The Challenge
A provider of library management and discovery software needed to address performance and reliability problems affecting search across library catalogs and digital content. Severe query delays and recurring search-engine failures complicated the operation of services that help patrons locate library resources.
The provider also managed a multi-tenant environment with widely varying performance requirements. Improving search required addressing immediate operational problems while establishing approaches to indexing, infrastructure sizing, and ongoing system management.
Innovent’s Approach
Innovent investigated slow queries and search-engine failures, diagnosed their causes, and provided resolutions. The team also helped enhance autosuggestion features and substantially improve their performance, supporting a more responsive experience as patrons entered searches.
To improve indexing efficiency, Innovent provided guidance on partial data ingestion techniques that could increase throughput and reduce server strain by limiting the amount of data processed during updates.
Innovent provided search architecture guidance for migrating to a clustered deployment, including criteria for evaluating appropriate infrastructure sizing. The recommendations addressed the need to support tenants with different workloads and performance requirements.
The engagement also included education and practical guidance on managing search environments, helping the provider’s team make informed decisions about operating and maintaining its multi-tenant services.
The Result
The engagement delivered resolutions to severe query delays and multiple search-engine failures, along with improvements to autosuggestion functionality and performance.
The provider also gained guidance for more efficient data ingestion, appropriately sized clustered infrastructure, and effective management of varied tenant workloads. The work combined production troubleshooting with architectural planning and knowledge transfer to support the continued operation and development of its library discovery software.