This document provides an overview of the Simple Record Web (SRU) protocol and how it can be used with Lucene to provide search and retrieval of XML database records. It describes key SRU features like explain records, CQL query grammar, persistent result sets, XML record returns, and index browsing. It also provides details and examples of how to configure an SRU server using Lucene by modifying configuration files and properties.

1. O C LC O n lin e C o m p u te r Lib rary C e n te r
SRU and Lucene
Ralph LeVan
Research Scientist
levan@oclc.org

2. SRU Overview
A Simple Web Service
– Supports REST-ful and SOAP requests
– Responses are always XML records
Supports Search and Retrieve
Uses a Standard Query Grammar
Supports Self-Configuring Clients
A Gateway to Local Databases

3. SRU Features
Explain Records
CQL Query Grammar
Persistent Result Sets
XML Database Records Returned
Index Browses
Stylesheets

4. Explain Records
serverInfo
databaseInfo
metaInfo
indexInfo
schemaInfo
configInfo

5. serverInfo
Generated Automatically
– host
– port
– database

6. databaseInfo
From SRWDatabase.props
– databaseInfo.title
– databaseInfo.description
– databaseInfo.contact
Provided Automatically
– implementation

7. metaInfo
From SRWDatabase.props
– metaInfo.dateModified
– metaInfo.aggregatedFrom
– metaInfo.dateAggregated

8. indexInfo
Generated Automatically
– “local” index set and Lucene index names
From SRWDatabase.props
– qualifier.<indexSet>.<indexName> =
<LuceneIndexName>
– Used only if you want to map other index
names to your Lucene indexes (e.g.
qualifier.dc.identifier=id)

9. schemaInfo
Generated Automatically
– LuceneDocument
From SRWDatabase.props
– xmlSchemas=<list of name>
– <schemaName>.identifier=
– <schemaName>.location=
– <schemaName>.namespace=
– <schemaName>.title=
– [<schemaName>.transformer=]
– [<schemaName>.resolver=]

10. schemaInfo Example
xmlSchemas=LuceneDocument, DC
LuceneDocument.identifier=info:srw/schema/1/L
uceneDocument
LuceneDocument.location=http://www.oclc.org/
standards/Lucene/schema/LuceneDocument.x
sd
LuceneDocument.namespace=http://www.oclc.o
rg/LuceneDocument
LuceneDocument.title=Lucene Demo Database
records in their internal format

11. schemaInfo Example (cont.)
DC.identifier=info:srw/schema/1/dc-v1.1
DC.location=http://www.loc.gov/zing/srw
/dc-schema.xsd
DC.title=DC: Dublin Core Elements
DC.transformer=LuceneToDC.xsl

12. configInfo
Generated Automatically
– maximumRecords (20)
– numberOfRecords (10)
– resultSetTTL (300)
From SRWDatabase.props
– configInfo.maximumRecords
– configInfo.numberOfRecords
– configInfo.resultSetTTL

13. CQL Query Grammar
Builtin: BasicLuceneQueryTranslator
CqlQueryTranslator
– Query makeQuery(CQLNode cn);
– Term getTerm();
From SRWDatabase.props
– SRWLuceneDatabase.
CqlToLuceneQueryTranslator=
<ClassName>

14. Persistent Result Sets
Builtin: LuceneQueryResult

15. XML Database Records
Builtin: BasicLuceneRecordResolver
RecordResolver
– Void init(Properties props);
– Record resolve(Document doc, String
IdFieldName, ExtraDataType
extraDataType)
From SRWDatabase.props
– <schemaName>.resolver=<ClassName>
– SRWLuceneDatabase.idFieldName=
<FieldName>

16. Index Browses
Builtin:
SRWLuceneDatabase.getTerms()

17. Stylesheets
From SRWDatabase.props
– explainStyleSheet=
/SRW/explainResponse.xsl
– scanStyleSheet=/SRW/scanResponse.xsl
– searchStyleSheet=
/SRW/searchRetrieveResponse.xsl

18. Making the Magic Happen
Drop the SRWLucene.war into your
<tomcat>/webapps directory
Restart Tomcat
Edit
<tomcat>/webapps/SRWLucene/WEB-
INF/classes/SRWServer.props
Restart Tomcat

19. Sample SRWServer.props
db.LuceneDemoDB.class=
ORG.oclc.os.SRW.Lucene.SRWLuceneDa
tabase
db.LuceneDemoDB.home=
f:/lucene-2.0.0
db.LuceneDemoDB.configuration=
SRWDatabase.props

20. Sample SRWDatabase.props
databaseInfo.title=Lucene Demo Database
databaseInfo.description=An index of the source code for
Lucene
databaseInfo.contact=Ralph LeVan (levan@oclc.org)
qualifier.cql.serverChoice=contents
explainStyleSheet=/SRWLucene/explainResponse.xsl
scanStyleSheet=/SRWLucene/scanResponse.xsl
searchStyleSheet=
/SRWLucene/searchRetrieveResponse.xsl

21. Resources
http://www.oclc.org/research/software/srw
http://
staff.oclc.org/~levan/SRWLuceneSource.jar
http://staff.oclc.org/~levan/SRWLucene.war
http://staff.oclc.org/~levan/Implementing%20an%2
http://staff.oclc.org/~levan/SRU%20and%20Lucene
http://alcme.oclc.org/srw/SRUServerTester.html