Solr 4.0 and production environments

[Dirceu Vieira <di...@gmail.com>]

Hi All,

Has anybody started using Solr 4.0 in production environments? Is it stable
enough?
I'm planning to create a proof of concept using solr 4.0, we have some
projects that will gain a lot with features such as near real time search,
joins and others, that are available only on version 4.

Is it too risky to think of using it right now?
What are your thoughts and experiences with that?

Best regards,

-- 
Dirceu Vieira Júnior
-------------------------------------------------------------------
+47 9753 2473
dirceuvjr.blogspot.com
twitter.com/dirceuvjr

Re: Solr 4.0 and production environments

[Dirceu Vieira <di...@gmail.com>]

Hey guys,

Great stuff! Thanks a lot for replying.

To be honest, from the beginning I have already felt pretty inclined to
work with the trunk.
Of course, I also have to convince people (at work) that doing so is safe,
and test, and test again..

Thank you very much for your replies, they just made me more confident on
that!

Regards,

Dirceu

On Wed, Mar 7, 2012 at 7:58 PM, Robert Muir <rc...@gmail.com> wrote:

> Thanks :)
>
> We often disagree on many low-level details but thanks for the
> confirmation: I felt this was long overdue to express: we take
> releases very seriously but that doesn't mean you should immediately
> discard the possibility of using a snapshot release:
>
> In fact you can even manage your own level of risk:
>
> * If you are looking for a more stable upgrade, consider
> http://svn.apache.org/repos/asf/lucene/dev/branches/branch_3x/. This
> is our 'stable branch' and disruptive changes are not backported. In
> general we try to provide the best backwards compat possible, while at
> the same time backporting safe features and bugfixes.
> * For newer more exciting features, take a look at
> http://svn.apache.org/repos/asf/lucene/dev/trunk/: this is our next
> major release and contains the best we have to offer. At the same
> time, reliability is not sacrificed, people work to improve the tests
> every day to make them nastier.
>
> In both cases the major concerns are actually just about the degree of
> apis 'changing' and not actually reliability so much, really our trunk
> is very stable, but you don't have to take my word for it: look at our
> tests.
>
> Of course, its possible during testing you might discover bugs, please
> report them in that case!
>
> Thanks again.
>
> On Wed, Mar 7, 2012 at 1:00 PM, eks dev <ek...@yahoo.co.uk> wrote:
> > I am here on lucene as a user since the project started, even before
> > solr came to life, many many years. And I was always using trunk
> > version for pretty big customers, and *never* experienced some serious
> > problems. The worst thing that can happen is to notice bug somewhere,
> > and if you have some reasonable testing for your product, you will see
> > it quickly.
> > But, with this community, *you will definitely not have wait long top
> > get it fixed*. Not only they will fix it, they will thank you for
> > bringing it up!
> >
> > I can, as an old user, 100 % vouch what Robert said below.
> >
> > Simply, just go for it, test you application a bit and make your users
> happy.
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > On Wed, Mar 7, 2012 at 5:55 PM, Robert Muir <rc...@gmail.com> wrote:
> >> On Wed, Mar 7, 2012 at 11:47 AM, Dirceu Vieira <di...@gmail.com>
> wrote:
> >>> Hi All,
> >>>
> >>> Has anybody started using Solr 4.0 in production environments? Is it
> stable
> >>> enough?
> >>> I'm planning to create a proof of concept using solr 4.0, we have some
> >>> projects that will gain a lot with features such as near real time
> search,
> >>> joins and others, that are available only on version 4.
> >>>
> >>> Is it too risky to think of using it right now?
> >>> What are your thoughts and experiences with that?
> >>>
> >>
> >> In general, we try to keep our 'trunk' (slated to be 4.0) in very
> >> stable condition.
> >>
> >> Really, it should be 'ready-to-release' at any time, of course 4.0 has
> >> had many drastic changes: both at the Lucene and Solr level.
> >>
> >> Before deciding what is stable, you should define stability: is it:
> >> * api stability: will i be able to upgrade to a more recent snapshot
> >> of 4.0 without drastic changes to my app?
> >> * index format stability: will i be able to upgrade to a more recent
> >> snapshot of 4.0 without re-indexing?
> >> * correctness: is 4.0 dangerous in some way that it has many bugs
> >> since much of the code is new?
> >>
> >> I think you should limit your concerns to only the first 2 items, as
> >> far as correctness, just look at the tests. For any open source
> >> project, you can easily judge its quality by its tests: this is a
> >> fact.
> >>
> >> For lucene/solr the testing strategy, in my opinion, goes above and
> >> beyond many other projects: for example random testing:
> >>
> http://www.lucidimagination.com/devzone/events/conferences/ApacheLuceneEurocon2011_presentations#dawid_weiss
> >>
> >> and the new solr cloud functionality also adds the similar chaosmonkey
> >> concept on top of this already.
> >>
> >> If you are worried about bugs, is a lucene/solr trunk snapshot less
> >> reliable than even a released version of alternative software? its an
> >> interesting question. look at their tests.
> >>
> >> --
> >> lucidimagination.com
>
>
>
> --
> lucidimagination.com
>



