Manage Indexing

Re-indexing scans the entire vault, extracting and indexing properties from all the existing file versions using the latest available iFilters. Only properties currently set to In Use are re-indexed. As a result of re-indexing, existing property usage counts are updated, any new properties are added to the vault, and previously unused properties that have been set to In Use are once again indexed.

Reasons for re-indexing:

• New iFilters have been added that extract more relevant information
• Property definitions have been set to either "Not In Use" or to" In Use" and the index needs to be updated.

Which Properties Get Indexed?

When files are added to a vault, any file properties that are defined as "In Use" in the File Properties Management dialog in Autodesk Vault are indexed. The following property definitions are automatically created and set to "In Use" when Autodesk Data Management Server is installed:

• Comments
• Keywords
• Thumbnail
• Material
• Part Number
• DWG Creator Name
• DWG Creator Version

All other property definitions are created as files are added to the vault. By default, these property definitions are set to "Not In Use" and are not indexed. To index these properties, the property definition must be set to "In Use" and the vault must be re-indexed.

Indexing and Server Performance

The re-indexing process is assigned "Below Normal" priority on the server, allowing users to continue accessing the Autodesk Data Management Server even while files are being re-indexed. If the vault is backed up during the re-indexing process, the re-indexing is paused for the duration of the back up and then automatically restarted once the back up has finished. If a vault is being re-indexed and the same vault is restored, the re-indexing operation stops and all properties re-indexed to that point are replaced by the properties from the restored version.

When migrating a vault, all property definitions that are set to "In Use" remain "In Use". Once migrated, the administrator can disable those property definitions which are no longer needed. Any new property definition added to the vault following migration is set to "Not In Use" by default. To index new any property definitions following migration, set the property definition to "In Use" in the File Property Management dialog in Autodesk Vault.

Re-indexing process files from newest to oldest. In the event that the server is suddenly re-booted or loses power, re-indexing automatically starts on the last file processed when the server is brought back on line.

When re-indexing properties in a replicated environment, the re-index operation processes files located on the server from which it was started.

Once the re-indexing operation has been initiated for a vault, you can check the progress using the Re-Index Properties Status dialog. The Re-Index Properties Status dialog indicates which vault is being re-indexed, what percent of the files have been re-indexed, as well as the total number of files that have been re-indexed and the number of files remaining. The re-indexing can also be stopped using the status dialog.

The Re-Index Status dialog summarizes the files that failed to be re-indexed.

Check the Property Re-Indexing Status

1. Launch the Autodesk Data Management Console.
2. Select a vault.
3. Select Actions  Re-index File Properties.
   • If a vault is currently being re-indexed, the Re-Index Properties Status dialog is displayed indicating the current progress.
   • If re-indexing has finished or has been stopped, the Re-Index Properties dialog is displayed. Click Status to view the status of the last re-indexing operation.

Stop Re-Indexing

1. In the Re-Index Properties Status dialog, click Stop.
2. You are prompted to confirm stopping the re-indexing operation.
   • Click OK to stop re-indexing.

View Re-Indexing Details

1. In the Re-Index Properties Status dialog, click Details.
2. The files and file types that failed to re-index are listed. Click Report to save the list in a text file.

Possible reasons for a file failing to re-index include:

• An error occurred during the property extraction for an individual file. If an individual file fails to re-index and the corresponding iFilter is registered and can be loaded, then the failure is with the file and not the file type. Check the failed file to make sure it is not corrupted.
• The iFilter for a particular file type cannot be loaded. If a file cannot be re-indexed because the corresponding iFilter cannot be loaded, the file type is listed. Re-register the necessary iFilter.
• The iFilter is missing. If a file cannot be re-indexed because of a missing iFilter, that file type will be skipped each time it is encountered during the re-indexing operation.

If any files fail to re-index, either correct the corrupted file or make sure the iFilter for the specified file type is registered and then run the re-indexing operation again.

Using the Find dialog in the client applications, you can perform a full content search for a text string. This enables you to search throughout a vault for a specific text string within a known file type, as well as file properties. The Content Indexing Service must be turned on to perform full content searching in any of the clients. By default, textual content is not indexed.

1. Launch the Autodesk Data Management Server console.
2. From the navigation pane, select a vault.
3. Select Actions  Content Indexing Service.

Enable Content Indexing

1. Select Yes, enable Content Indexing Service.
2. When the content indexing service enabled, click OK.

Disable Content Indexing

1. Select No, disable Content Indexing Service.
2. You are prompted to verify that you want to disable content indexing for the selected vault. Click Yes to continue.
3. When the content indexing service is turned off, click OK.

When adding AutoCAD-based files to the vault, you can extract the block attribute properties for inclusion in the index. For more information on block attribute properties, see the Help for the corresponding AutoCAD-based product.

Extract Block Attribute Properties

1. Select Tools  Index Block Properties.
2. In the Index Block Attributes dialog box, click New.
3. Enter the name of the attributed block containing the properties you want to extract.
4. Click OK to add the index block attribute to the vault.
5. If you prefer to use the prompt instead of an attribute tag, you can choose to do so. To use the prompt instead of the attribute tag when it is available, turn on the "Extract attribute prompt when available" check box. If this check box is turned on and there is no prompt, the attribute tag is used.
6. The property definitions are added to the vault. By default, the properties are set to "Not In Use" and are not indexed. To index the properties, the property must be set to "In Use" using the Autodesk Vault stand-alone client and then the vault must be re-indexed using the server console.
   NoteFor more information and complete instructions for managing file properties, see Managing File Properties.
7. Once extracted and indexed, the properties can be displayed as columns in the Autodesk Vault stand-alone client.

Delete AutoCAD Index Blocks from the Vault

1. Select Tools  Index Block Properties. The Index Block Attributes dialog box is displayed.
2. Select a block name from the list.
3. Click Delete. The selected block attribute is removed from the list.
4. Click Yes to complete the operation.