Indexing files feature

[vinzzz]

Hi There,

The support team asked me to put my request in this topic.
Currently no software supports indexing pictures with labels on network shares and handle the results right.
The scenario:

- i bought a NAS to centralize data
- i want to search all my pictures for pictures with label "church"
- i want to select all - copy - paste the results into a temporary directory.

Since QNAP doesnt support indexing files, like windows search server, this really basic functionality of a network share, isnt working.

Please develop this feature!

[dnaswitcher]

Herewith a "+1".
I get something like a: "This networkfolder is not added because it's not indexed" error when trying to add folders to libraries in my Windows 7 64-bit system.

[mcoder]

Here's another +1 (er, um +2 I guess). This is kinda important since my QNAP (TS-859 Pro) supports "multimedia station" functionality.

[MathijsQNAP]

Hi everyone,
until this very desirable feature is included, a workaround might be to use Copernic Desktop Search (which creates its own database on the PC), which is able to index network folders.
I believe the current version is no longer freeware, but you might be able to find a copy of v2.3 (build 18) still somewhere out there.
The drawback of this approach is that every PC that wants to be able to search files on the NAS needs to build its own index, and this can be network intensive if you have many clients.
Hope this helps.

[meyenburg]

Herewith a "+1".
I get something like a: "This networkfolder is not added because it's not indexed" error when trying to add folders to libraries in my Windows 7 64-bit system.

The above has nothing to do with indexing on the NAS. It is windows requirements for seeing the file(s) as always online. In other words, the library facility in Win 7 needs 2 have a "hidden" copy of the files local. So if you have space on your PC for it, you can select the folder to be "always online" and a copy of your NAS folder is put in a hidden folder to be accessed, and indexed by windows.

Rgds.
Preben

[michielwittkampf]

Another +1.

Search is the future. As the number of personal documents, songs, messages, films, books, bookmarks, etc increases. Its actually already indispensable for many tasks. Central storage is gonna get huge too. As the number of personal devices in a household grow: smartphones, tablet, laptops. See the number of NASses already sold, and online storage getting off.

Can you please combine these? I would love to have it yesterday.

Suggestions: NAS and online storage services support an search service api. Use of open standards (otherwise use is very limited.) Desktop search functionality searches locally and can register remote storages. Desktop search queries the search service of the registered storages.

[seoulseeker]

Add another +1 :

Google Desktop Enterprise (Free) also will index networked drives: http://desktop.google.com/support/bin/a ... swer=20044 and http://desktop.google.com/enterprise/index.html

It would be a game changer if QNAP would get together with Google to integrate this!

[spoon.uk]

Spotlight in OSX/iPhone works great. You just don't know that's there.

Would be wicked if we could get something similar to that.

Last thing we want is Windows Search which is awful.

[vinzzz]

Hi everyone,
until this very desirable feature is included, a workaround might be to use Copernic Desktop Search (which creates its own database on the PC), which is able to index network folders.
I believe the current version is no longer freeware, but you might be able to find a copy of v2.3 (build 18) still somewhere out there.
The drawback of this approach is that every PC that wants to be able to search files on the NAS needs to build its own index, and this can be network intensive if you have many clients.
Hope this helps.

Unfortunately it isnt a workaround for my scenario. Try and copy paste your 70 picture results in Copernic Desktop Search into a temporary folder. It wont let you
Anyone has another solution??

[stemplar]

+1

One of the biggest disappointments after working with QNAP for a while. It's a SOHO device, so I want to be able to add a share\folder to a windows 7 library. It's now done with the mklink workaround, but this is silly. And I don't want offline folders (why would one buy a NAS in the first place) nor any other indexing tools. Should be on the feature lists as known limitation.

[mlynchit]

+1

BTW, What is the quickest way to search for a file on the QNAP? SSH? Web file manager?

EXT has always been a slow searcher

[fantomas]

I agree that being able to generate the index on server-side would be a good idea.
However it must be supported by client, windows search 4.0 claims to support it.

However I don't know about any indexing solution for linux - if you know about any, post info here.

[mlynchit]

WIndows search 4.0 is prefferbaly NOT on my 150+ XP machines

Awfull stuff, and real hard to remove... until you know how

[fantomas]

As far as I understand, the OP wanted to have indexing on server and use it from clients.
That means functionality like windows search, and any kind of indexing to have fast searching in files requires the same functionality. To use it, you will need either windows search or something similar.

While indexing and searching of file names is not very expensive, it's not same with indexing of images or other files, It would be really cpu and disk intensive, mostly on filesystems with big write frequency.

[blanko]

+1

I was surprised an indexing feature didn't exist already, if feels like such a basic thing to be able to quickly search the nas for any file.
So my vote goes to an indexing service on the nas that makes it possible to search from a windows explorer or mac finder window into the index on the nas.

There is software btw for windows that is able to serve the windows desktop search index (including file content) to spotlight on a mac. Which makes me think a similar service on a nas would be possible too.
I would be very happy already if it indexes just the names of the files (without content/labels/previews...)