NotSupportedException - Search operation not supported with xConnect collection-only configuration

Question

I'm trying to deploy a Sitecore xConnect instance in an XP0 configuration in my Test environment, however my CD servers keep getting a NotSupportedException when they try to use the xConnect API to query the data, with the message "Search operation not supported with xConnect collection-only configuration".

I've confirmed that the client certificate is working, as xConnect seems to be able to write data to the collection databases perfectly fine, however queries always return this exception. The bizarre thing is that the exact same instance in my dev environment works fine - I even did a diff across the two folders and only found expected differences (i.e. AppSettings.config(s) and ConnectionStrings.config(s)).

Note that the relevant files mentioned at https://doc.sitecore.net/developers/server-role-configuration-reference/xp-service-roles/xconnect-search/index.html (sc.XConnect.Collection.Initialize.xml, sc.XConnect.CollectionSearch.Initialize.xml and sc.XConnect.MarketingAutomation.Initialize.xml) are all enabled as well.

Stack Trace:

at System.Runtime.ExceptionServices.ExceptionDispatchInfo.Throw()
   at Sitecore.XConnect.Search.SearchHelpers.<ExecuteSearch>d__6`1.MoveNext()
--- End of stack trace from previous location where exception was thrown ---
   at System.Runtime.ExceptionServices.ExceptionDispatchInfo.Throw()
   at System.Runtime.CompilerServices.TaskAwaiter.HandleNonSuccessAndDebuggerNotification(Task task)
   at Sitecore.XConnect.Search.SearchDefinition`1.<Execute>d__22.MoveNext()
--- End of stack trace from previous location where exception was thrown ---
   at System.Runtime.ExceptionServices.ExceptionDispatchInfo.Throw()
   at System.Runtime.CompilerServices.TaskAwaiter.HandleNonSuccessAndDebuggerNotification(Task task)
   at Sitecore.XConnect.Search.AsyncSearchHitEnumerator`1.<Create>d__8.MoveNext()
--- End of stack trace from previous location where exception was thrown ---
   at System.Runtime.ExceptionServices.ExceptionDispatchInfo.Throw()
   at System.Runtime.CompilerServices.TaskAwaiter.HandleNonSuccessAndDebuggerNotification(Task task)
   at Sitecore.XConnect.Search.AsyncEntityQueryProvider.<ExecuteAsync>d__8`1.MoveNext()
--- End of stack trace from previous location where exception was thrown ---
   at System.Runtime.ExceptionServices.ExceptionDispatchInfo.Throw()
   at System.Runtime.CompilerServices.TaskAwaiter.HandleNonSuccessAndDebuggerNotification(Task task)
   at Sitecore.XConnect.Search.AsyncEntityQueryProvider.<ExecuteAsync>d__7`1.MoveNext()
--- End of stack trace from previous location where exception was thrown ---
   at System.Runtime.ExceptionServices.ExceptionDispatchInfo.Throw()
   at System.Runtime.CompilerServices.TaskAwaiter.HandleNonSuccessAndDebuggerNotification(Task task)
   at MyProject.InitialSettings.<SetupPopularLinks>d__14.MoveNext()
--- End of stack trace from previous location where exception was thrown ---
   at System.Runtime.ExceptionServices.ExceptionDispatchInfo.Throw()
   at System.Runtime.CompilerServices.TaskAwaiter.HandleNonSuccessAndDebuggerNotification(Task task)
   at MyProject.SettingsController.<GetInitialSettings>d__1.MoveNext()
--- End of stack trace from previous location where exception was thrown ---
   at System.Runtime.ExceptionServices.ExceptionDispatchInfo.Throw()
   at System.Runtime.CompilerServices.TaskAwaiter.HandleNonSuccessAndDebuggerNotification(Task task)
   at System.Web.Mvc.Async.TaskAsyncActionDescriptor.EndExecute(IAsyncResult asyncResult)
   at System.Web.Mvc.Async.AsyncControllerActionInvoker.<>c__DisplayClass37.<BeginInvokeAsynchronousActionMethod>b__36(IAsyncResult asyncResult)
   at System.Web.Mvc.Async.AsyncControllerActionInvoker.EndInvokeActionMethod(IAsyncResult asyncResult)
   at System.Web.Mvc.Async.AsyncControllerActionInvoker.AsyncInvocationWithFilters.<InvokeActionMethodFilterAsynchronouslyRecursive>b__3d()
   at System.Web.Mvc.Async.AsyncControllerActionInvoker.AsyncInvocationWithFilters.<>c__DisplayClass46.<InvokeActionMethodFilterAsynchronouslyRecursive>b__3f()
   at System.Web.Mvc.Async.AsyncControllerActionInvoker.AsyncInvocationWithFilters.<>c__DisplayClass46.<InvokeActionMethodFilterAsynchronouslyRecursive>b__3f()
   at System.Web.Mvc.Async.AsyncControllerActionInvoker.AsyncInvocationWithFilters.<>c__DisplayClass46.<InvokeActionMethodFilterAsynchronouslyRecursive>b__3f()
   at System.Web.Mvc.Async.AsyncControllerActionInvoker.EndInvokeActionMethodWithFilters(IAsyncResult asyncResult)
   at System.Web.Mvc.Async.AsyncControllerActionInvoker.<>c__DisplayClass21.<>c__DisplayClass2b.<BeginInvokeAction>b__1c()
   at System.Web.Mvc.Async.AsyncControllerActionInvoker.<>c__DisplayClass21.<BeginInvokeAction>b__1e(IAsyncResult asyncResult)

