Full-Text Indexing a PDF file with Sql Server 2005 December CTP (aka Yukon)

I just got finished installing and setting up the full-text indexing of a pdf file for Sql Server 2005 December CTP Build.  Here are the steps to getting it working (assuming you have a functioning table to store BLOB data).

  1. Remember that your table must have a BLOB field, such as a varbinary(max), and a column to specify the file type to the full-text index create index commands or the full-text index wizard in Sql Server Management Studio.
  2. Download and install the Adobe Acrobate PDF Filter.  It is available at http://www.adobe.com/support/downloads/detail.jsp?ftpID=2611.
  3. Execute the following commands against your Sql Server 2005 instance.
    • sp_fulltext_service 'load_os_resources',1.  This command tells the Microsoft Search Service to load OS specific wordbreakers, stemmers, and such.
    • sp_fulltext_service 'verify_signature', 0.  Do not verify that the binaries are signed.
  4. Bounce the Sql Server Service and MSFTESQL.
  5. Create your full-text index.
  6. Issue the necessary command(s) to (re)index.

Wally

6 Comments

  • When will be released the Yukon version for the public?



    Is there any way to index pdf files in SQL2000?



    thanks



    Nacho Flores

  • It works basically the same except that you have use an image column instead of a varbinary(max).

  • Use Index Server if you are looking at indexing the some pdfs on the file system.

  • Wally, this did the trick for me. I recently migrated an older app over from 2000 to 2005 and the fulltext search stopped working on PDF's stored as blobs. I uninstalled the IFilter, ran those commands, and reindexed. Bingo!
    Thanks!

  • Hello, Please could you tell me how this is setup as I have followed all steps for Adobe ifilter v9 but still no results when I carried out a search on pdf

  • Hello..
    I'm trying to run a full text search on PDFs but the PDF files are not showing in the item count in the catalog. My table also includes DOCs and they are showing in the count and is being indexed/searched properly but not PDFs.

    I'm lost and need help. I installed the Adobe PDF iFilter for 64-bit v9.0. I'm using SQL Server 2008.

    Why isn't PDFs being indexed? Could it be a 64-bit or a SQL Server 2008 issue?

    Thanks in advance..

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