Prerequisites - Module 8: Search Explorer & Portal Tools¶

Required Knowledge¶

Before starting this module, you should have:

Azure AI Search Fundamentals¶

✅ Completed Module 1: Introduction & Setup
✅ Completed Module 2: Basic Search Operations
✅ Basic understanding of Azure portal navigation
✅ Knowledge of search indexes and basic query concepts
✅ Familiarity with REST API concepts

Technical Prerequisites¶

✅ Understanding of HTTP methods (GET, POST, PUT, DELETE)
✅ Basic knowledge of JSON data structures
✅ Familiarity with query parameters and URL construction
✅ Understanding of authentication concepts (API keys, tokens)

Required Azure Resources¶

Azure AI Search Service¶

✅ Active Azure AI Search service (Free tier is sufficient for learning)
✅ Admin API key for management operations
✅ Query API key for search operations
✅ Service endpoint URL

Azure Portal Access¶

✅ Azure subscription with appropriate permissions
✅ Access to Azure portal (portal.azure.com)
✅ Permissions to view and manage Azure AI Search resources
✅ Ability to create and modify search indexes

Sample Search Index¶

You'll need a search index with sample data for testing portal tools:

Recommended Index Schema¶

{
  "name": "hotels-sample",
  "fields": [
    {"name": "HotelId", "type": "Edm.String", "key": true, "searchable": false},
    {"name": "HotelName", "type": "Edm.String", "searchable": true, "filterable": true, "sortable": true},
    {"name": "Description", "type": "Edm.String", "searchable": true, "analyzer": "en.microsoft"},
    {"name": "Category", "type": "Edm.String", "searchable": true, "filterable": true, "facetable": true},
    {"name": "Tags", "type": "Collection(Edm.String)", "searchable": true, "filterable": true, "facetable": true},
    {"name": "ParkingIncluded", "type": "Edm.Boolean", "filterable": true, "facetable": true},
    {"name": "LastRenovationDate", "type": "Edm.DateTimeOffset", "filterable": true, "sortable": true, "facetable": true},
    {"name": "Rating", "type": "Edm.Double", "filterable": true, "sortable": true, "facetable": true},
    {"name": "Address", "type": "Edm.ComplexType", "fields": [
      {"name": "StreetAddress", "type": "Edm.String", "searchable": true},
      {"name": "City", "type": "Edm.String", "searchable": true, "filterable": true, "facetable": true, "sortable": true},
      {"name": "StateProvince", "type": "Edm.String", "searchable": true, "filterable": true, "facetable": true, "sortable": true},
      {"name": "PostalCode", "type": "Edm.String", "searchable": true, "filterable": true},
      {"name": "Country", "type": "Edm.String", "searchable": true, "filterable": true, "facetable": true, "sortable": true}
    ]},
    {"name": "Location", "type": "Edm.GeographyPoint", "filterable": true, "sortable": true}
  ]
}

Sample Data¶

Your index should contain sample documents for testing:

[
  {
    "HotelId": "1",
    "HotelName": "Secret Point Motel",
    "Description": "The hotel is ideally located on the main commercial artery of the city in the heart of New York. A few minutes away is Time's Square and the historic centre of the city, as well as other places of interest that make New York one of America's most attractive and cosmopolitan cities.",
    "Category": "Boutique",
    "Tags": ["pool", "air conditioning", "concierge"],
    "ParkingIncluded": false,
    "LastRenovationDate": "1970-01-18T00:00:00Z",
    "Rating": 3.6,
    "Address": {
      "StreetAddress": "677 5th Ave",
      "City": "New York",
      "StateProvince": "NY",
      "PostalCode": "10022",
      "Country": "USA"
    },
    "Location": {"type": "Point", "coordinates": [-73.975403, 40.760586]}
  },
  {
    "HotelId": "2",
    "HotelName": "Twin Dome Motel",
    "Description": "The hotel is situated in a nineteenth century plaza, which has been expanded and renovated to the highest architectural standards to create a modern, functional and first-class hotel in which art and unique historical elements coexist with the most modern comforts.",
    "Category": "Boutique",
    "Tags": ["pool", "free wifi", "concierge"],
    "ParkingIncluded": false,
    "LastRenovationDate": "1979-02-18T00:00:00Z",
    "Rating": 3.6,
    "Address": {
      "StreetAddress": "140 University Town Center Dr",
      "City": "Sarasota",
      "StateProvince": "FL",
      "PostalCode": "34243",
      "Country": "USA"
    },
    "Location": {"type": "Point", "coordinates": [-82.554794, 27.365233]}
  }
]

