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Search Engines

Enterprise and open-source search engine platforms that provide scalable information retrieval capabilities.

Supported Solution Fields​

When to Use​

  • When you need full-text search capabilities
  • When you need to handle large document collections
  • When you need faceted search and filtering
  • When you need relevance scoring and ranking

When Not to Use​

  • When you only need simple string matching
  • When your dataset is very small
  • When you need specialized vector search
  • When you need real-time updates

Tradeoffs​

  • Scale vs Complexity: Larger indices require more complex management
  • Features vs Performance: More features can impact query speed
  • Accuracy vs Speed: Better relevance often means slower queries
  • Managed vs Self-hosted: Control versus operational overhead

Commercial Implementations​

  • Elasticsearch

    • Open source
    • Highly scalable
    • Rich feature set
    • Strong ecosystem

  • Solr

    • Open source
    • Mature platform
    • Enterprise features
    • Strong text search

  • Typesense

    • Modern architecture
    • Fast implementation
    • Easy to set up
    • Good for smaller deployments

  • Algolia

    • Fully managed
    • Developer friendly
    • Quick implementation
    • Strong relevance

Common Combinations​

  • Content management systems
  • E-commerce platforms
  • Documentation sites
  • Knowledge bases
  • Enterprise search

Case Study: Documentation Portal​

A software company implemented enterprise search for their documentation:

Challenge​

  • Millions of documents
  • Multiple languages
  • Complex filtering needs
  • Real-time updates

Solution​

  • Implemented Elasticsearch
  • Custom relevance scoring
  • Faceted navigation
  • Automated indexing

Results​

  • 80% faster search times
  • Improved search relevance
  • Better user satisfaction
  • Reduced support tickets