Administrators and users can only access a file, folder, user, or group in ESN after
The Search server has processed/indexed the associated metadata for the file, folder, user, or group that has been synchronized to the SQL database.
The resulting metadata index is stored in the SQL database.
As objects have their metadata synchronized and indexed by ESN Search, they become accessible. If the metadata index is unavailable because the ESN Search appliance is down, objects disappear from ESN.
For new ESN deployments, the initial processing/indexing of file and folder metadata can take anywhere from a few seconds to a few hours, depending on the number of files and folders involved.
Content indexing for searchability can take much longer. See Net Folder File Content Indexing Overview.
After the initial synchronization and indexing of file and folder metadata and content is complete, ESN handles metadata and content changes quickly and automatically.
NOTE:User and group metadata processing happens as the objects are created and doesn’t require separate planning.
Because ESN requires an accessible metadata index, if the only available search server goes down or if its index is lost (for example during an metadata index rebuild), access to files and folders, etc. is also lost (at least temporarily). For this reason, Micro Focus strongly recommends that every large deployment have two search servers. (See Setting Up Two ESN Search Appliances
in the ESN 1.0: Installation, Deployment, and Upgrade Guide.)