Inside Activate Search
Activate Search Indexes
A practical guide to how Activate builds, updates, ranks, and secures search results—plus tips for diagnosing and improving relevance.
Overview
- Storage: Indexes are generated on the web server and stored on the filesystem.
- Data source: Indexes are built only from cached data in SQL. The indexer does not query Active Directory directly. Ensure the background cache refresh tasks are healthy.
- Refresh cadence:
- Full rebuilds on first install or via nightly maintenance.
- Incremental updates approximately every 15 minutes while the web app is running.
- Security model: The index stores no ACLs. Up to 500 raw matches are fetched, then security is applied and only items the user can access are shown.
Keep the cache current. If cache tasks are stopped, the index won’t reflect recent directory changes.
Indexed Objects
The following object types are included in the index:
- Roles
- Services
- Assets
- Folders
- Cloud Folders
- Distribution Lists
- Security Groups
- Tasks
- Users
- Contacts
- Articles
- Teams
- Shared Mailboxes
- PAM accounts
- Computers
Version notes: Object Tags supported in v7+. AlternativeName supported for Services and Tasks in 8.1+.
Indexed Fields
Unless specified otherwise, each object contributes these fields:
- Name
- Description
- DisplayName (parameter)
- Keywords (parameter; string or HTML)
- Object Tags
- AlternativeName (Services & Tasks, 8.1+; creates an alias)
Additional fields by type:
Users & Contacts
- Email Address (primary; mail)
- EmployeeNumber (Users only; axEmployeeNumber)
- Domain Name (Users only; domain\username)
Folders
- UNC Path (e.g., \\Server\Share\Folder1\Folder2)
Update Types
Full Updates
Performed when no index exists (e.g., first install) and during nightly maintenance:
- Triggered by the maintenance task: Tasks / System Tasks / Background / MaintenanceScript.
- Rebuilds the entire index and removes deleted objects.
Incremental Updates
- Runs every ~15 minutes while the IIS application is active.
- Captures changes since the last update.
- Does not remove deleted objects; these disappear on the next full rebuild.
- If the IIS App Pool is stopped or times out, updates resume after restart.
Ranking: Object Weights
Each indexed item becomes a document with a base weight by object type. Higher weights appear earlier, all else equal.
Boosting a specific item
- Add a SearchBoost integer parameter to increase a document’s effective weight.
- Example: A Task (25) with SearchBoost = 75 will rank like a Service/Article (~100).
Ranking: Field Weights
Matches in certain fields count more than others. Prefix matches are especially strong.
Make sure Name, DisplayName, and Keywords carry the most distinctive, user-friendly terms.
How Search Terms Are Parsed
- Stop words are removed (e.g., “and”, “the”).
- Each remaining word is searched.
- The entire original string is also used as a prefix match against the object Name.
Advanced operators
- Use +term to require a word.
- Use -term to exclude a word.
Net effect
- Typing the start of the name usually produces the strongest hits due to prefix weighting.
Security & Result Shaping
- The search index is security-agnostic. It returns the top 500 raw matches.
- Activate then filters those by the current user’s access rights.
- It’s possible to see no results if all 500 matches are items the user can’t access.
Stop Words
Common English stop words are ignored to improve relevance. For example, the query “Accounting and Finance” is processed as “Accounting Finance.”
Testing & Diagnostics
Use Activate Desktop Studio / Administrator → Search test tool to:
- See which items matched and their calculated weights.
- Compare how object and field weights influenced the ranking.
- Click Explain Results for a breakdown of scoring.
Example: Searching for new user may show a Service and an Article at the top if they have higher base weights or boosts.
Optimising Relevance (Quick Wins)
- Favour prefixes: Ensure the most natural, user-typed beginnings are in Name/DisplayName.
- Consider AlternativeName (Services/Tasks, 8.1+) for common synonyms or abbreviations.
- Seed Keywords & Tags: Add likely search phrases to Keywords and Object Tags.
- Boost critical items: Use Search Boost to elevate key Services/Tasks to ~100 effective weight; test and adjust.
- Keep the cache fresh: Verify background tasks that populate SQL caches are running successfully.
- Plan full rebuilds: If deleted objects linger in results, schedule/trigger a full index refresh.
Troubleshooting Checklist
- Background cache jobs running and healthy.
- IIS App Pool not idling out during business hours.
- Recent changes present in SQL cache.
- Full rebuild completed after large structural changes or deletions.
- Keywords/Tags/DisplayName populated for hard‑to‑find items.
- Apply SearchBoost for business‑critical items.
- Confirm user permissions explain any “no results” scenarios.
Admin Notes
- Nightly full maintenance task path: Tasks / System Tasks / Background / MaintenanceScript.
- Incremental update cadence: ~15 minutes while the web app is active.
- Index location: filesystem of the web server (ensure adequate disk and backup as per ops standards).