Summary

This article explains how Coveo Enterprise Search 4 integrates with SharePoint.

SharePoint Integration

When SharePoint pages are modified using FrontPage 2003, they are saved in the SharePoint database. They are called "unghosted pages". Such pages are served by all web servers of a server farm i.e. all servers share the same copy.

Coveo needs to modify unghosted pages to activate its QuickSearchBox. In order to keep your server farm operational, operations affecting unghosted pages must be done in a specific order.

Scenarios:

Installing or Upgrading Coveo on all web servers of a server farm
When first installing or when upgrading Coveo on a whole server farm, unghosted pages must be modified only when installing Coveo on the last web server. Therefore you CHECK the Integrate Coveo Enterprise Search 4 to the pages in the SharePoint database option ONLY when installing on the LAST web server of a server farm.
Uninstalling Coveo from all web servers of a server farm
When uninstalling Coveo from a whole server farm, unghosted pages must be modified when uninstalling Coveo from the first web server. Therefore you CHECK the Uninstall Coveo Enterprise Search 4 from the pages in the SharePoint database option ONLY when uninstalling from the FIRST web server of a server farm.
Installing Coveo on a new web server to be added to a server farm
Always UNCHECK Integrate Coveo Enterprise Search 4 to the pages in the SharePoint database option.
Uninstalling Coveo from a web server to be removed from a server farm
Always UNCHECK Uninstall Coveo Enterprise Search 4 from the pages in the SharePoint database option.

Note: "Updating Coveo on a new web server to be added to a server farm" is not listed because it is not a valid scenario.

For more background information on Server Farms and ghosted/unghosted pages you can read the following information:

Server Farm Topologies

Small Server Farm. One server running SQL Server 2000 and one server running SharePoint Portal Server 2003 assigned the Web, Search, Job, and Index services.

Medium Server Farm. One or two servers running SharePoint Portal Server2003 assigned the Web service (more commonly known as front-end Web servers) and running SharePoint Portal Server 2003 assigned the Search, Job, and Index services; and one server running SQL Server 2000.

Large Server Farm. Two to eight servers running SharePoint Portal Server 2003 assigned the Web service (more commonly known as front-end Web servers), two to four servers running SharePoint Portal Server 2003 assigned the Search service, one to four servers running SharePoint Portal Server 2003 assigned the Index service (one of which must be assigned the Job Server role), and any number of servers running SQL Server 2000.

Web Part Pages

The majority of sites created using Microsoft SharePoint Products and Technologies consist of Web Part Pages, which are special Web pages that contain one or more Web Parts. Web Parts are reusable components that can contain any kind of Web-based information, including analytical, collaborative, and database information. There are two kinds of Web Part Pages: ghosted and unghosted. Ghosted pages are pages stored on the file system that do not come from the child virtual directories _layouts and _vti_bin. Unghosted pages are stored in the database. Applications such as FrontPage 2003 can customize ghosted and unghosted Web Part Pages. A ghosted page becomes unghosted once the page or one of its properties has been modified—for example, by using FrontPage 2003. The main reasons for SharePoint Products and Technologies to store some templates in the file system (ghosted) and some in the database (unghosted) have to do with security and scalability.

Every SharePoint site consists of Web Part Pages. A Web Part Page is a special type of Web page that can contain one or more Web Part Zones. Every Web Part Page derives from the Microsoft.SharePoint.WebPartPages.WebPartPage class, which in turn is derived from the System.Web.UI.Page class. When working with Web Part Pages it’s important to realize that a Web PartPage can be in one of two states: ghosted or unghosted. This concept can be confusing when you’re new to SharePoint Products and Technologies, but basically, ghosted pages are Web Part Pages that are stored on the file system, and unghosted pages are stored in the SharePoint database.

Ghosted pages are all Web Part Pages that are rendered from the root virtual directory main application root and its subfolders, as well as Web Part Pages stored in SharePoint document libraries. Ghosted pages do not include pages that come from the child virtual directories _layouts and _vti_bin. Examples of ghosted pages are the default home page and the new Web Part Pages. A ghosted page becomes unghosted once the page or one of its properties has been modified, for example, using Microsoft FrontPage 2003 or Web folders. The state of a Web Part Page has significant consequences during Web Part Page rendering.

With Coveo Enterprise Search, it is important to understand what is it that a ghosted page does, because you will be prompted during the installation on a server farm for decisions that affect this system. For more information, see the Resource Kit Microsoft SharePoint Products and Technologies, from Bill English and the Microsoft SharePoint Teams.

Last Reviewed	2006/02/17
Keywords	SharePoint Integration