SharePoint 2007: The Search Application is not provisioned

Problem

On navigating to SSP, and going to Search Administration, I saw this message for Crawl status:

The search application for [SearchAppName] on server [ServerName] is not provisioned.  Confirm that the Windows SharePoint Services Timer service and Windows SharePoint Services Administration service are running on the server.

This was a legacy SharePoint farm that I had been assigned management for.  Farm was operational and accessible by users.  However, my review found Search nonoperational.  Performed standard checks.  Cited references were helpful in focusing resolution efforts productively.

Troubleshooting

1. Check Windows SharePoint Services Timer Service
• Result: started; logon: admin account.
2. Check Windows SharePoint Services Administration service
• Result: started (obviously); logon: local system
3. Check Office SharePoint Server Search service (through CA)
• Result: started; logon: admin account
4. Stop/Start Office SharePoint Server Search service
• Result: success
5. Check Shared Services Provider configuration
1. Result: Index Server not configured.
2. Action: set Index Server; re-entered SSP Service Credentials password; clicked OK.
6. Check Search Administration
1. Result: experienced small delay in loading page (good sign); on load, crawl status indicating crawling.  Successful resolution of issue. 

References

• Spsearch: Stsadm operation (Windows SharePoint Services)
• SSP Search error (Search application for SSP… is not provisioned)