The SearchServiceApplication.Pause() command does not return search results if a SharePoint query server is shut down in a SharePoint Server 2010 farm which has more than one SharePoint query servers

Symptoms

Consider the following scenario:

• You configure two Microsoft SharePoint Server 2010 servers as SharePoint query servers in a farm.

• You create a Search service application on a SharePoint server.

• One of the two SharePoint query servers is shut down.

• You run the SearchServiceApplication.Pause() command in a SharePoint PowerShell window.

In this scenario, the command does not return True. Instead, the SharePoint PowerShell window stops responding.

Resolution

To resolve this issue, apply the following hotfix updates: 

• 2536591 Description of the SharePoint Foundation 2010 hotfix package (sts-x-none.msp): June 30, 2011

• 2536588 Description of the SharePoint Server 2010 hotfix package (osrchwfe-x-none.msp): June 28, 2011

Status

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed in the "Applies to" section.