search_server.rb

require 'daemon_controller'

class SearchServer
  delegate :start, :to => :controller
  
  attr_reader :controller
  
  def initialize
    @controller = DaemonController.new(
    :identifier    => 'Sphinx search server',
    :start_command => 'rake ultrasphinx:daemon:start',
    :stop_command  => 'rake ultrasphinx:daemon:stop',
    :before_start  => method(:before_start),
    :ping_command  => lambda { TCPSocket.new(Ultrasphinx::CLIENT_SETTINGS['server_host'], Ultrasphinx::CLIENT_SETTINGS['server_port']) },
    :pid_file      => Ultrasphinx::DAEMON_SETTINGS['pid_file'],
    :log_file      => Ultrasphinx::DAEMON_SETTINGS["log"])
  end
  
  def method_missing(method, *args, &block)
    @controller.respond_to?(method) ? @controller.send(method, *args, &block) : super
  end
  
  def respond_to?(method)
    super || @controller.respond_to?(method)
  end
  
  private
    def before_start
      `rake ultrasphinx:configure ultrasphinx:index`
    end
end

search_server_initializer.rb

Ultrasphinx::Search::Internals.send(:include, UltrasphinxInternalsMonkeyPatch)

ultrasphinx_internals_monkey_patch.rb

module UltrasphinxInternalsMonkeyPatch
  def self.included(receiver)
    receiver.class_eval do
      alias_method_chain :perform_action_with_retries, :autostart
    end
  end
  
  def perform_action_with_retries_with_autostart(&block)
    @server ||= SearchServer.new
    @server.start unless @server.running?
    perform_action_with_retries_without_autostart(&block)
  end
end