[Forum] Converted to InnoDB and now search results are terrible

[NathanLedet]

We upgraded our forum last night and converted it to InnoDB in the process.

We have 1.2 million posts - and yet a simple search on a very very broad topic reveals ONLY posts since the upgrade.

Why are no results coming up from the hundreds of thousands of other relevant posts?

[punchbowl]

have you rebuilt the search index?

you should look at using sphinx with that many posts

[NathanLedet]

Yeah I did some more searching and found that I need to rebuilt the search index.

And I did look into sphinx - but it's in Beta, requires a lot of server configuration (which I'm sure I can do - but I'd be too damn nervous), and I have no idea where I'd get help if I get stuck.

Furthermore - the plugin says...

Boards that have less 4million posts and 3million pageviews a month will see a significantly reduced benefit from this product, and we see little need to install it on smaller sites that don’t exceed both of those metrics.

So I'd rather not install it right now.

If I log in via SSH and run searchindex.php - will that help work? I haven't seen any documentation on it and what it does.

[punchbowl]

I haven't seen documentation for it either. I think you are right though.

Whichever way you choose to rebuild the search be aware it'll take hours but that during that time you don't have to shut your site.

[NathanLedet]

Really? I was just about to shut it down so I could run this!

So it won't whore out the server? I thought it was pretty intense on the server. hmm

[punchbowl]

If you are on a server you should be fine staying open. It'll slow down your server while it runs though.

[NathanLedet]

Thanks for the advice

[NathanLedet]

Just an update - and some advice to anyone looking to utilize searchindex.php

I uploaded searchindex.php to my forum directory, and then logged in via SSH, navigated to my forum directory, and ran

# php searchindex.php

The script required some general input (which is up to your discretion), asked for my forum path, and then it let loose! 6 hours 30 minutes later - rebuilding search index complete

6.5 hrs at 1.2 million posts...just to give you a vague idea of how long it took for how many posts.

Also, punchbowl, I ran this while keeping my forum open - no problems! So thanks for that info