UPC Search Engine

The UPC search engine is a unified search and indexing system for all the content of the different UPC websites, based on Google technology.

The project carried out in inLab has made it possible to unify the search, indexing and presentation of the information corresponding to all the UPC’s websites by means of a Google hardware called Google Search Appliance.

Apart from making searches in all UPC websites (more than a hundred when it was implemented), an additional development was made so that each center could use it as a search engine in their websites, changing the appearance and managing their own highlights. Two one-box modules were also developed that allow the search of buildings and people at the University.

The UPC Cercador project uses the Google Search Appliance (GSA) at UPC to:

• Improve the search engine that was on the UPC website.
• Integrate all UPC information under the same indexing and search system, achieving a further step in the integration of the different university websites.
• Establish the definition of the information architecture resulting from the search independently of the GSA.
• To have a system that allows locating all the information on the UPC websites in an efficient and effective way, capable of indexing all the documents published on all the UPC websites (HTML pages, PDF documents, Word, PowerPoint, image files, etc.).
• To make available to the UPC units a simple system for integrating search in their websites, as well as for managing results, taking into account that:
  • Be accessible and highly usable.
  • Can be configured according to UPC requirements.
• Integrate the search engine with corporate applications.