Overview

This article discusses the steps to

• Enable SOLR Search,
• Working with Built-in Facets, and
• Enabling Faceting at the Top-Level for Portal Users.

Solution

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.

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.

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.

Environments

• Xinet v18.1.x, 19.0, 19.1.x, 19.2.x
• RHEL 6 x64, RHEL 7 x64, OS X Yosemite 10.10.5 - 10.12 x64, CentOS 6.5 - 7.2 x64
• SOLR 6.2.x

Prerequisite: Admin access to Xinet

Process

Enable SOLR Search

1. Log in to Xinet Administration Portal.
2. In Xinet Administration, navigate to Database > Admin > searching.
   
   
3. 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 at is:
     /usr/etc/venture/solr/cores/xinet/file/
     
     
   
4. 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 these options to select which facets are displayed in the Portal Filters tab for your end users. For more information, see the next section.
     (Click on images to enlarge.)
     

Working 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.

To Select which Facets to Display for Portal Users, follow the below steps:

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.
   
   

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.

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.

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 checkbox 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 in to Portal.
10. SOLR Search functionality should now be available for Portal Users.