Set Up Solr Search

In this section:

Solr Overview

Xinet Portal can be set to use a Solr search engine, which offers enhanced Quick Search functionality with the addition of a Solr back end. When data is entered into the Solr search database, it is stored in full word tokens. In addition, Portal users can use the Advanced Search feature to create complex search queries.

Note: If Solr Search Engine is enabled, the Advanced search is powered by the native FullText search Engine and the Quick Search is powered by the Solr Search Engine.

The incorporation of the Solr search engine provides faster and more comprehensive searching, as well as structured filtering of results. Users can refine their search results using a faceted search paradigm, enabling users to zero in on the content they are looking for. In addition, search queries can be saved.

Enable Solr Search

1.	In the Xinet Administration view, click Database > Admin > Searching.

2.	Under Solr Searching (Portal Only) click Create Solr DB to enable Solr searching.

The database indexing process will take a moment to complete.

The default location where the Solr database SQL file is saved to is / usr / etc / venture / solr / cores / xinet / file /.

Once the Solr Search engine is enabled, the following options are available:

•	Pause Solr Process: Use this option to pause the Solr database when making any changes to configuration scripts. By default, all built-in facets are recorded in Xinet. When the Pause Solr Process is enabled, the Start Solr option is displayed in the interface.

•	Disable Solr Service: Use this option to stop the Solr database and to delete the database.

•

Move Solr DB: Use this option to move the Solr database to another directory for storage.The Move Solr DB > Data Location path specifies the default location where the Solr database is saved. First, click Pause Solr Process and then select an alternative directory from the drop-down menu to move the Solr database or click a link in the data location path and select an alternative directory from the updated drop-down menu. Once done, click Start Solr.

•	Built-in Facets Enabled: Use this option to select which facets are displayed in the Portal Filters tab for your end users. For more information about facets, see Work with Built-in Facets.

Work with Built-in Facets

Facets assist Portal users to narrow down their search results. When metadata is found for any of the defined facets, the facet names and counts are displayed in the Portal Filters tab in the navigation panel.

The following built-in facets are available in the Portal Filters tab:

•	Stamp: Filter by assets containing an annotation stamp.

•	Archived: Filter files archived - True and False.

•	Kind/Creator: Filter by the ‘Creator’ metadata from Apple’s file system.

•	Type: Filter by file type.

•	Last Modified: Filter by file system modification dates.

•	Created On: Filter by file system creation dates.

Note: By default, new installations and newly built Solr databases enable the built-in facets Archive, Kind/Creator, and Type to display in the Portal Filters tab.

As an Administrator, you can enable any of the default built-in facets to display in Portal. You can also disable all Facets from displaying the Portal Filters tab while the user is browsing or searching, to improve the performance for sites using large databases.

IMPORTANT:

Performance will vary for environments depending on how many assets are managed at your site and how many facets are selected to display in the Filters tab for your Portal users. The more facets selected, the more Java memory is required. For information about how to increase the initial and maximum heap size, see Increase Java Memory Heap Size.

Tip:	Some versions of third-party applications create temp files which may impact the performance of Solr Search.

You can prevent unwanted temp files from being synched to the Xinet database by listing them in a ventureignorelist file. For example, Third party software products may add temp files to the Xinet database. Having these files ignored by the database can improve search results. Create a file and name it ventureignorelist. Add the names of a unwanted files or folders you want to ignored, each separated with a return line. Save this file in the following directory: /usr/adm/appletalk/.

Once this file is in place, the Solr Search engine will compute the following:

• Search for a match of that sting used in the whole path.

• Ignore lines that include '#' as comments and leading white spaces.

• Accept '*' character as wildcard to match groups strings.

* If the first ignore character is '+' it does a case insensitive comparison.

• If the ignore string has character, '?', ignore that character when matching the string.

