Configure Dynamics Ax Global Search

This feature is not one of those that are well hidden. It has taken over the shortcut key Ctrl+F that used to call up the Filter by field dialog box. You might even have accidentally brought up this attractive feature during system demo. However it does not work out of the box. Let us look at the configuration required

Dynamics Ax Global Search is new feature added to the task pane in Dynamics Ax 4.0. It enables users to search for information without specifying the table and field as opposed to conventional search. Although the name global, it is not as global as you might first thought. The keyword entered is searched through fields across tables you selected only.

The Global Search Task Pane could be brought up in three ways. You could do it by clicking on the Binocular button on the tool bar, selecting the menu Edit > Find, or by pressing the shortcut key Ctrl + F.

The figure on the right illustrates a Global Search pane with result from the keyword "new york". The Categories combo box allows the user to see results from specific tables only. Clicking on the result would open the form of the designated record with the row focused.

Configuration Procedure

There are two components relevant to this feature. You may find both under menu Basic > Setup > Data Crawler. They are Table Setup and Data Crawler Setup. The former defines the table that you would like searchable within Dynamics Ax Global Search. The latter is the crawler that would build up the search index. Search will be performed on this index and not on the actual data itself.

1. Table Setup

This form is found at the main menu Basic > Setup > Data Crawler > Table Setup. This is where you specify the table that you would like searchable under Dynamics Ax Global Search. The following figures show the Table Setup form.

The Incremental checkbox you find on Overview tab indicates that indexing would be done for newly modified record only. This is only applicable for tables with modified date field. It is automatically checked if the table has the field. You are not given an option to check or uncheck this field.

In the tab Text index, you will find the fields added for indexing as well as two columns named Updated date and Updated time. They indicate when is the last time an index has been built for that table. They have impact on tables with Incremental checked. If you add a new field for text indexing after the table has been indexed, the added field will not be indexed until the data is modified. You will have to recreate index to have the field searchable. Recreating index is discussed shortly.

Tables without incremental checked will not face this problem. You may add a field for indexing anytime. The data crawler will pick it up during it subsequent scheduled crawl.

When you add a new table to the list, you will see a dialog box like the one shown above. The system will ask you whether you want to add all text fields to text index. While this facility eases the setup, it could cost some performance running under production environment. Understanding the intention of Global Search for the company and configuring accordingly is advisable.

2. Data Crawler Setup

You could find Data Crawler setup in Basic > Setup > Data Crawler > Data Crawler. This form is use to configure and manage the state of Data Crawler for each company. The following figure shows the Data Crawler Setup form.

You will get the message “The search indexing engine is not started” for every single search you perform if Data Crawler is not started. The result will still be shown but information might not be up to date. This is where you start the data crawler if it is not configured to start automatically.

You may also set the Data Crawler to start automatically. You do so by checking the Start crawler automatically checkbox in this form. You may define the speed of indexing. The speed settings and the description of the amount of resources it will consume are included in the Crawler speed combo box.

This is the place to recreate index too. We have touched one scenario where re-indexing is required in the previous section. You just have to check the Recreate index checkbox prior to starting crawler to rebuild index.

The option to run crawler in foreground is available from here too. This is done by deselecting the Run in background checkbox. However, I have not found a use for this option as starting the crawler with this option will freeze the Dynamics Ax client. Please let us know if you have found the use of this option.

Final Thoughts

When it comes to data search that spans tables, security control is always a concern. This particular feature has to comply with User Group Permissions and Record Level Security to be useful.

Vertical Search: The Vertical Solution in Search Service

The phrases horizontal solution and vertical solution are fairly common among our friends in the field of Dynamics Ax. Do you know there is an equivalent in the Search Service Industry?

We have seen enterprise increasing interest in vertical solutions. Vertical solutions are supposed to fit their needs better. Less effort is expected to gain result.

In the search service industry, there is a similar trend emerging too. It is called vertical search. More and more such services are emerging in the World Wide Web. Are there really demands for such service?

Generic Search

When we talk about search engine, Google, Yahoo and Live.com naturally come across our mind. There are a lot of search engines on the Internet but these three are the most dominant. They account for more than 90% of search traffic.

These are horizontal search engines. Searches are performed across all domains. You use keywords to delimit your search result in order to increase its accuracy. If we want to find out how to configure warehouse in Dynamics Ax for example, we have to include both the phrases Dynamics Ax and warehouse configuration. Otherwise we might get warehouse configuration for other software system instead.

Vertical Search

Have you ever thought of searching the Internet with the keyword “configure warehouse” and you see only results in Dynamics Ax? On top of that, the search result is formatted in a way that is meaningful to the domain. The users would be able to focus on their objectives and browse results in the most convenient manner.

This is what vertical search tries to address from my point of view. In more general term, vertical search scoped the search in very specific area or niche, promising pin-point accurate result for your search and has the result layout in a manner that improves user experience (user friendly in software term).

User Experience

Being focused in one area enables the site to be designed in a more “intelligent” manner. We could have categorization relevant to the target field. We could even see the use of industry specific terms that could be confusing when used in a general site.

Sample Vertical Search Services

The following are a few vertical search services. Maybe you could give them a try and let everyone know if vertical search is for you.

1. Google image search searches only image and format the result with thumbnail preview capability.

2. IT.com provides result for Information Technology Solution.

3. retrevo focuses on consumer electronics.

4. ThomasNet targets the manufacturing goods and services.

5. Top Ten Wholesale provides search for wholesaler by merchandize.

Commercial Motivation

Some might be running such service for experiment or even as interest. However, there must be commercial motivation to support their existence and nurture them for prime time.

At first look, I see such service offering targeted advertising. Being highly targeted means less user is fine. Conversion rate would naturally be higher because you are supposedly talking to the right people.

Having said so, adoption is still an important factor. You may claim to have quality users producing extra high conversion rate but conversion rate is a percentage. 100% of one equals to 1% of 100. I am sure you sure you could do the math here.

The thing here is you should expect much less people using each of such service because they are vertical. They are created to serve only a portion of the Internet community.

Final Thoughts

Will you use the vertical search if there is one in your area of interest or work? I personally would wish a really wide coverage of my search result. I like the accuracy vertical search could offer but at the same time I would wonder if I am presented with all the information out there.