About Search

The search feature is installed with other web components during the installation of Sun Java System Web Server. Search is configured and managed at the virtual server level instead of the server instance level, as it was with Sun Java System Web Server 6.0.

The Search tab in the Virtual Server Manager is used to configure search for each virtual server. From this tab you can:

• Enable and disable the search feature

• Create, modify, delete, and reindex search collections

• Create, modify, and remove scheduled maintenance tasks for search collections

Information obtained from the administrative interface is stored in the <server-root>/config/server.xml file, where it is mapped within the VS element.

Server administrators can customize the search query and search results pages. This might include rebranding the pages with a corporate logo, or changing the way search results appear. In previous releases this was accomplished through the use of pattern files. Pattern files are not supported in Sun Java System Web Server 6.1. Instead, customizing is now performed using a set of JSP tag libraries included with the product. These libraries provide functionality similar to that provided by the pattern files. For more information about customizing the search interface, see Customizing Search Pages.

There is no global “on” or “off” functionality for search as there was in previous releases. Instead, a default search web application is provided and then enabled or disabled on a specific virtual server. This search application provides the basic web pages used to query collections and view results. The search application includes sample JSPs that demonstrate how to use the search tag libraries to build customized search interfaces.

Unlike Sun Java System Web Server 6.0, version 6.1 does not provide access checking on search results. Due to the number of potential security models and realms, it is impossible to perform security checks and filter results from within the search application. It is the responsibility of the server administrator to ensure that appropriate security mechanisms are in place to protect content.

Sun Java System Web Server 6.1 provides support for multiple document search. Documents with different formats (such as HTML, ASCII, and PDF) can be indexed and searched against.

Sun Java System Web Server 6.1 does not support search on multiple document formats on the Linux platform.

The search engine used in previous releases has been replaced in Sun Java System Web Server 6.1 with a new search engine. Therefore, when you migrate from a previous release of the Web server to Sun Java System Web Server 6.1, your existing search collections and indexes are not migrated.