-- 
Dirceu Vieira Júnior
-------------------------------------------------------------------
+47 9753 2473
dirceuvjr.blogspot.com
twitter.com/dirceuvjr

Re: Solr 4.0 and production environments

[Robert Muir <rc...@gmail.com>]

Thanks :)

We often disagree on many low-level details but thanks for the
confirmation: I felt this was long overdue to express: we take
releases very seriously but that doesn't mean you should immediately
discard the possibility of using a snapshot release:

In fact you can even manage your own level of risk:

* If you are looking for a more stable upgrade, consider
http://svn.apache.org/repos/asf/lucene/dev/branches/branch_3x/. This
is our 'stable branch' and disruptive changes are not backported. In
general we try to provide the best backwards compat possible, while at
the same time backporting safe features and bugfixes.
* For newer more exciting features, take a look at
http://svn.apache.org/repos/asf/lucene/dev/trunk/: this is our next
major release and contains the best we have to offer. At the same
time, reliability is not sacrificed, people work to improve the tests
every day to make them nastier.

In both cases the major concerns are actually just about the degree of
apis 'changing' and not actually reliability so much, really our trunk
is very stable, but you don't have to take my word for it: look at our
tests.

Of course, its possible during testing you might discover bugs, please
report them in that case!

Thanks again.

On Wed, Mar 7, 2012 at 1:00 PM, eks dev <ek...@yahoo.co.uk> wrote:
> I am here on lucene as a user since the project started, even before
> solr came to life, many many years. And I was always using trunk
> version for pretty big customers, and *never* experienced some serious
> problems. The worst thing that can happen is to notice bug somewhere,
> and if you have some reasonable testing for your product, you will see
> it quickly.
> But, with this community, *you will definitely not have wait long top
> get it fixed*. Not only they will fix it, they will thank you for
> bringing it up!
>
> I can, as an old user, 100 % vouch what Robert said below.
>
> Simply, just go for it, test you application a bit and make your users happy.
>
>
>
>
> On Wed, Mar 7, 2012 at 5:55 PM, Robert Muir <rc...@gmail.com> wrote:
>> On Wed, Mar 7, 2012 at 11:47 AM, Dirceu Vieira <di...@gmail.com> wrote:
>>> Hi All,
>>>
>>> Has anybody started using Solr 4.0 in production environments? Is it stable
>>> enough?
>>> I'm planning to create a proof of concept using solr 4.0, we have some
>>> projects that will gain a lot with features such as near real time search,
>>> joins and others, that are available only on version 4.
>>>
>>> Is it too risky to think of using it right now?
>>> What are your thoughts and experiences with that?
>>>
>>
>> In general, we try to keep our 'trunk' (slated to be 4.0) in very
>> stable condition.
>>
>> Really, it should be 'ready-to-release' at any time, of course 4.0 has
>> had many drastic changes: both at the Lucene and Solr level.
>>
>> Before deciding what is stable, you should define stability: is it:
>> * api stability: will i be able to upgrade to a more recent snapshot
>> of 4.0 without drastic changes to my app?
>> * index format stability: will i be able to upgrade to a more recent
>> snapshot of 4.0 without re-indexing?
>> * correctness: is 4.0 dangerous in some way that it has many bugs
>> since much of the code is new?
>>
>> I think you should limit your concerns to only the first 2 items, as
>> far as correctness, just look at the tests. For any open source
>> project, you can easily judge its quality by its tests: this is a
>> fact.
>>
>> For lucene/solr the testing strategy, in my opinion, goes above and
>> beyond many other projects: for example random testing:
>> http://www.lucidimagination.com/devzone/events/conferences/ApacheLuceneEurocon2011_presentations#dawid_weiss
>>
>> and the new solr cloud functionality also adds the similar chaosmonkey
>> concept on top of this already.
>>
>> If you are worried about bugs, is a lucene/solr trunk snapshot less
>> reliable than even a released version of alternative software? its an
>> interesting question. look at their tests.
>>
>> --
>> lucidimagination.com



