Indexing is the process of extracting text strings of attribute values from Windchill objects and sending them to a search engine that builds index collections optimized for searching. This enables users to efficiently search for data stored in a Windchill database without having to know anything about the internal object model.

An indexing rule maps a domain, an object type, and a life cycle state to a set of collections used when executing keyword searches. It specifies the collections that objects of a specified type are indexed into when the objects reach a specified life cycle state. Objects are removed from the index when they leave the specified state and enter another state for which there is no indexing rule defined.

There can be only one state and one object type specified within a single rule. However, each rule can identify multiple collections.

An object type specifies a category of objects that have the same attributes and functions. For example, Document is an object type, and instances of that type may be found in some of the domains you have created. Since Windchill domains are hierarchical, descendent domains inherit indexing rules defined for a domain. For example, indexing rules defined for the Document object type in all states within the Design domain apply to instances of the type within that domain or any descendent domains. Because Windchill types are also hierarchical, an object inherits rules defined for its ancestor types. Therefore, more than one rule may apply to a given object. For example, a rule that applies to the type AnnotationSet also applies to the type StructuredAnnotationSet. Additionally, there can be indexing rules specific to StructuredAnnotationSet.

Creating an indexing rule from within the Policy Administration utility requires you to specify the rule antecedent and the rule consequent.

The rule antecedent comprises the following parts:

For example, you can define a rule specifying that a general document object must be placed in a Released collection when the object’s state becomes Released.

Together, the domain indexing rules form the indexing policy for a domain.

The rule consequent is a list of one or more collections.

A collection represents a group of related objects that can be searched. It includes indices optimized for searching, as well as references to the actual object locations. Every indexable object carries a list of collections into which it is indexed. The first such list is assigned when the object is created. When the object is deleted, it must be withdrawn from every collection in which it is indexed.

Between creation and deletion, the collections in which the object is indexed can change, based on the object’s life cycle state and the domain in which it belongs. When you create indexing rules, you customize the indexing policy for a domain by specifying which collections an object should move into (or be removed from) when the object moves into a specified life cycle state. From this policy, indexing lists are generated and associated with an object type. To improve performance, indexing lists are cached after they are created.

Windchill collections are defined in the wt.properties file. Each collection has properties that define the collection. For more information, see the Windchill Installation and Configuration Guide.