Module 3: Index Management - Code Samples¶

This directory contains comprehensive code samples demonstrating index management operations in Azure AI Search across multiple programming languages. These samples are designed to help you understand fundamental index concepts and implement them in your preferred language.

📁 Directory Structure¶

code-samples/
├── README.md                    # This file
├── setup_prerequisites.py      # Environment setup and validation
├── notebooks/                  # Interactive Jupyter notebooks
│   └── index_management.ipynb  # Step-by-step interactive examples
├── python/                     # Python examples (6 files)
│   ├── 01_create_basic_index.py
│   ├── 02_schema_design.py
│   ├── 03_data_ingestion.py
│   ├── 04_index_operations.py
│   ├── 05_performance_optimization.py
│   └── 06_error_handling.py
├── csharp/                     # C# .NET examples (6 files)
│   ├── 01_CreateBasicIndex.cs
│   ├── 02_SchemaDesign.cs
│   ├── 03_DataIngestion.cs
│   ├── 04_IndexOperations.cs
│   ├── 05_PerformanceOptimization.cs
│   └── 06_ErrorHandling.cs
├── javascript/                 # JavaScript/Node.js examples (6 files)
│   ├── 01_create_basic_index.js
│   ├── 02_schema_design.js
│   ├── 03_data_ingestion.js
│   ├── 04_index_operations.js
│   ├── 05_performance_optimization.js
│   └── 06_error_handling.js
└── rest/                       # REST API examples (6 files)
    ├── 01_create_basic_index.http
    ├── 02_schema_design.http
    ├── 03_data_ingestion.http
    ├── 04_index_operations.http
    ├── 05_performance_optimization.http
    └── 06_error_handling.http

🚀 Quick Start¶

Prerequisites Setup (Required First Step)¶

Before running any examples, set up your environment:

# 1. Set environment variables
export AZURE_SEARCH_SERVICE_ENDPOINT="https://your-service.search.windows.net"
export AZURE_SEARCH_ADMIN_KEY="your-admin-api-key"

# 2. Install dependencies
pip install azure-search-documents python-dotenv

# 3. Run prerequisites setup
python setup_prerequisites.py

Choose Your Learning Path¶

🐍 Python Path¶

cd python/
python 01_create_basic_index.py

🔷 C# Path¶

cd csharp/
dotnet run 01_CreateBasicIndex.cs

🟨 JavaScript Path¶

cd javascript/
npm install @azure/search-documents
node 01_create_basic_index.js

📓 Interactive Path¶

pip install jupyter
jupyter notebook notebooks/index_management.ipynb

📚 Code Sample Categories¶

1. Basic Index Creation¶

Learn the fundamentals of creating search indexes.

What you'll learn: - Index schema definition - Field types and attributes - Basic index creation - Index validation

Files: - 01_create_basic_index.py - Python implementation - 01_CreateBasicIndex.cs - C# implementation
- 01_create_basic_index.js - JavaScript implementation - 01_create_basic_index.http - REST API calls

2. Schema Design¶

Master the art of designing effective index schemas.

What you'll learn: - Field type selection - Attribute optimization - Complex field structures - Schema best practices

Files: - 02_schema_design.py - Python examples - 02_SchemaDesign.cs - C# examples - 02_schema_design.js - JavaScript examples - 02_schema_design.http - REST API examples

3. Data Ingestion¶

Implement robust data ingestion strategies.

What you'll learn: - Single document upload - Batch document upload - Large dataset handling - Upload optimization

Files: - 03_data_ingestion.py - Python implementation - 03_DataIngestion.cs - C# implementation - 03_data_ingestion.js - JavaScript implementation - 03_data_ingestion.http - REST API examples

4. Index Operations¶

Manage index lifecycle operations and maintenance.

What you'll learn: - Index lifecycle operations (create, update, delete) - Schema updates and versioning - Document operations (update, merge, delete) - Index health monitoring

Files: - 04_index_operations.py - Python examples - 04_IndexOperations.cs - C# examples - 04_index_operations.js - JavaScript examples - 04_index_operations.http - REST API examples

5. Performance Optimization¶

Optimize index performance and resource usage.

What you'll learn: - Batch size optimization - Parallel upload strategies - Memory management - Performance monitoring and best practices

Files: - 05_performance_optimization.py - Python examples - 05_PerformanceOptimization.cs - C# examples - 05_performance_optimization.js - JavaScript examples - 05_performance_optimization.http - REST API examples

6. Error Handling¶

Implement robust error handling and troubleshooting.