-- 
lucidimagination.com

Re: Solr 4.0 and production environments

[eks dev <ek...@yahoo.co.uk>]

I am here on lucene as a user since the project started, even before
solr came to life, many many years. And I was always using trunk
version for pretty big customers, and *never* experienced some serious
problems. The worst thing that can happen is to notice bug somewhere,
and if you have some reasonable testing for your product, you will see
it quickly.
But, with this community, *you will definitely not have wait long top
get it fixed*. Not only they will fix it, they will thank you for
bringing it up!

I can, as an old user, 100 % vouch what Robert said below.

Simply, just go for it, test you application a bit and make your users happy.




On Wed, Mar 7, 2012 at 5:55 PM, Robert Muir <rc...@gmail.com> wrote:
> On Wed, Mar 7, 2012 at 11:47 AM, Dirceu Vieira <di...@gmail.com> wrote:
>> Hi All,
>>
>> Has anybody started using Solr 4.0 in production environments? Is it stable
>> enough?
>> I'm planning to create a proof of concept using solr 4.0, we have some
>> projects that will gain a lot with features such as near real time search,
>> joins and others, that are available only on version 4.
>>
>> Is it too risky to think of using it right now?
>> What are your thoughts and experiences with that?
>>
>
> In general, we try to keep our 'trunk' (slated to be 4.0) in very
> stable condition.
>
> Really, it should be 'ready-to-release' at any time, of course 4.0 has
> had many drastic changes: both at the Lucene and Solr level.
>
> Before deciding what is stable, you should define stability: is it:
> * api stability: will i be able to upgrade to a more recent snapshot
> of 4.0 without drastic changes to my app?
> * index format stability: will i be able to upgrade to a more recent
> snapshot of 4.0 without re-indexing?
> * correctness: is 4.0 dangerous in some way that it has many bugs
> since much of the code is new?
>
> I think you should limit your concerns to only the first 2 items, as
> far as correctness, just look at the tests. For any open source
> project, you can easily judge its quality by its tests: this is a
> fact.
>
> For lucene/solr the testing strategy, in my opinion, goes above and
> beyond many other projects: for example random testing:
> http://www.lucidimagination.com/devzone/events/conferences/ApacheLuceneEurocon2011_presentations#dawid_weiss
>
> and the new solr cloud functionality also adds the similar chaosmonkey
> concept on top of this already.
>
> If you are worried about bugs, is a lucene/solr trunk snapshot less
> reliable than even a released version of alternative software? its an
> interesting question. look at their tests.
>
> --
> lucidimagination.com

Re: Solr 4.0 and production environments

[Robert Muir <rc...@gmail.com>]

On Wed, Mar 7, 2012 at 11:47 AM, Dirceu Vieira <di...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Hi All,
>
> Has anybody started using Solr 4.0 in production environments? Is it stable
> enough?
> I'm planning to create a proof of concept using solr 4.0, we have some
> projects that will gain a lot with features such as near real time search,
> joins and others, that are available only on version 4.
>
> Is it too risky to think of using it right now?
> What are your thoughts and experiences with that?
>

In general, we try to keep our 'trunk' (slated to be 4.0) in very
stable condition.

Really, it should be 'ready-to-release' at any time, of course 4.0 has
had many drastic changes: both at the Lucene and Solr level.

Before deciding what is stable, you should define stability: is it:
* api stability: will i be able to upgrade to a more recent snapshot
of 4.0 without drastic changes to my app?
* index format stability: will i be able to upgrade to a more recent
snapshot of 4.0 without re-indexing?
* correctness: is 4.0 dangerous in some way that it has many bugs
since much of the code is new?

I think you should limit your concerns to only the first 2 items, as
far as correctness, just look at the tests. For any open source
project, you can easily judge its quality by its tests: this is a
fact.

For lucene/solr the testing strategy, in my opinion, goes above and
beyond many other projects: for example random testing:
http://www.lucidimagination.com/devzone/events/conferences/ApacheLuceneEurocon2011_presentations#dawid_weiss

and the new solr cloud functionality also adds the similar chaosmonkey
concept on top of this already.

If you are worried about bugs, is a lucene/solr trunk snapshot less
reliable than even a released version of alternative software? its an
interesting question. look at their tests.

-- 
lucidimagination.com