Activating Search Topology stuck - then eventually throws exception

[martinlaukkanen]

Exception was:

• Activating Search Topology... PS>TerminatingError(ForEach-Object): "Exception calling "Activate" with "0" argument(s): "Topology activation failed. No system manager locations set, search application might not be ready yet. (at at Microsoft.Office.Server.Search.Administration.SearchServiceApplication.GetSystemClient(IList`1 systemManagerLocations)

Long story short after a investigation revealed the following ULS log error:

NodeRunnerAdmin ... Unexpected ... ComponentManager(Storage) : Storage: Microsoft.Ceres.CoreServices.Storage.StorageComponent[Configuring] Component failure: Failed to configure component Microsoft.Ceres.CoreServices.Services.Configuration.ComponentConfigurationException: Access to the path '/root' is denied. ---> System.UnauthorizedAccessException: Access to the path '/root' is denied.

Manuallay creating a folder in C:\root and assigning full control to the search service account and then restarting the autospinstaller script fixed it. Go figure hey.

[domgraves]

THANK YOU!!! This saved my bacon. I didn't see the /root in the ULS log but I did see the same noderunner failed to configure component. And then I looked on other SharePoint servers we have used AutoSPinstaller on and sure enough, they have a C:\root folder. Creating the C:\root on this new server with the Search account in security settings resolved the issue.