SmartSearch

The SmartSearch bundles requirements that customers place on the search function of an online presence: An intuitive, high-performance search solution that can be used on extensive websites and delivers relevant results. It offers both high result quality and optimum search convenience, thus retaining customers on the website.

At the same time, it provides editors with a web interface through the integrated SmartSearch Cockpit that can be used without IT knowledge. Editors from specialist and marketing departments are thus enabled to control and monitor search results on the web interface. For this purpose, the cockpit provides statistics, filters and analysis functions and allows the indexing of various data types (for example XML, audio, video, media) from different data sources. With the help of individualized result lists, editors can prioritize and weight search results in the back end and display selected content for predefined search queries.

1.1. Architecture

The functionalities of the SmartSearch are realized by an architecture made up of a range of different components (see figure Architecture).

These components are:

• ZooKeeper
• Solr
• SmartSearch

Abbildung 1. Architecture

The individual components always interact according to the following schema:

• Prior to creating the search index, the SmartSearch must collect the required data. For this, it accesses the information to be collected on the customer side, which can exist in the form of websites, portals or databases. In addition, a REST interface provides the option of filling the search index with further data from outside.
• After that, the SmartSearch server normalizes the data and transfers it to the Solr server. The server receives the data and persists it in an index.
• The query for data is done equivalently: The SmartSearch server receives the request, modifies it, and then forwards it to the Solr server. This responds with a search result, which the SmartSearch server returns to the customer’s end application via the REST interface.
• The SmartSearch Cockpit is to be seen detached from the other components. It serves the administration of the SmartSearch server and therefore offers a simple, web-based administration interface. Among other things, search solutions can be created and configured in this interface.
• Configurations made in the SmartSearch Cockpit are saved on the ZooKeeper server together with the Solr configuration data.

The communication to the outside is protected by HTTPS, between the components it is done via HTTP.

The SmartSearch Cockpit is a component of the SmartSearch. It enables the backend-side administration of the data collected by the SmartSearch and offers a simple, web-based interface for this purpose. This is divided into the areas Configuration, Analysis, Data and System, which can be reached via the menu. The button with the globe icon also provides a language switcher for German and English.

By default, the SmartSearch Cockpit is accessible via the following URL:

http://<Servername>:8181

The first start of the cockpit must be done with the master admin. It is created automatically with the data from the application.yml at the initial start of the SmartSearch server.

After valid login, the user is automatically redirected to the dashboard of the cockpit. Re-authentication is only required after an explicit logout or after the session has expired.

Abbildung 2. SmartSearch dashboard

2.1. Configuration

The Configuration area is divided into the submenus Prepared Search, Stopwords and Synonyms. These allow the configuration of the output of the data collected by the SmartSearch.

The following subsections describe the submenus and the functions provided by them.

2.1.1. Prepared Search

The customer-side gathering of the required data is done by the so-called data generators, which are a part of the Data area. For their management, the SmartSearch provides the Prepared Searches. These allow optimizing the search results by prioritizing individual data.

The creation and administration of the Prepared Searches is done in the interface of the same name, which can be called via the menu entry Configuration → Prepared Search.

The area shows a list of all already existing Prepared Searches and is initially empty.

In the Cloud modus, the list also displays the accessibility of each Prepared Search.

Abbildung 3. Prepared Searches

New Prepared Search

For the creation of a new Prepared Search there is a separate view, which can be called by clicking on the button New Prepared Search and is divided into the two tabs General and Facets.