To Select which Facets to Display for Portal Users:

1.	In the Administration view, click Databases > Admin > Searching.

2.	In the Built-in Facets Enabled options, select the facets you want your Portal users to see.

3.	Click Save Changes.

4.	In the Solr Searching (Portal Only) options, click Start Solr.

5.	Request your Portal users to log out and log into Portal.

Enable Faceting at the Top Level for Portal Users

By default, Xinet does not present faceting in Portal at the Top Level, only on searches or when browsing a volume. This is implemented to improve the initial search performance. If you want Portal users to be able to select facets over their entire volume set, you may enable the option “Include Facets in Top Level”.

To enable faceting at the Top Level:

1.	In the Administration view, click Database > Admin > Searching.

2.	Click Pause Solr Process.

3.	In the Administration view, click Portal > Edit.

4.	Select a Portal Server from the drop down menu.

5.	Click Portal > Edit > Site Manager and click the edit icon for one of the site names listed.

6.	In the Navigation section, click the Include facets in Top Level check box to enable this option.

7.	At the bottom of the page, click Submit.

8.	In the Administration view, click Database > Admin > Searching and then click Start Solr.

9.	Request your Portal users to log out and log into Portal.

Increase Java Memory Heap Size

When starting the Solr Search Engine, Administrators can also specify additional parameters to pass to Java. For example, if Java OutOfMemory errors occur when using the Solr Search Engine, you can set the initial and maximum Java heap size.

To increase the Java memory size used:

1.	In the Administration view, click Database > Admin > Searching.

2.	Click Pause Solr Process.

3.	Open the solr.conf file.

• For Unix: /usr/etc/venture/var/solr.conf

• For Windows: C:\\Program Files (x86)\Xinet\Venture\var\solr.conf

4.	Set the javaparams values.

For example,
Set the initial Java heap size and maximum Java heap size by adding the following:

javaparams=-Xms128m -Xmx512m

To increase memory performance for Xinet server sessions using Oracle Java 2 Standard Edition version1.8, add the following:

javaparams=-server

-Djava.util.logging.Level=OFF

The following logging levels are available for Java 1.8:

• SEVERE (highest)

• WARNING

• INFO

• CONFIG

• FINE

• FINER

• FINEST

• OFF

5.	Save your updates.

6.	In the Administration view, click Database > Admin > Searching and then click Start Solr

To disable displaying all facets in the Portal Filter tab:

•	Open the Solr.conf file, and add the following code:

showfacets=0

•	If you are disabling all facets from being displayed in the Portal Filter tab, the builtinfacets option is also disabled.

Creating New Metadata Facets

Portal users can specify specific facets they are looking for to refine the initial search results. These facets are saved, along with the initial query string, into the saved search.

Metadata facets are generated automatically based on the user’s keyword template. Administrators can create and modify metadata facets.

•	To create facets, click Database > Data Fields > New Field -- For more information, see Adding Data Fields.

•	To Modify facets, click Database > Data Fields > Summary and click on the edits icon for a specific data field. For more information, see Modifying or Editing Data Fields.

More Administration Filter Parameters (the solrutil Utility)

Administrators can use the utility solrutil to perform advanced filtering tasks.

To use the solrutil:

1.	Open a command-line.

2.	Type the following to open the utility directory:

cd /usr/etc/venture/bin/solrutil

3.	Launch the utility solrutil and type any of the following parameters.

Usage example:

./solrutil [-D | -d dblev] [-ipport URL] ..

solrutil Parameters

Parameter	Description
-checkdb	validate MYSQL database
-corestatus <name> <field>	print core <name>'s <field> value
-delete <fileidlist>	remove list of FileIDs
-export <folder>	export WNV to <folder>
-init <path>	create search core in <path> folder
-movecoredata <name> <path>	relocate core <name> to new <path>
-post	import entire WNV
-purgedeleted	remove files no longer present in Venture.
-schema	import Keyword config
-start	start up Solr (clearing shutdown indicator)
-stop	shut down Solr (and prevent auto-restart)
-unloadcore <name>	remove core <name>
-update <fileidlist>	import list of files from WNV
-updatepath <path>	import path and all contents from WNV
-v print	version