Collections based on solution packages

To help you get started with searching and analyzing content, you can create collections that are based on predefined configuration settings, predefined analytic resources, and predefined application interfaces.

Solution templates

A solution template contains resource definitions that control how data is to be parsed and indexed and how the indexed data is to be organized for retrieval. For example, a solution template might include settings for extracting information from text (such as dictionaries) and settings for organizing the data for retrieval (such as field mappings and categories). The resources that can be included in a solution template depend on the collection type.

Solution packages

A solution package can include one or more solution templates, sample CSV data, and default collection configuration settings, such as whether the collection supports social search or whether security is enabled. A solution package can also include a preferred user application for opening the collection. Specifying a preferred user application does not restrict the collection from being opened with a different user application.

When you create a collection from a solution package, the resource definitions that are defined in the solution templates and the predefined configuration settings are applied. If the solution package includes sample data, parsing and indexing begin as soon as the collection is created.

If the solution package includes a user application definition, a quick link to the application is displayed under the collection name on the Collections page. After content for the collection is parsed and indexed, click this link to view the user application to see how the solution package settings were applied.

Important: The following collection configuration settings cannot be changed after the collection is created. If one of these settings is not correct for the collection that you want to create, you can create the collection by specifying your preferences on the Create a Collection page.

The collection type.
Whether the collection uses a document cache.
Whether the thumbnail images of documents can be shown in the results.
Whether security is enabled for the collection. After the collection is created, you can change settings to enable or disable document-level security, but you cannot change the collection-level setting.
Whether the collection uses a query log index to provide type ahead assistance for entering queries.
Whether social data support is enabled for the collection.
The location of the directory that is used for collection data. To ensure applicability across operating systems, and to ensure that the default Watson Explorer Content Analytics administrator can access the data, collection data is always stored in the default location.
The collection ID. To ensure uniqueness across all collections in your system, the collection ID is assigned by the system.
The collection time zone.
For enterprise search collections, the number of index partitions to use for indexing the collection.

Sample solution packages

To help you get started, the Watson Explorer Content Analytics installation program installs several sample solution packages. The provided packages are designed to demonstrate how search and analytics might be used in various industries for various purposes.

For example, areas of focus include social search, voice of customer analysis, and early quality warning analysis. Exploring the solution templates and sample data might help when you select resource definitions and configuration settings for the solution packages that you design for your enterprise solutions.