Nslookup appears to be ignoring search domains

Question

My organization has a number of shorthand URLs like 'wiki' and 'teamportal' that are on one of many domains we've acquired over the years; nobody knows what's on which domain except the DNS servers. For some reason, I can't resolve these domains. I can find them fine if I try the FQDN, however.
$ nslookup foo 172.17.1.8
Server: 172.17.1.8
Address: 172.17.1.8#53
** server can't find foo: SERVFAIL
$ nslookup foo.example.com 172.17.1.8
Server: 172.17.1.8
Address: 172.17.1.8#53
foo.example.com canonical name = intranet7.example.com.
Name: intranet7.example.com
Address: 10.8.250.134
My resolv.conf looks like this:
domain dhcp.example.com
nameserver 172.17.1.8
search examplesys.com example.com
Shouldn't that search directive tell nslookup to try those domains? What's going wrong?

Answer 1

I've based my stuff on the samples.  Unfortunately when I try and run them I get other errors.  For instance when I get to the line
Dim rh As ResponseHolder = bipService.Get("path://InfoObjects/Root Folder/WWE Reports/" + REPORT_STRING + "@SI_SCHEDULEINFO, SI_PROCESSINFO", oGetOptions)
and the path string is:
"path://InfoObjects/Root Folder/WWE Reports/rtodbc3@SI_SCHEDULEINFO, SI_PROCESSINFO"
I get
{"Get exception (Error: WBP 99999)"}
    CallStackTrace: "   at System.Web.Services.Protocols.SoapHttpClientProtocol.ReadResponse(SoapClientMessage message, WebResponse response, Stream responseStream, Boolean asyncCall)
   at System.Web.Services.Protocols.SoapHttpClientProtocol.Invoke(String methodName, Object[] parameters)
   at BusinessObjects.DSWS.BIPlatform.ConsumerBIPlatform.Get(String SessionID, String Path, GetOptions Options)
   at BusinessObjects.DSWS.BIPlatform.BIPlatform.Get(String pathURI, GetOptions options)"
    CauseDetail: Nothing
    CauseException: "SoapException"
    CauseID: Nothing
    CauseMessage: "The [action] cannot be processed at the receiver."
    Data: {System.Collections.ListDictionaryInternal}
    HelpLink: Nothing
    ID: "http://biplatform.dsws.businessobjects.com/2007/06/01/Get"
    InnerException: Nothing
    Message: "Get exception (Error: WBP 99999)"
    Operation: "http://biplatform.dsws.businessobjects.com/2007/06/01/Get"
    Source: "DSWS Web Service Consumer"
    StackTrace: "   at BusinessObjects.DSWS.BIPlatform.BIPlatform.Get(String pathURI, GetOptions options)
   at _Default.Schedule() in C:\Storage\Software\CR2008\wssdk_net_samples_12\Schedule_VB\Schedule_VB\Default.aspx.vb:line 89"
    TargetSite: {System.Reflection.RuntimeMethodInfo}
    WebServiceID: ""
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