Search was once considered a black-box application that ingested content and delivered results to users opaquely. However, driven by the opportunities and demands of the growing universe of content and by the versatility of Solr/Lucene open source search technology, search applications are evolving from a standalone facility to an enabling framework.

Good search is hard. While the basics of search technology can be deceptively simple, the art and science of applying that technology to relevant business and content processing problems is daunting. By its very nature, search can span an almost infinite variety of content, formats, subject matter, relevancy criteria, and more.

This Open Source Search Readiness Checklist is organized into four broad categories:

• Why do you need a search application?
• What are the key technical characteristics of your search application?
• What is your search application’s technology environment?
• How can you ensure the best fit between Solr/Lucene and your ongoing business needs?

Each category details key issues to consider in moving to open source search. Whether you are undertaking a new search application or have a working search application running on a platform you are considering leaving behind, this checklist provides a working foundation to help you make the transition smoothly.

Working with Lucid Imagination, the commercial company for Solr/Lucene open source search technology, offers you packaged solutions that simplify and streamline search application development; lower the cost of growth through flexible, adaptable architecture; and deliver reliable backing of unmatched expertise in enterprise search and open source.