What is the difference between enterprise search and Google search or any web search, for that matter? While both are used for the purpose of search, the fact is that there are many differences. This article analyzes the key differences between the two.
Many people wonder how enterprise search is different from Google search or any other web search. If you delve into the concept behind the enterprise search engine, you’ll understood that it works very differently. With Google having become a part of our everyday lives, it has become synonymous to search in our minds. So, it might come as a surprise to the uninitiated that enterprises around the globe do not use Google or any other web search engine to look for documents stored in their organizational database.
Enterprise search and web search have exclusive purposes and one cannot be used in place of the other. Apache Solr and Elasticsearch are two most popular enterprise search engines available today. Some of the best enterprise search platforms in the market, such as 3RDi Search, are based on Solr framework. Here are the differences between enterprise search and web search in general, based on a set of parameters.
a] Enterprise Search:
Parameter 1: The Type of Network
It works on the Intranet which is a closed network.
Parameter 2: Security Requirements
It requires strong security measures as it involves access to confidential organizational data. Access control is mandatory.
Parameter 3: Types of Resources
The resources are not limited to files alone, and also include legacy data sources, directory services and relational databases, among others.
Parameter 4: Data Ingestion
Data ingestion is more complex as access to organizational resources often require FTP, HTTP and even message queue approach. Also, even minor changes in the current system in the organization, including system upgrades and schema changes, can cause instability of the search process.
Parameter 5: Data Indexing
Just as in the cases of ingestion, indexing is also a complex process. The organizational data has to be classified into domains based on the principles of semantics, for the purpose of indexing. Also, the definition of relevancy of a resource or set of resources need to be specified. Every organization has its own set of domains and this calls for advanced customization for effective functioning.
Parameter 6: Scope
It is a lot more specific as users are looking for a specific document or data. Hence, it has to be much more specific in order to cater to user requirements. It allows use of advanced features, such as faceted search and filters like time, data, department and more. It allows users to refine the results at every step for highly specific results.
b] Web Search:
Parameter 1: The Type of Network
It works on the Internet which is an open network.
Parameter 2: Security Requirements
It does not involve any confidential information and is a public search. Does not require implementation of access control.
Parameter 3: Types of Resources
The resources involved are mostly file-based. The common files are DOC, MP3, TXT, HTML, PDF, GIF, among others.
Parameter 4: Data Ingestion
It has a much simpler process of data ingestion that is carried out by a web crawler that moves over the web pages and creates a graph for the resources it comes across. This process involves HTTP and FTP standard protocols.
Parameter 5: Data Indexing
A generic index is sufficient for it to function effectively.
Parameter 6: Scope
Users usually look for results that are relevant to their query and not a specific file or document.
The Final Word:
There are differences in the way enterprise search engines and web search engines function and they also have different uses. While the latter is used by end users, the use of the former is limited to a group of people in an organization. Lastly, enterprise search is more complex as it deals with unstructured organizational data present in various formats, while web search deals with optimized content.
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