Full Text Search on SQL 2000 Part 3

In the previous month’s articles, Full Text Searching was
introduced as a way to query strings with more refinement than the usual TSQL "like"
or equal operator statements. With Full Text Searching, a new file system
structure is created, storing key words from selected fields into Catalogs. In
addition to storing typical character fields from databases, Microsoft Office
documents that have been saved as binaries can also be entered into the Catalogs.
In this month’s edition, we will begin with the maintenance issues required to
keep these Catalogs current. Once created, these catalogs can be interrogated
for key words that are near each other’s proximity, the singular and plural
versions of a word, or the noun and verb variations of a word. In addition,
search result rankings, or weights, that usually accompany internet search
engine returns can also be requested.

Population Schedules

By default, a Full Text Search Catalog is not kept in sync
with its underlying table source. We will start this month’s article by exploring
the options available for Catalog synchronization, also known as populating. Let’s
begin by creating a new catalog.

1.)    From Enterprise
Manager, select the pubs database, then from the top menu, select tools, Full
Text Indexing. The full text wizard should appear. If the full text options
are grayed out, either the search service is not installed, or you are on a
non-server OS. Running Enterprise manager from a workstation and registering a
server will not work. Select Next from the wizard.

2.)    Select the
authors table and click Next.

3.)    Select the
default unique index and click next. Full text indexing only supports tables
with a unique index.

4.)    On the columns
screen, select first name, last name, and city, then click Next.

5.)    If you have a
previously created Catalog, you will now be prompted to include this new search
into the existing Catalog, or to crate a new one. For this example, a new
Catalog will be created called demo2. Then click Next.

We should now be on the "Select or Create Population
Schedules" screen. In the first
article
of this series, we exercised the option of not having a population
schedule. Population scheduling is not a requirement. In the Part 1 example,
we created an empty Catalog, then, after creation, we did a one time, manual
population. In that example, the Catalog would never receive another update,
unless it was done manually again. This would be a good option if the database
was closed to DML and only a one-time population was needed. In the majority
of cases, the database will be receiving updates, changes, and deletions, and we
will want these reflected in the Catalog. There are three major methods of
keeping Catalogs current, Full Rebuilds, Incremental Rebuilds using a
timestamp, and Change Tracking, where each change to the source table is logged.
This last option can work like a trigger, where DML operations on the underlying
table cause the Catalog to update in the background. This has the benefit of
keeping the Catalog always in sync with the underlying database table in almost
real time. However, that freshness comes at the cost of increased CPU utilization.
Although a Change Track update can be scheduled, it is usually selected for its
ability to do background updates. The two other options, Full and Incremental,
use a scheduling feature, which will be presented in this screen.
(Implementing a Background Update is not done from these screens; we will cover
it shortly.)

The first choice here is to schedule updates by table, or by
Catalog. Recall from the previous step, we had the option of including our
table selection into an existing Catalog. In that case, we could opt to update
the entire Catalog at once, rather than separate jobs for each table. Clicking
the "New Catalog Schedule" gives the options of Full or Incremental
populations.

A Full population will completely repopulate every index
included in the Catalog. (When a table is selected for inclusion in Full Text,
an index is created. See the previous articles for additional information.) Think
of this as doing a DELETE * followed by an INSERT of all records. If the
number of rows in the Catalog is very large, this may take considerable time. However,
it can be scheduled for an off peak hour using the Scheduling Frequency
selects. Incremental Populations only update the index with any changes
(insert, update, delete) that took place on the underlying table since the last
population. This option requires the underlying table to contain a timestamp
field. If you are coming to MS SQL from another database, you may be familiar
with a timestamp being a date time combination field. This is not the case in
TSQL. A TSQL timestamp is an eight-byte, unique, auto generated binary
number. Its only purpose is version control. (See "rowversion data type"
in BOL for additional details.) This timestamp is used as the control for
Incremental populations. (Note: if you are using the WRITETEXT or UPDATETEXT
methods, the timestamp field is NOT changed.)

Table Schedules give two of the same options, Full and
Incremental, that were just seen in the Catalog selects. They work the same at
the table level as they do at the Catalog level. The third option, Update
Index, can be used with Change Tracking, which we will come back to. If the
option of Incremental is selected, and there is not a timestamp field in the underlying
table, a Full Update will be used.

For this example, click cancel, so no schedule is created.
Click Next, then Finish. The wizard should create a new Catalog based on the
authors table.

Change Tracking

Change Tracking is a population method that creates a hidden
"change record" every time there is a DML operation on the underlying
table. These "change records" can update the Catalog immediately, or
be scheduled (Update Index). If they are applied immediately, then the Catalog
is up to date in near real time status with the underlying table. To enable
Change Tracking, right click the authors table in Enterprise Manager. Next,
select Change Tracking.

Right click authors once more, and now that Change Tracking
was previously invoked, select Update Index in Background. Now, every time a
table change takes place, the Catalog will be immediately updated.

Conclusion

There are several different methods available to keep
Catalogs current. With multiple update types and schedules to choose from,
almost any configuration requirement can be accommodated. Next month we will
address some additional house keeping tasks and cover searching Microsoft
Office documents.

COMMENTS

Thanks to all for the comments and suggestions for this
series. I have tried to respond to all with specific questions, but several
emails I received where deleted (user error on my part), before I could reply.
If your email was one of them, please resend. Thanks.

»


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Don Schlichting

Don Schlichting
Don Schlichting
Don Schlichting is a Microsoft MSCE, MCDBA and an Oracle Certified Associate. Working at Professional Control Corporation as the IT Director,.

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