I want to allow my users to search for specific text based on text search strings they enter. I primarily want the search to span MSWord documents stored in our LAN in directories I specify in advance. It would be interesting to allow a search of a few selected outside web sites.

Based on my understanding of the options:
1. FP built-in full-text index is the most basic but controlling its search scope is too limited for my needs.
2. SharePoint Document Search works only on documents that have been published by a user into a SharePoint Document Library.
3. MS Indexing Service provides full automated text search (and indexing?) of files within directories or web sites. These searched files may or may not be "published" into a SharePoint DocLib.

Sounds like I need to use MS Indexing Service.

I have Office XP+FrontPage, which includes SharePoint Team Services, which I understand is FPServerExtensions + some other goodies. I intend to purchase Windows2000Server on and I understand this will come with IIS5. I also would like to install ExchangeServer2000 and SQLServer2000, both of which came with my XPDeveloper license.

As far as I can tell, I would install the following on a fresh new server in this order:
W2000Server
W2KServer SP2
ExchangeServer2000
SQLServer2000
IIS5
SharePointTeamServices

My question is: does MS Indexing Service come with FP, W2KS/IIS5, or is it something unique? I see Index Server stuff @MS (which is for NT4) but I can't seem to find anything about MS Indexing Service (Index Server's W2000Server/IIS5 counterpart).

I also find something called Site Server @MS that sounds very similar to Index Server and has some other neat features. It has downloads for both NT4 and W2000Server/IIS5. Is this what I am looking for or is this something I should be considering?

Thanks!
fried

It requires you to set up a catalog on the server, and then you can use FP with it, but you cannot just install search using FP unless you disable index server. You wouldn't want to do that. I'm sure.

I have heard that SiteServer will allow searches of pdf docs and (I assume) word docs. I've never heard of any search functinality with the ability to search documents that do not exist on the web server. I guess anything's possible, however.

I would love to have somebody here go whole hog with SharePoint and write an article for OutFront News about the experience.

Give it a try. You have nothing to loose but your sanity.