Apache Solr is a professional full-text search engine built in Java under the auspices of the Apache Foundation.
The Solr server is very reliable and copes well with high loads, which is why it has become one of the most popular search platforms for large sites: online stores, showcase sites, catalog sites, aggregators, etc.
Almost every CMS has a built-in search. For example, in CMS 1C-Bitrix, Drupal, WordPress, etc., the search requires minimal settings and works right out of the box.
However, the built-in search has a number of significant disadvantages:
The search is full-text only, without the ability to filter or narrow results out of the box.
A search engine relies heavily on the ability of the database to fulfill search queries.
Search indexes are stored in the database, which increases its size.
solr and mysql search
Using a database for searching has serious part time data performance implications.
Each search query becomes a unique database query. Each search query competes with every other database query needed to retrieve content and display your site.
Active use of search first leads to a slowdown in site speed, then to 502 and 504 errors and makes the site unavailable as the database becomes overloaded.
504 error
Accordingly, user dissatisfaction and, as a consequence, the bounce rate grow. The inaccessibility of the site for search engines also lowers its ratings in search results. All this leads to lost profits.
Apache Solr is a customizable, open-source search platform that uses the Apache Lucene search library. Apache Solr grew out of an earlier project called Apache Lucene, which is why we see that name regularly when reading Solr documentation or installing Solr. Lucene is the underlying search technology that powers Solr. Lucene can be thought of as a software library, and Solr as a full-fledged application.
Solr is a server application, it can be hosted on commodity hardware such as a Linux server, however it is a server service. It is not intended to provide a user interface for conducting searches.
Solr significantly reduces the load on the database and speeds up searches on the site.
Solr is highly customizable, allowing us to customize not only how the results are displayed, but also what data on our site is scanned, and how any pre- or post-processing should be performed.
By carefully selecting what we crawl, we achieve better and more effective results for our site.
Solr Functions
Advanced full-text search capabilities
Optimized for high traffic
Standards-based open interfaces - XML, JSON and HTTP
Comprehensive administration interfaces
Simple monitoring
High scalability and fault tolerance
Flexibility and adaptability with easy setup
Near real-time indexing
Extensible plugin architecture
Solr Full Text Search - Key Benefits
Faceted search makes this solution almost ideal for e-commerce sites Rich set of full-text search functions: various suggestions, highlighting functions, spell checking, etc.
Documents with varied content . Solr is one of the few search engines that can read documents in multiple formats, including PDF, Word, XML, or plain text. This is ideal for projects that require reviewing a large number of PDF or Word files on a website (including contracts, resumes, training materials, eBooks, etc.).