy_for_MOSS_launched.aspx

Over the next month I will be posting several articles detailing the internals of this process and things to watch out for should you decide to develop add ins for the Central Administration or Shared Service Provider(s); or what I learned from creating this tool. These will be available here:http://nhmn.com/blogs/pointedman.aspx