How to specify Solr core in search code for Sitecore 8.1

Question

I recently upgraded from Sitecore v7.5 to v8.1. In addition my Solr configuration changed a little. On v7.5 I only had a single core. On v8.1 I now have many cores. After upgrading my search code is not returning any results and I am debugging it. I am wondering if maybe my code isn't searching the right Solr core. So I am wondering how the code knows which core to query.

Here is a code fragment for my search...

using (var context = ContentSearchManager.GetIndex("sitecore_web_index").CreateSearchContext()) {

   ... do search stuff
}

When I create the search context using that code am I telling the code to search through the core named "sitecore_web_index"? I guess it is unclear to me how the code knows which core to query.

Answer 1

The indexes are defined in configuration, and the core for that index is specified in that configuration section.

Here's the default 'sitecore_core_index' definition in an OOTB sitecore install (some properties elided for space):

<configuration type="Sitecore.ContentSearch.ContentSearchConfiguration, Sitecore.ContentSearch">
    <indexes hint="list:AddIndex">
      <index id="sitecore_core_index" type="Sitecore.ContentSearch.SolrProvider.SolrSearchIndex, Sitecore.ContentSearch.SolrProvider">
        <param desc="name">$(id)</param>

        <param desc="core">$(id)</param>

      </index>
    </indexes>
  </configuration>

Notice the 'core' section, which uses the index id as its value. By default in later versions of sitecore, these indexes will map 1 to 1 with cores, so in this particular case, the 'sitecore_core_index' would be using a core named 'sitecore_core_index'.

You are free to change this value to anything you'd like - you just need to remember to create the requisite core in SOLR.

Answer 2

Core name is defined in index configuration:

<configuration xmlns:patch="http://www.sitecore.net/xmlconfig/">
  <sitecore>
    <contentSearch>
      <configuration type="Sitecore.ContentSearch.ContentSearchConfiguration, Sitecore.ContentSearch">
        <indexes hint="list:AddIndex">
          <index id="MyIndex" type="Sitecore.ContentSearch.SolrProvider.SolrSearchIndex, Sitecore.ContentSearch.SolrProvider">
            <param desc="name">$(id)</param>
            <param desc="core">MyCore</param>
            <param desc="propertyStore" ref="contentSearch/indexConfigurations/databasePropertyStore" param1="$(id)" />
            <configuration ref="contentSearch/indexConfigurations/defaultSolrIndexConfiguration" />
          </index>
        </indexes>
      </configuration>
    </contentSearch>
  </sitecore>
</configuration>

You can use $(id) value if core name and index names are the same.