Microsoft Search Service: Is there an OLE DB provider? (alternate: Index Server on Win2012?)

Question

(From my research, Index Server no longer exists on Win2012 -- If this is mistaken, tell me how to set it up!)

Moving a nice .asp application from Win2003 server to Win2012. This app makes heavy use of Index Server via the OLE DB driver for index server.

Example of how we use it:

StrSQL="SELECT size, doctitle, vpath, filename, size, write, " & _
       "characterization, path, rank FROM SCOPE() " & _
       "WHERE CONTAINS('"searching words"') " & _
       "AND vPath LIKE '%Knowledgestore%'"  " & _
       "AND (filename like '%TXT')" & _
       "ORDER BY rank DESC"


Set ixQuery = Server.CreateObject("ADODB.Connection")
Set QueryRS = Server.CreateObject("ADODB.RecordSet")

ixQuery.Open "provider=msidxs;Data Source=knowledgestore"
QueryRS.Open strSQL,ixQuery

How do I do this against Microsoft Search Service?

• Is there an OLE DB provider for Search Service?
• If not, what is the appro way to access Search Service from VBA/ASP/Python?

Answer 1

use Provider=Search.CollatorDSO;Extended Properties='Application=Windows'; as connectionstring.

Answer 2

After lots of digging around, the answer has been found.

Downloading and installing Windows Search Server does not install the OLE DB provider. Neither does installing the Windows SDK. The provider is installed when the Windows Search Service is installed.

On Win7/8 desktop OS, this is installed by default (I believe). On server, you have to enable the feature.