| In this chapter we will discuss a variety of topics that are of interest if you are using SharePoint Portal Server to search for data. This includes tasks such as index housekeeping, extending the list of searchable document formats, or setting up an enterprise environment with multiple SharePoint Portal Servers where dedicated content index servers will propagate the index. Remember, the index is a kind of local database optimized for searching textual information. The actual information resides not only in SharePoint Portal Server, but also in external, remote repositories. This data originates from different document formats, such as HTML, Microsoft Word, or Microsoft PowerPoint ”and for each of these formats a filter is required to extract the textual information.  To learn more about the core elements of the index architecture, see "Building the Index," p. 99. To execute the tasks that are discussed in this chapter, it is assumed that you are workspace Coordinator. The tasks for which you need to have administrative privileges will be called out separately. After the installation, SharePoint Portal Server and its index is ready for use. But as with any fairly complex environment, you can improve the system's usability and performance by good housekeeping. This involves the selection of the appropriate disks for timely access, the scheduling of index updates to ensure that the information is accurate, and customizations that influence the search results. NOTE Remember that the index is just one important piece of SharePoint Portal Server. Another element, the Document Store, stores documents which are maintained through the document management features. This storage system is a separate component with its own housekeeping facilities.
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