SharePoint server 2013 Search Service App on Windows server 2012 R2 not working

Question

Hi all,
I installed SharePoint server 2013 on Windows  server 2012 R2 using VirtualBox.  I created a DC(domain controller) server with a domain set up on one VM and it has SQL server 2012 SP1 installed. Then SharePoint 2013 on another VM
was set up to access the DC server.  Everything seems working except Search Service App which cannot be sucessfully set up. Creation process for Search service app says Successful and 4 search databases were created and look fine. But when I navigate
to search service app admin page, it gives error info:
System status:  The search service is not able to connect to the machine that hosts the administration component. Verify that the administration component '386f2cd6-47ca-4b3a-aeb5-d9116772ef16' in search application 'Search Service Application 1' is
in a good state and try again.
Search Application Topology:  Unable to retrieve topology component health states. This may be because the admin component is not up and running.
From event viewer, I see following errors:
(1) Error From source: SharePoint Server
Application Server Administration job failed for service instance Microsoft.Office.Server.Search.Administration.SearchServiceInstance (b7c72eb8-cbaf-435e-b4c9-963cb6e4e745).
Reason: The object you are trying to create already exists. Try again using a different name. 
Technical Support Details:
System.Runtime.InteropServices.COMException (0x80040D02): The object you are trying to create already exists. Try again using a different name. 
   at Microsoft.Office.Server.Search.Administration.SearchServiceInstance.Synchronize()
   at Microsoft.Office.Server.Administration.ApplicationServerJob.ProvisionLocalSharedServiceInstances(Boolean isAdministrationServiceJob)
(2) Error From source: SharePoint Server Search
Could not access the Search database. A generic error occurred while trying to access the database to obtain the schema version info.
Context: Application '386f2cd6-47ca-4b3a-aeb5-d9116772ef16'
(3) Warning from source: SharePoint Server Search
A database error occurred. Source: .Net SqlClient Data Provider Code: 8169 occurred 0 time(s) Description:  Error ordinal: 1 Message: Conversion failed when converting from a character string to uniqueidentifier., Class: 16, Number: 8169, State: 2   
at System.Data.SqlClient.SqlConnection.OnError(SqlException exception, Boolean breakConnection, Action`1 wrapCloseInAction)
(4) Error From source: SharePoint Server
Application Server Administration job failed for service instance Microsoft.Office.Server.Search.Administration.SearchServiceInstance (b7c72eb8-cbaf-435e-b4c9-963cb6e4e745).
Reason: The gatherer application could not be mounted because the search administration database schema version does not match the expected backwards compatibility schema version. The database might not have been upgraded. 
Technical Support Details:
System.Runtime.InteropServices.COMException (0xC0041235): The gatherer application could not be mounted because the search administration database schema version does not match the expected backwards compatibility schema version. The database might not have
been upgraded. 
Since separate DC server and SharePoint server do not work, I installed SharePoint 2013 on DC server ( so DC server has everything on it now ) but it gives exactly same result. Later I installed SharePoint 2013 SP1 and still have the same problem
with Search Service app. I spent two weeks tried all suggestions available from Web and Google but SharePoint Search Service simply does not work. Config and other databases work but why Search Service has this issue seemingly related to search DB.
Could anybody please help out? You deserve a top SharePoint consultant award if you could find a solution. I am so frustrated and so tired by this issue.    
Thanks a lot.

Answer 1

Hi,
According to your post, my understanding is that  SharePoint server 2013 Search Service App did not work on Windows server 2012 R2.
Please make sure you configure Search Service Application correctly. You can refer to:Create and configure a Search service application in SharePoint Server 2013
I recommend to created new Search Service Application, and made a full crawl. Then assigned the new SSA as the default SSA for webapplications. Finnlay checked  the issue doesnt occur now,
If all search related components now are online, to keep the enviroonment clean, you can delete the old SSA.
Thank you for your understanding.
Best Regards,
Linda Li
Linda Li
TechNet Community Support