Search function delay

[tpgettys]

It has been noticed that after a post is made, the Search function will not find it until some amount of time has passed (several minutes, sometimes as much as an hour).  I was able to confirm this behavior but do not have an explanation.  Is there a bug or is it a feature?

[Matt]

Jan 12, 2016 15:39:14 GMT -8 tpgettys said:

It has been noticed that after a post is made, the Search function will not find it until some amount of time has passed (several minutes, sometimes as much as an hour).  I was able to confirm this behavior but do not have an explanation.  Is there a bug or is it a feature?

This may just be the search server taking time to index the post.

[tpgettys]

Jan 12, 2016 17:06:22 GMT -8 Matt said:

Jan 12, 2016 15:39:14 GMT -8 tpgettys said:

It has been noticed that after a post is made, the Search function will not find it until some amount of time has passed (several minutes, sometimes as much as an hour).  I was able to confirm this behavior but do not have an explanation.  Is there a bug or is it a feature?

This may just be the search server taking time to index the post.

Ah yes, I forgot about the search servers.  Thanks for reminding me!

[Michael]

It very well may take up to an hour to index a post (usually it should be closer to under 15 min) but this is entirely dependent on the volume of posts occurring at that time and how busy your specific search server is. There is also the possibility that it errored and the babysitter we have in place is resolving the error and then kicking the server back on (which is why you experienced such a long delay). We aim to have the post indexed immediately!

[tpgettys]

Thanks for that additional info Michael.  Out of idle curiosity, I am wondering why the New Posts button works instantly; as soon as a post is made it shows up in the new posts list.  Is it perhaps because posts are naturally stored in reverse chronological order so that particular list doesn't require a server?

[Michael]

Jan 17, 2016 19:07:48 GMT -8 tpgettys said:

Thanks for that additional info Michael.  Out of idle curiosity, I am wondering why the New Posts button works instantly; as soon as a post is made it shows up in the new posts list.  Is it perhaps because posts are naturally stored in reverse chronological order so that particular list doesn't require a server?

The Recent Posts is basically just reading off of a table, those posts aren't being indexed for search in the same way at all. 

When posts or really anything is being indexed for search you're dealing with a lot more variables than just "show me the contents of the last post" which isn't searching anything, its just pulling the post data straight from an existing table. Search has to account for every word in the post and combinations of words and the thread title etc etc. 

Tl;dr New Posts and search are nothing alike in terms of how they function and therefore radically different in how we store and return that content to you. 

[tpgettys]

Understood, thanks!