SharePoint 2013 search application break after windows update. - search

Question

Problem:
We applied some windows updates to our SharePoint server 2013 WFE. This update caused our search service application to break. It is giving following error from search service application in CA:
The search application 'Search Service Application' on server C....1 did not finish loading. View the event logs on the affected server for more information.
To investigate the root cause of the problem I check Event log and found following error :
The Execute method of job definition Microsoft.Office.Server.Search.Administration.CustomDictionaryDeploymentJobDefinition (ID a006ef86-4d33-4f2d-a77f-4cb2ac909b23) threw an exception. More information is included below.
The search application '102a182f-24fd-4147-8bc4-d22168b3e29e' on server CBRDEVSPS01 did not finish loading. View the event logs on the affected server for more information.
I also checked ULS log and find following error:
11/17/2015 10:23:57.06 OWSTIMER.EXE (0x300C) 0x32A0 SharePoint Server Search Administration dl1x High Unexpected exception caught in GathererProject::EnsureComServer. Exception message: The device is not ready. . 4f4e429d-c15d-5048-e5da-799794211bff
11/17/2015 10:23:57.06 OWSTIMER.EXE (0x300C) 0x32A0 SharePoint Server Search Administration fwi9 Exception search application Search Service Application: synchronization of default content sources failed System.IO.FileNotFoundException: The device is not ready. at Microsoft.Office.Server.Search.Administration.MSSITLB.IGatherApplication2.get_GatherProjects() at Microsoft.Office.Server.Search.Administration.GathererProject.get_ProjectObject() at Microsoft.Office.Server.Search.Administration.GathererProject.EnsureComServer() at Microsoft.Office.Server.Search.Administration.GathererProject.GetContentSource(String strContentSource) at Microsoft.Office.Server.Search.Administration.OSSPrimaryGathererProject.ProvisionContentSources() at Microsoft.Office.Server.Search.Administration.SearchServiceApplication.SynchronizeDefaultContentSources() at Microsoft.Office.Server.Search.Administration.SearchServiceApplication.Synchronize() StackTrace: at Microsoft.Office.Server.Native.dll: (sig=678c0f87-966f-4d99-9c94-b49e788d2672|2|microsoft.office.server.native.pdb, offset=131CE) at Microsoft.Office.Server.Native.dll: (offset=21BE5) 4f4e429d-c15d-5048-e5da-799794211bff
11/17/2015 10:23:57.07 OWSTIMER.EXE (0x300C) 0x32A0 SharePoint Server Search Administration fwj8 Exception failed to synchronize application Search Service Application System.IO.FileNotFoundException: The device is not ready. at Microsoft.Office.Server.Search.Administration.SearchServiceApplication.Synchronize() at Microsoft.Office.Server.Search.Administration.SearchServiceInstance.Synchronize() StackTrace: at Microsoft.Office.Server.Native.dll: (sig=678c0f87-966f-4d99-9c94-b49e788d2672|2|microsoft.office.server.native.pdb, offset=131CE) at Microsoft.Office.Server.Native.dll: (offset=21BE5) 4f4e429d-c15d-5048-e5da-799794211bff
11/17/2015 10:23:57.12 OWSTIMER.EXE (0x300C) 0x32A0 SharePoint Server Shared Services 6482 Critical Application Server Administration job failed for service instance Microsoft.Office.Server.Search.Administration.SearchServiceInstance (64d2ce6d-5c68-4c52-93b8-d0abdaf1dd18). Reason: The device is not ready. Technical Support Details: System.IO.FileNotFoundException: The device is not ready. at Microsoft.Office.Server.Search.Administration.SearchServiceInstance.Synchronize() at Microsoft.Office.Server.Administration.ApplicationServerJob.ProvisionLocalSharedServiceInstances(Boolean isAdministrationServiceJob) 4f4e429d-c15d-5048-e5da-799794211bff
To Solve it I tried following:
Restart the SharePoint Server Search through PowerShell but could not complete the action.
Clear file system Cashed on all WFE where SharePoint Timer Service is running http://www.social-point.com/sharepoint-2010-event-id-6482-application-server-administration-job-failed-for-service-instance-microsoft-office-server-search-administration-searchserviceinstance
Uninstall all the Windows Update
Tried to reset search index and stop crawling using PowerShell command and failed to do.
Run the SharePoint product configuration wizard
Check the group policy log and find nothing Impacted SharePoint Accounts.
I created a new search Application which is fully functional. Any Advise to fix the current search Application will be highly appreciated.

Answer 1

I think you're right that there are times when the only solution is to recreate the SSA. I'm in a similar situation right now after installing Windows Updates. The current search index is returning results, but new crawls will not complete and just seem to hang. It can take days to crawl all the content on this farm, so to minimize downtime, here is the plan we are about to implement:
Create a temporary web application.
Create a new Search Service Application associated with the new web
app.
Create content sources in the new SSA
Export managed properties from the old SSA using a PowerShell script like the one described here (http://blog.riccardocelesti.it/exportimport-managed-properties-via-powershell/)
Crawl the content with the new SSA
Import managed properties and mappings (again using the script above)
Switch the service app associations so the production web app uses
this new SSA. It should contain all the crawled content and be ready to respond to queries with current data.
I hope this helps someone.

Answer 2

Only option was to re-create search Servcie Application. Can I avoid creating SSA. Any idea guys?

Answer 3

one of the windows update probably installed a part of one of the earlier CUs. see https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/stefan_gossner/2015/07/15/important-psconfig-is-mandatory-for-july-2015-cu-for-sharepoint-2013/
Have you tried running the product config wizard (or psconfig)? This might fix you search problems.