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FAQ
- Can criteria (searchable field) be related
to a 'directory snapins? If yes, How?
- Can the options in search display at the
'Search main screen' be customized?
- How do we setup the crawler database?
- Why is that the criteria (searchable field)
limited to 5?
- What does 'Job' mean?
- What is the function of 'Add Job'?
- What are the entities that are being crawled
and inserted in the crawler database by the crawler?
- Can the crawler index the content of a file
(*.doc | *.xls | *.ppt)?
- Can we create snapins where the information
is a combination of data sources (ex: 1 snapin with more
than 1 database | 1 snapin w/ a database and a directory)?
- What knowledge does a snapin developer
needs to have?
- Is there any plan in the future regarding
eSnap capability to be able to do update data and/or file
that is being lifted from the source?
- What is inter-snapins synchronization? How
does it work? How does it apply in cases?
- What is executive view global snapins? How
does it work? How does it apply in cases?
- How does Free Form and System as two of
five snapins category function?
- What is the bulk insert directory?
- What is email snapins capability? How does
it work? How does it apply in cases?
- Does eSnap have built-in drivers inside that function
as connectors to platforms of data sources (client access for AS400
| net8 for Oracle)? If yes, please specify? If not, then please specify
resolution?
- Why can't we open *.doc or *.xls files?
- Is it possible to customize eSnap's user
interface (look and feel)?
1. Can criteria (searchable
field) be related to a ‘directory snapins? If yes, How?
A: Yes on the Key Value only. However,
in practice we are able to search on all available snapins
but limit the display to whichever snapins we want. In this
case, we can obtain more information coming from databases
but still show only directory snapins.
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2. Can the options in
search display at the ‘Search main screen’ be customized?
A: Yes. It is part of an ASP page that
can be easily edited and modified.
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3. How do we setup the
crawler database?
A: In the previous version the crawler
database was separate. We optimized the code so that the
crawler database is no longer required. The crawler service
automatically generates an ASCII file that is exported to
the repository db using DTS (“bulk insert”).
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4. Why is that the criteria
(searchable field) limited to 5?
A: The searchable fields can be increased
at will. However, the more we add searchable fields the longer
it will take to crawl. Our tests indicate that the crawler
speed for 5 searchable fields is about 2000 rec. / second.
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5. What does 'Job' mean?
A: Database and directory snapins are
by their nature “crawlable” and “searchable”. These snapins
have some properties that capture when the crawl is performed
(time, date, frequency etc.). Each time the crawler kicks
in, a job is inserted. The job log is basically a trail audit
of all crawling actions. It captures when the crawl was performed,
the target snapin, the time it took to execute, the status
(success, failure) and the number of references.
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6. What is the function
of ‘Add Job’?
A: It is used when we want to force a
crawl on a snapin that has not been scheduled for a crawl
or that the schedule did not kick in yet. (basically, it forces
an immediate crawl)
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7. What are the entities
that are being crawled and inserted in the crawler database
by the crawler?
A: The only “crawlable” objects are snapins
of type database or directory. Because, we know the connection
or the location of the folder (as well as the searchable fields)
we can on a regular basis reconstruct the references (through
the crawler) in the background and update the repository.
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8. Can the crawler index
the content of a file (*.doc | *.xls | *.ppt)?
A: No. To index a document, the use of
Microsoft Index Server or another 3rd party tool is required.
We might integrate this functionality at a later stage.
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9. Can we create snapins
where the information is a combination of data sources (ex:
1 snapin with more than 1 database | 1 snapin w/ a database
and a directory)?
A: Yes, we can use a snapin of type “Free
Form” where the administrator can create a hodge-podge of
what he wants (also a snapin of type “Global” can be used).
However, these snapins are neither “crawlable” nor “searchable”.
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10. What knowledge
does a snapin developer needs to have?
A: ASP, Scripting and our COM components.
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11. Is there any plan
in the future regarding eSnap capability to be able to do
update data and/or file that is being lifted from the source?
A: We are investigating the idea. However,
the philosophy of eSnap – as a portal – is to share and organize
existing information, i.e. packaging, rather than creating
new information.
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12. What is inter-snapins
synchronization? How does it work? How does it apply in cases?
A: There is no inter-snapin synchronization.
This terminology is unfortunately misused to indicate that
if you have 2 or more snapins from different targets that
might show common information, one can directly see if the
information is consistent amongst the different targets.
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13. What is executive
view global snapins? How does it work? How does it apply in
cases?
A: The Global snapin is a special type
of snapin that is neither crawlable nor searchable and is
always present (if the user has the appropriate privileges).
Examples of use would be:
- Help text
- News, flash, links, etc.
- Aggregate results, global reports
- Executive Summaries
- Etc.
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14. How does Free
Form and System as two of five snapins category function?
A: A System snapin is a global snapin
that is part of the framework. As an example the Search screen
is a System snapin. The idea is to push the framework to be
more generic. Consider a System snapin as a global snapin
that cannot be modified (sort of built-in).
A Free Form snapin is used when the snapin
cannot be categorized as System, Global, Database or Directory.
This is an open door to all sorts of ad hoc implementations.
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15. What is the bulk
insert directory?
A: The bulk insert directory is just the name of a mapped
folder where the crawler puts the ASCII file it generates
and calls an internal stored procedure to update the repository.
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16. What is email
snapins capability? How does it work? How does it apply in
cases?
A: ESnap is not an email platform. It uses SMTP so that
email functionality is enabled to send automatically to the
administrators and users notifications about events within
the eSnap framework.
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17. Does eSnap have built-in drivers
inside that function as connectors to platforms of data sources (client
access for AS400 | net8 for Oracle)? If yes, please specify? If not, then
please specify resolution?
A: No. ESnap uses either ODBC or OLEDB
as the native database middleware. The major DB players on
the market have already developed drivers for these middleware
so it won’t be a problem. For other environments, you might
need to establish a gateway such as SNA. A case in point,
we did install eSnap without any modifications in a heterogeneous
environment comprising: Windows NT/2000, Novell Netware, AS/400
DB2. Remember that the Microsoft OS out-of-the-box is platform
agnostic with respect to communications: TCP/IP, IPX/SPX,
NetBEUI, RPC, SMB, Novell Services, AppleTalk, etc.
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18. Why can’t we open
*.doc or *.xls files?
A: Check to see whether you have Word or
Excel on your machine. In case you do, check to see if by
default files with doc or xls extensions should be opened
in the browser or downloaded.
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19. Is it possible
to customize eSnap’s user interface (look and feel)?
A: The new version has a fantastic new
look & feel that we think customers will love. But, if
you wish to customize, the answer is yes.
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