Search is one of the most powerful and most important features in Atlas and therefore it is very important you configure it in the most optimal way. However, the optimal way is not the same for everybody!
In this article we describe details on the different search options so you can define what is the best way to configure search in your Atlas instance.
In this article:
- Introduction to search options
- What is the default and why?
- What are the other two options for and why?
- What support does ClearPeople provide?
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What search option should I use?
Introduction to search options
The Atlas In Focus Search results feature provides the ability to use the following search options to retrieve results from different sources:
- SharePoint Online search.
- Microsoft search.
- SmartHub search (provided via Upland BA Insight).
The same Atlas user interface presentation layer is available for each search option. Some of the layout and item style options differ depending on the search option used. All work with the Atlas In Focus search box, filters, and verticals web parts connected to the search results web part.
What is the default and why?
All Atlas workspace and page templates currently use SharePoint search. Including the global search options available in the main menu navigation control.
The Atlas In Focus features were built using SharePoint search, with the goal of having content available in SharePoint Online from Atlas workspaces, libraries, and lists. It also provides the option to extend to non-Atlas SharePoint Online content so that from one search experience it is possible to only search relevant content. This is very useful when it comes to ‘push’ content such as news items where content is being presented to people ‘in-place/ line of work’ rather than needing to search to locate it. It is easy to enable, configure and manage.
The use of Atlas verticals, filters, and the metadata (term sets) available reduces the need for complex search syntax to retrieve the required subset of results.
The Atlas People search also uses the SharePoint search to leverage the relevant data from Azure Active Directory and/or Microsoft User Profiles. Currently the Microsoft search does not provide the same level of flexibility as the SharePoint equivalent for people data.
What are the other two options for and why?
Microsoft Search
Is used across Microsoft 365 and is powered by the Bing search engine. It can be configured to search across different Microsoft content repositories and extended to external sources. If enabled in Bing, it allows a person to search external and internal (work) content. The work content can be from various sources such as SharePoint Online, OneDrive, Teams chats and Azure DevOps.
Atlas In Focus with Microsoft Search can be configured using the following sources (all permission trimmed) and as at the date of this article, ClearPeople provide Atlas In Focus extensibility as indicated:
| Source | Description |
| SharePoint Lists | Supported. This provides the same experience as using SharePoint Search with the Result Source = LocalSharePoint. |
| SharePoint Sites | Preview feature, currently not supported. Use of Atlas ConneX or an In Focus landing page looking for specific URLs is recommended instead. |
| People | Preview feature, currently not supported. Use Atlas People search results. |
| Document libraries | Preview feature, currently not supported. Produces results from SharePoint and OneDrive. |
| Outlook Emails | Preview feature, currently not supported. Produces results from the authenticated user’s mailbox. |
| Outlook Calendar Events | Preview feature, currently not supported. Produces results from the authenticated user’s calendar. |
| External Items | Preview feature, currently not supported. Requires a suitable result source to be built to connect to another source. ClearPeople recommend the use of the Atlas Upland BAInsights SmartHub extension for connecting to a variety of external sources. |
Each source requires configuration to connect the displays to the relevant indexed fields available. This requires an understanding of the source repository, layout slots and managed field properties to apply appropriately.
SmartHub for Atlas search
Is used to connect to other repositories both inside and outside the standard Microsoft environment. This is particularly useful for organisations who do not use SharePoint Online as their document management system and those that have specialist sources of information that would benefit from being available all from within one single enterprise search experience.
Note: SmartHub for Atlas is an additional licenced product.
Both options are available in the Atlas In Focus search results. The configuration of these two services is more complex due to the additional options and repositories available.
What support does ClearPeople provide?
- SharePoint Online search is fully supported by ClearPeople. Queries and issues relating to its configuration are managed through the standard support channels.
- Microsoft search is available and is only supported by ClearPeople as per the table above. Issues relating to its availability through Atlas In Focus are managed through the standard support channels. Currently queries on how to configure and connect to repositories other than SharePoint Online Lists is not provided.
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SmartHub for Atlas search is fully supported by ClearPeople and Upland for those organisations that have purchased this service through ClearPeople. Queries and issues relating to its configuration are managed through the standard support channels.
What search option should I use?
- SharePoint Online search provides a robust and capable search experience.
- Microsoft search is useful when it makes sense to have a single search experience over different Microsoft 365 sources. Set up and configuration is reliant on internal IT expertise to deliver.
- SmartHub for Atlas search is recommended when connecting to sources external to Microsoft 365 and the creation and ongoing maintenance of connectors that are required to other sources is not going to be managed internally.
Comparison chart
| Option | SharePoint search | Microsoft search | SmartHub for Atlas |
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| Disadvantages |
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| Sources |
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Some other interesting online content
Enterprise Search with Atlas, BA Insight and Microsoft Search (clearpeople.com)
Atlas Knowledge Management Platform for Microsoft 365 & Teams (clearpeople.com)
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