Set-SPEnterpriseSearchTopology : Could not connect to the HostController service on ServerX

Question

_{Wednesday, April 24, 2013 5:48 PM}

Followed the KB on how to setup Search Topology in SharePoint 2013:

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/jj862356.aspx

All the commands executed successfully until I get to the activation of the topology:

Set-SPEnterpriseSearchTopology -Identity $newTopology

Couple of things:

1. Search Controller service showing as started on the server in question
2. Disabled Windows firewall on all nodes

All replies (8)

_{Monday, April 29, 2013 6:06 PM ✅Answered | 1 vote}

That TechNet article seems to be missing the part where the Query instance is started. It starts the search instance, but not the query instance which may explain the exception.

Try the Start-SPEnterpriseSearchQueryAndSiteSettingsServiceInstance cmdlet to start the instance:

Start-SPEnterpriseSearchQueryAndSiteSettingsServiceInstance -Identity "SERVERNAME"

Jason Warren

Infrastructure Architect

Habanero Consulting Group

habaneroconsulting.com/blog

_{Thursday, April 25, 2013 1:08 PM}

Does the variable $newTopology contain a topology? In other words, if you type $newTopology on its own line does it return a Microsoft.Office.Server.Search.Administration.Topology.SearchTopology object? The output will look something like this:

TopologyId     : 01c9ff4e-27e9-4b97-9d08-daea3554abcb
CreationDate   : 4/15/2013 12:00:00 PM
State          : Active
ComponentCount : 6

Jason Warren

Infrastructure Architect

Habanero Consulting Group

habaneroconsulting.com/blog

_{Friday, April 26, 2013 6:50 PM}

Yes.  As per the KB an instance of the search topology is instantiated.

_{Monday, May 6, 2013 6:11 PM}

Still having the same issues.  I might have to contact MS on this one.

_{Monday, May 6, 2013 6:24 PM}

So after starting the query instance on the server that is crossed out in your screenshot, you still get the exception?

Jason Warren

Infrastructure Architect

Habanero Consulting Group

habaneroconsulting.com/blog

_{Wednesday, August 7, 2013 10:43 PM | 1 vote}

it was the fracking windows firewall that was causing my problems

_{Thursday, August 8, 2013 12:42 AM}

I experienced a similar issue. Port 808 was blocked (note by default it's allowed for the WCF runtime, but not the search services) on one of the servers. I'm glad you figured it out.

Jason Warren

Habanero Consulting Group

habaneroconsulting.com/Insights

@jaspnwarren

_{Wednesday, November 4, 2015 7:52 PM}

I have had to activate following Inbound Rule: