SharePoint search architecture refers to the underlying structure and components that enable the search functionality within SharePoint. In simple words, it's the system that allows you to find information stored in SharePoint quickly and accurately. The search architecture in SharePoint 2013 consists of the following components:
Crawl component
content processing component
Index component Query
processing components
Analytics components
Search administration component
Crawl Component
The crawl component is responsible for exploring SharePoint sites and gathering information to build an index. It acts like a "crawler" that scans through documents, lists, libraries, and other content sources. It collects data and prepares it for indexing.
Content Processing Component
The content processing component takes the collected content from the crawl component and processes it before it can be indexed. This processing may involve extracting metadata, applying security trimming (ensuring users only see what they have permission to access), and performing language detection or entity extraction.
Index Component
The index component stores the processed content in a structured format, like a big catalog or database. It organizes the data based on keywords, metadata, and other properties. When you perform a search, the index component quickly retrieves relevant information from this catalog.
Query Processing Components
When you enter a search query, the query processing components handle your request. They analyze your query, apply ranking algorithms, and search through the index to find matching results. They determine the most relevant content based on factors like keyword relevance, metadata, and user permissions.
Analytics Components
The analytics components track and analyze search usage and patterns. They gather information about user queries, clicked results, and other search-related data. This data can be used to improve search relevance, identify popular content, and gain insights into user behavior.
Search Administration Component
The search administration component is responsible for managing and configuring the search environment. It allows administrators to control settings such as crawl schedules, content sources, search scopes, and result sources. This component provides the tools and interface for managing and fine-tuning the search functionality.
These components work together to provide a robust search experience in SharePoint. The crawl component collects content, the content processing component prepares it, the index component stores it for quick retrieval, the query processing components handle search requests, the analytics components gather usage data, and the search administration component allows for configuration and management of the search environment.
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