Index Server, available in Microsoft Internet Information Server 4.0, provides elementary search capabilities for your Web site. Index Server works by tracking file changes in specified directories. When a file is added to one of those directories, Index Server looks at the file for file properties and adds those properties to its catalog. The index is then searchable from an ASP page. Differences Between Site Server Search and Index Server Site Server Search uses Index Server features to find file properties and store them in the catalog.
Index Server can only monitor a file system location.
The Search server retrieves the file or information from its original location and uses the Index Server functionality to index the files. Once the catalog is built, Search propagates the catalog to other Search servers. Search doesn't use Index Server itself, just its features. You can stop Index Server while building a catalog to reduce the requests the machine has to fulfill while building the catalog. A Key Concept File properties are key pieces of information such as the title, text, size, and date of a document.