FAST and Windows: A Blessing for Innovation

In a recent post on the Microsoft Enterprise Search Blog, Bjørn Olstad (CTO of FAST) published a post titled, Innovation on Linux and UNIX, which explains the longer term technology strategy for FAST with respect to supported operating systems. The post describes an increased focus of innovation for the product, for Windows operating system installations, while gradually deprecating support for Linux and Unix installations.

I can sort of understand the negative reactions to this announcement and the notion that customers may turn to other search platforms to maintain their Linux/Unix operating standards. However, I believe that this is a truly good decision by Microsoft, which will result in a higher quality product.

The reality is; in order to push innovation of the search platform forward beyond its current boundaries of functionality and performance, it is an inherihent requirement that the low level levels of the architecture be tightly bonded with the operating system. By not making this long term decision, a forced common denomintor is then imposed on the platform at higher levels of the architecture, ultimately inhibiting the product. Multiple OS support for installations actually sets the platform back. We've seen this as recent as 5.3 when we are required to install FAST ESP as a 32 bit application along with Java runtime 32 bit. This is a 64 bit world now, get with the program.

My sense is that the product roadmap will offer great improvements in the document processor and query processor pipelines, linguistics, user experience, etc. These improvements are required to allow search to become the leading functional component for indexing, transforming, and presenting not only content but navigation, functional components, and structures on Web sites. The relationship that search platforms will have with tomorrow's Web applciations, is comparable to the relationship that relational databases have with yesterday's Web sites. This innovation simply cannot afford to be spread thin.

FAST ESP Videos on YouTube

Want to view a demonstration of current and future capabilities of FAST ESP? Here are a couple YouTube videos that provide a great overview.

Fast ESP for SharePoint - 1 of 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTbcCNby8xE

Fast ESP for SharePoint - 2 of 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjW6ZjX8Pyk

FAST ESP: Fast ESP 5.3 for Windows, 32 Bit Only

FAST ESP 5.3 for Windows is only available in 32 bit. However, the software can be installed on either 32 Bit or 64 Bit versions of the Windows operating system.

Consequently, prior to installing FAST ESP, you must install the 32 Bit versions of Java SE Runtime (JRE) and Java SE Development Kit (JDK): http://java.sun.com/javase/downloads/index.jsp.

Where is the FAST Search Community?

I am truly excited about Microsoft's acquisition of FAST Search as well as the recent news about Microsoft's new Enterprise Search road map. Anyone who has deployed Microsoft Office SharePoint Server (MOSS) as an Enterprise Search solution or internet facing solution probably can appreciate all of the considerations that go into planning and implementing as well as some of the limitations that force you to think outside the box.

Prior to becoming proficient in MOSS Search, and prior to doing numerous Search Proof of Concepts on behalf of Microsoft, I spent quite a bit of time locked inside of a small office in the North End of Boston, researching, building and testing MOSS Search on a Microsoft VM. My primary sources of information included TechNet webcasts, blogs, Codeplex, MSDN articles, and the Microsoft Partner Support contacts. I've come to really appreciate the abundance of free flowing ideas and information that exists on the Web related to MOSS. The community is fantastic.

As I embark on new and exciting adventures working with FAST ESP, I am certain that the MOSS community will continue to contribute high quality information and will eventually expand to cover more topics related to FAST ESP. As of now, I don't see the same level of knowledge sharing occurring with FAST as I have seen with MOSS. I only hope that in response to Microsoft's acquisition of FAST as well as their reasonable product licensing model, that FAST will become more widely adopted and that a FAST Search community will flourish on the Web.