Configuring full-text search

Depending on how your system is configured, developers can search for rules, data instances, and work items, and application users can search for work items. By default, full-text search is enabled for rules.

Full-text search uses index files when searching. Indexes are typically updated once a minute in the background during the system pulse performed by the Pega-RULES agent.

From the Search landing page, you can enable and disable full-text search, configure the directory where the index files are stored, enable and disable encryption among search nodes, and include or exclude properties with access control policies.

To access the Search landing page, you must have the pxAccessSearchLP privilege, which is included in the PegaRULES:SysAdm4 role.

To enable search, you must configure or create some dynamic system settings. See Configuring dynamic system settings for search.

Search index types

Several types of search indexes are available. What you can do on the search landing page for an index is determined by its type.

Default indexes
typeless indexes for Rules-, Data-, and Work-.
Dedicated indexes
per class indexes that return the data type of each returned property.
Custom indexes
special purpose indexes that are created and managed outside of Dev Studio.

Work item search considerations

Allowing application users to find work items or work item attachments by using full-text search (in addition to structured searches based on owner, party, or status) has both advantages and costs. Full-text searches:

  • Can reduce the chances that an application user enters a duplicate work item.
  • Do not depend on exposed columns; all of the text is searched.
  • Might increase operator productivity by providing faster access than structured searches.

At the same time, full-text searches might:

  • Produce many results that require further review and qualification.
  • Disclose sensitive work item or work item attachment details to users who otherwise are not authorized to open or review such work.
  • Affect system performance during indexing and searching.

The standard sections @baseclass.FindWork and @baseclass.SearchField support full-text search. If your application uses a composite portal, include one of these sections (or a similar custom section) in your portal.