Client has Exchange 2016 (yes, I know this is E2K13, but there isn't an E2K16 client forum) using Office 2106 Pro on RDS 2016. Client opted to not use cached mode (enlightened below), so Outlook search is via Exchange Server in online mode.
Clients suddenly cannot search on one of two RDS SH servers within an RDS collection. We push users to use the other RDS SH while we troubleshoot. Turns out that while they are using Exchange Server search, the local RDS SH host is having an
issue with local indexing, as there are errors being reported for Windows Desktop Search (WDS). So, though Outlook clients are in "online" mode and not cached, you still see Outlook objects checked for each user in WDS indexing configuration.
Did a little research, and found an article that says that WDS should be disabled for RDS SH servers. https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/3204979/windows-search-is-disabled-by-default-in-windows-server-2016
It was already set to Automatic (delayed), but we disable it, and "voila" Outlook search works. However, now all the Outlook search features are greyed out and report aren't available because WDS is disabled or not working.
How does this make sense? Outlook requires WDS for full feature searching, but you aren't supposed to use WDS on an RDS SH? Outlook in online mode uses Exchange Server for searching, but breaks when WDS breaks if WDS is enabled?
Meanwhile, the client's users were working fine previously with WDS enabled and Outlook in online mode, with all Outlook search features enabled. What's nutty to me, is that WDS had nothing to index, as there are no .ost files, yet the Outlook search
features dependent upon WDS work even when Outlook is in online mode?
I'm betting a lot of RDS environments are using profile disks and enabling cached mode. But then, where to put the .ost? Certainly not Roaming, for the copying of the .ost back and forth every time. Folder redirection? Could work
I guess. Local profile only? Finally, profile disks. However, this client doesn't want to use profile disks because they would have yet another unnecessarily complicated HA implementation for that, otherwise you risk everything going down
on a prof disk server issue.
I guess my point is just to highlight the nuttiness of Outlook search on RDS, and to ask: How is everyone else deploying Outlook on RDS with having all the search features enabled? Up until WDS search ran into an issue, full featured search worked
with enabling the service, and clients not using cached mode (online only).