Configuring VisualSVN Search Index Service to run under a dedicated user account

Applies to: VisualSVN Server 5.1 and later

VisualSVN Search Index Service is the service that manages the search index used by the full-text search feature. By default, the system built-in Network Service account is used to run the VisualSVN Search Index Service and all the required permissions are assigned automatically during installation to the NT SERVICE\vsvnsearchsvc service SID (Service Security Identifier).

The VisualSVN Search Index Service can be configured to run under a dedicated (non-default) account to improve isolation or if custom permissions are needed to access the repositories.

Required permissions

Repositories stored on a local disk

If the Repositories Root folder is located on a local disk, you don't need to manually grant permissions to the dedicated account.

All necessary permissions are automatically granted to the service SID if the following conditions are met:

  • You are using VisualSVN Server 5.1 or later.
  • The Repositories Root folder is located on a local disk.
  • The Automatically adjust permissions option is enabled in VisualSVN Server Storage settings (this option is enabled by default).

Repositories stored on a local disk

If the Repositories Root folder is located on a network share, you need to manually grant the following permissions to the dedicated account:

Object Whom to grant Permission
Repositories Root directory located on a network share Dedicated user account used to run vsvnsearchsvc (VisualSVN Search Index Service) NTFS permission: 'Read'
Share permission: 'Read'

Running the service under a dedicated account

Perform the following steps to configure the VisualSVN Search Index Service to run under a dedicated user account:

  1. Create the dedicated account. It can be a local or domain account depending on your security model.
  2. Grant the required permissions to the dedicated account.
  3. Configure VisualSVN Search Index Service to run under the dedicated account:
    1. Open the Services snap-in by clicking Start and selecting Control Panel | Administrative Tools | Services.
    2. Locate and right-click VisualSVN Search Index Service and select Properties.
    3. Select the Log On tab.
    4. Select This account and specify the account name and password.
    5. Click OK to apply changes.
    6. Restart the service using the Restart command from the service shortcut menu (or start the service using the Start command if it is stopped).

See also

KB37: Permissions required to run VisualSVN Server
KB22: Storing repositories on a network share

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