Advanced Search Mechanism for SharePoint-based Corporate Portal
Client
The Client is RosBusinessConsulting Group, large Russian company that operates on the mass media (an information agency, business television channel RBC TV, online newspapers, and marketing communications) and IT (RBC SOFT) markets.
Problem Background
The main goal of the project was to develop an efficient and convenient search mechanism based on corporate SharePoint (MS Windows SharePoint Services - WSS) portal and Yandex Server (most popular search engine in Russia) for RUSAL, United Company, the world's largest producer of aluminum and alumina.
The overwhelming majority of information resources of the customer are accumulated in the corporate portal based on Microsoft Windows SharePoint Services, portal PHP-based services and workflow system that uses Documentum enterprise content management platform. Microsoft SharePoint portal is a corporate standard at client's environment, and it is constantly extending and updating in the direction of gathering more information about staff personal data, phone numbers directory, results of staff tests, departments' workflow, projects documentation and a great deal of other corporate data.
The main points of Yandex Search - RUSAL project was a system development that allows company's staff to execute an effective information search within diverse corporate data resources, provide flexibility of adjustment to constant RUSAL IT infrastructure changes with the opportunity to expand functionality of search mechanism. The system should have a single entry point and be able to provide the required information with minimum delays and efforts.
Project Overview
The system was developed using the following basic components:
- Search mechanism is based on Yandex Search Server platform
- User Interface is implemented using Microsoft Windows SharePoint Services platform.
There are five primary data sources that should be used in search:
- File system
- Web server
- Windows SharePoint Services portal(s)
- Workflow system (Documentum)
- Phone numbers index (custom Web solution).
Files, WSS resources, Document circulation system and web server resources go through a usual indexing procedure. Search is performed according to user rights permissions which are retrieved from Active Directory. Search options feature Quick search and Expanded search. User may save search queries and use them again.
As client's infrastructure is quite complex and undergoes constant changes, a powerful administration module was envisaged to allow easy search parameters setup, information sources and indexing rules management.
Benefits for the customers
- Significant cost reduction that results from savings of expensive staff time and energy as the opportunity to benefit from first-class searching system appeared
- Improved planning and scheduling with acceleration of decision making
Used Technologies and Products
Microsoft Windows SharePoint Services, Model Maker 6.2, MS Visio 2003, MS Visual Studio 2003 (C#), Documentum, Yandex Search, ASP.NET
Project workload
The project team was composed of 3 developers per 6 months project duration.
- Learn more about