Code Snippet:

public async Task SetupPopularLinks()
{
    Guid definitionId = Guid.Parse("5D365D7A-847B-476A-B8DC-786C824F1435");
    List<string> guids = new List<string>(15);
    List<LinkItemClickEvent> events = new List<LinkItemClickEvent>();
    using (XConnectClient client = SitecoreXConnectClientConfiguration.GetClient())
    {
        var ints = await client.Interactions.Where(i => true).ToList();
        IAsyncQueryable<Interaction> queryable = client.Interactions.Where(x => x.LastModified > DateTime.Now.AddMonths(-3) //last three months only
            && x.Events.Any(y => y.DefinitionId == definitionId));

        var enumerable = await queryable.GetBatchEnumerator(200);
        var totalCount = enumerable.TotalCount;
        while (await enumerable.MoveNext())
        {
            var interactionBatch = enumerable.Current; // Batch of <= 200 interactions

            foreach (var interaction in interactionBatch)
            {
                events.AddRange(interaction.Events.OfType<LinkItemClickEvent>().ToList());
            }
        }

        var counts =
        events
        .GroupBy(e => e.ItemId)
        .Select(c => new { Key = c.Key, Count = c.Count() })
        .OrderByDescending(a => a.Count)
        .Take(15)
        .ToList();
        guids.AddRange(counts.Select(a => a.Key.ToString("B").ToUpperInvariant())); // React frontend needs uppercase for matching of guids
    }
    PopularLinks = guids;
}

Answer 1

I ended up finding the solution - there was never an issue with the XConnect instance, but with the configuration on the CD Sitecore instance.

The issue is that by default, Content Delivery servers are set to only use xConnect as a collection-only endpoint.

To change this, update the config in the sitecore/xconnect/clientconfig node and add a "searchConnectionStringName" parameter as below, which will be missing from the ContentDelivery role section. By default this config is located in App_Config/Sitecore/XConnect.Client.Configuration/Sitecore.XConnect.Client.config

<clientconfig type="Sitecore.XConnect.Client.Configuration.SitecoreXConnectClientConfiguration,Sitecore.XConnect.Client.Configuration"
              singleInstance="true"
              role:require="ContentDelivery or Processing or Reporting and !ContentManagement and !Standalone">
        <param desc="clientModel" ref="xconnect/runtime" />
        <param desc="collectionConnectionStringName">xconnect.collection</param>
        <param desc="searchConnectionStringName">xconnect.collection</param>
        <param desc="configurationConnectionStringName">xconnect.collection</param>
</clientconfig>