Challenge
Create an internet search engine with an intuitive interface that searches multiple document formats and presents relevant search results.
Solution
Use VB.NET to create a series of ASP.NET pages to simulate the look and feel of Ask.com on an internet site. The Autonomy IDOL Enterprise documentation aggregation tool and Microsoft SharePoint provide search results.
Summary
Management of unstructured or semi-structured data is a problem for companies with large stores of varying document types. Data may not always be available in database form but rather it may be scattered throughout multiple network locations, e-mails, presentations, pictures, and other files. /corporate_document_availability.png)
Advertising companies are often subject to this “data problem” with typically large network caches of documents, images, audio, and video data.
One such company started an in-house project using the Autonomy IDOL (Intelligent Data Operating Layer) Enterprise server to crawl through and index network contents. The goal was to allow staff to perform simple searches and obtain relevant results. Unfortunately, internal expertise did not exist for correctly configuring or implementing the Autonomy application and search results were often irrelevant. While the application worked well, it did not provide the necessary ease of use or accurate results.
The company CIO approached Tecnova to design and implement a complete solution with a similar “look and feel” to the Ask.com search interface. Collaboration between Tecnova and the customer’s IT staff resolved permission, access, and configuration issues. Tecnova identified and implemented the correct software configuration and network settings needed to support all required functionality.
Autonomy IDOL remains at the heart of the data mining process. Microsoft SharePoint provides the search results to an intuitive web interface designed by Tecnova. Configurable search options allow the end user to expand or narrow the search results and provide immediate access to relevant data.
