Local Search Engines

[Roger Harrison]

Our Web server is a Mac, and we use Phantom from Maxum
(http://www.maxum.com/Phantom/).  They offer an educational discount
price (under $300).

You can use this software to index your own site, or any other
site/combination of sites.  It's a regular web-crawling robot, so you
can use it to create searchable indexes of any other site on the web as
you choose.

If your regular web server is not a Mac, just run Phantom on a separate
Mac (better have at least 16-24 MB RAM) and point your "Search our site"
links to the other machine.  Phantom can generate HTML pages on the fly,
so you don't have to store any pages on the Phantom system: Phantom will
create the search-form page and results page as needed, or you can
create custom ones.  Check out Cal State Fullerton Library's
implementation at http://wwwlibrary.fullerton.edu/search.htm.

-- 
Roger Harrison             |  P.O. Box 4150 
Library Network Manager    |  Fullerton, CA 92834-4150
Cal State Fullerton        |  Voice: 714-773-2666
University Library         |  Fax:   714-773-2439

           mailto:rharrison at fullerton.edu
   http://wwwlibrary.fullerton.edu/people/rharrison/

"Examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good."
"But shun foolish controversies and strife and disputes about
     the Law, for they are unprofitable and worthless."

Pam Day wrote:
> 
> We would like to set up a search engine on our Web site that would only search
> the pages that reside on our server.  We have looked at other sites that use
> AltaVista, Harvest, or Excite software to accomplish this task.  Any practical
> advice on how to set up the local search engine, how to limit the search to our
> site, and how to request permission to use the software would be appreciated.
> Also, any preferences on which search engine is preferred?
> Thanks in advance and I will post a summary of responses to the list.
> 
> Pam Day                                             pamday at rs6000.cmp.ilstu.edu