What you'll learn: - Common error scenarios - Retry strategies with exponential backoff - Input validation and edge cases - Comprehensive troubleshooting techniques

Files: - 06_error_handling.py - Python implementation - 06_ErrorHandling.cs - C# implementation - 06_error_handling.js - JavaScript implementation - 06_error_handling.http - REST API examples

🎯 Learning Approaches¶

1. Sequential Learning (Recommended for Beginners)¶

Follow the numbered sequence for a structured learning experience:

# Python example
python 01_create_basic_index.py
python 02_schema_design.py
python 03_data_ingestion.py
python 04_index_operations.py
python 05_performance_optimization.py
python 06_error_handling.py

2. Topic-Focused Learning¶

Jump to specific topics based on your needs:

# Focus on data ingestion
python 03_data_ingestion.py

# Focus on performance
python 05_performance_optimization.py

# Focus on error handling
python 06_error_handling.py

3. Cross-Language Learning¶

Compare implementations across languages:

# Compare Python and C# approaches
python python/01_create_basic_index.py
dotnet run csharp/01_CreateBasicIndex.cs

4. Interactive Learning¶

Use Jupyter notebooks for hands-on experimentation:

jupyter notebook notebooks/index_management.ipynb

🔧 Environment Setup¶

Python Environment¶

# Create virtual environment
python -m venv venv
source venv/bin/activate  # On Windows: venv\Scripts\activate

# Install dependencies
pip install azure-search-documents python-dotenv pandas jupyter

C# Environment¶

# Create new console project
dotnet new console -n IndexManagementSamples
cd IndexManagementSamples

# Add Azure Search package
dotnet add package Azure.Search.Documents

JavaScript Environment¶

# Initialize npm project
npm init -y

# Install dependencies
npm install @azure/search-documents dotenv

Environment Variables¶

Create a .env file in your project root:

# .env
AZURE_SEARCH_SERVICE_ENDPOINT=https://your-service.search.windows.net
AZURE_SEARCH_ADMIN_KEY=your-admin-api-key
AZURE_SEARCH_INDEX_NAME=handbook-indexes

📊 Sample Data¶

The code samples use consistent sample data across all languages:

{
  "id": "1",
  "title": "Getting Started with Azure AI Search",
  "content": "Azure AI Search is a powerful search service...",
  "author": "John Doe",
  "publishedDate": "2024-01-15T10:00:00Z",
  "category": "Tutorial",
  "tags": ["azure", "search", "tutorial"],
  "rating": 4.5,
  "viewCount": 1250,
  "isPublished": true
}

🚨 Common Issues and Solutions¶

Issue 1: "Access Denied" Error¶

Problem: Getting 403 errors when creating indexes. Solution: Ensure you're using an admin API key, not a query key.

# ✅ Correct: Admin key for index operations
index_client = SearchIndexClient(
    endpoint=endpoint,
    credential=AzureKeyCredential(admin_key)  # Admin key required
)

Issue 2: "Index Already Exists" Error¶

Problem: Trying to create an index that already exists. Solution: Use create_or_update_index() instead of create_index().

# ✅ Safe: Will create or update
result = index_client.create_or_update_index(index)

Issue 3: Package Import Errors¶

Problem: Cannot import Azure Search modules. Solution: Install the correct package version.

pip install azure-search-documents==11.4.0

Issue 4: Connection Timeout¶

Problem: Operations timing out. Solution: Increase timeout and implement retry logic.

from azure.core.pipeline.policies import RetryPolicy

# Configure retry policy
retry_policy = RetryPolicy(retry_total=3, retry_backoff_factor=1.0)

🎓 Best Practices Demonstrated¶

Code Quality¶

✅ Comprehensive error handling
✅ Input validation and sanitization
✅ Proper resource cleanup
✅ Consistent logging and monitoring

Performance¶

✅ Optimal batch sizes for uploads
✅ Parallel processing strategies
✅ Memory-efficient data handling
✅ Connection pooling and reuse

Security¶

✅ Environment variable usage
✅ API key management
✅ Input sanitization
✅ Secure connection practices

Maintainability¶

✅ Clear code structure and comments
✅ Modular function design
✅ Configuration externalization
✅ Comprehensive documentation

Module 3 Resources¶

Module 3 Documentation - Core concepts and theory
Prerequisites Setup - Environment configuration
Best Practices - Guidelines and recommendations

Azure AI Search Resources¶

🚀 Next Steps¶

After working through the code samples:

✅ Master the Basics: Complete samples 01-04
🔧 Explore Advanced Features: Try samples 05-08
📝 Practice with Exercises: Apply concepts in guided scenarios
🏗️ Build Your Own: Create indexes for your own data
📚 Continue Learning: Move to Module 4: Simple Queries and Filters

Ready to start building indexes? 🏗️✨

Begin with the prerequisites setup and choose your preferred learning path!