Development Environment Setup¶

Required Tools¶

✅ Web browser (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Edge)
✅ Code editor (Visual Studio Code recommended)
✅ REST client (Postman, VS Code REST Client, or curl)
✅ Access to Azure portal

Optional Tools for Advanced Usage¶

✅ Azure CLI (for automation scenarios)
✅ PowerShell or Bash (for scripting)
✅ Git (for version control of configurations)

SDK Installation (Choose your language)¶

Python¶

pip install azure-search-documents
pip install azure-identity
pip install requests

C# (.NET)¶

dotnet add package Azure.Search.Documents
dotnet add package Azure.Identity

JavaScript/Node.js¶

npm install @azure/search-documents
npm install @azure/identity
npm install axios

Azure Portal Basics¶

✅ Understanding of Azure portal navigation
✅ Knowledge of resource groups and subscriptions
✅ Familiarity with Azure service blade structure
✅ Understanding of Azure portal search functionality

Azure AI Search Portal Features¶

✅ Location of Azure AI Search service in portal
✅ Understanding of service overview page
✅ Knowledge of left navigation menu structure
✅ Familiarity with Azure portal notifications and activity logs

Authentication Setup¶

Option 1: API Keys (Recommended for learning)¶

✅ Admin API key for management operations
✅ Query API key for search operations
✅ Understanding of key rotation and security

Option 2: Azure Active Directory (Recommended for production)¶

✅ Azure AD tenant access
✅ Appropriate role assignments:
Search Service Contributor (for admin operations)
Search Index Data Reader (for query operations)
Search Index Data Contributor (for data operations)

Option 3: Managed Identity (Advanced)¶

✅ System-assigned or user-assigned managed identity
✅ Role-based access control (RBAC) configuration
✅ Understanding of identity and access management

Data Source Prerequisites (for Import Data Wizard)¶

Azure Blob Storage¶

✅ Storage account with sample data
✅ Container with documents (PDF, Word, JSON, etc.)
✅ Appropriate access permissions
✅ Understanding of blob storage structure

Azure SQL Database¶

✅ SQL database with sample tables
✅ Database connection string
✅ Appropriate database permissions
✅ Understanding of change detection policies

Azure Cosmos DB¶

✅ Cosmos DB account with sample data
✅ Database and container configuration
✅ Connection string and access keys
✅ Understanding of Cosmos DB data models

Verification Checklist¶

Before proceeding with the module exercises:

Portal Access¶

[ ] Can access Azure portal successfully
[ ] Can navigate to Azure AI Search service
[ ] Can view service overview and configuration
[ ] Can access all portal features and tools

Service Configuration¶

[ ] Azure AI Search service is running
[ ] Service tier supports required features
[ ] API keys are available and valid
[ ] Service endpoint is accessible

Index and Data¶

[ ] Sample index exists with appropriate schema
[ ] Index contains sample documents
[ ] Fields are properly configured (searchable, filterable, etc.)
[ ] Index statistics show document count

Tool Access¶

[ ] Can access Search Explorer in portal
[ ] Can access Import Data wizard
[ ] Can view indexer status and history
[ ] Can access service monitoring and metrics

Sample Test Operations¶

Verify your setup with these basic portal operations:

Search Explorer Test¶

Navigate to your search service in Azure portal
Click on "Search explorer" in the left menu
Select your index from the dropdown
Try a basic search query: * (returns all documents)
Try a filtered search: search=hotel&$filter=Rating gt 3.5

Import Data Wizard Test¶

Click on "Import data" in the service overview
Choose a data source (Azure Blob Storage recommended)
Configure connection to your data source
Review the generated index schema
Complete the wizard to create a test indexer

Indexer Monitoring Test¶

Navigate to "Indexers" in the left menu
View indexer execution history
Check for any errors or warnings
Monitor indexer performance metrics

Troubleshooting Common Setup Issues¶

Portal Access Issues¶

Issue: Cannot access Azure portal or search service Solutions: - Verify Azure subscription is active - Check user permissions and role assignments - Clear browser cache and cookies - Try incognito/private browsing mode

API Key Issues¶

Issue: API key authentication failures Solutions: - Verify API key is copied correctly (no extra spaces) - Check key permissions (admin vs query keys) - Regenerate keys if necessary - Verify service endpoint URL format

Index Configuration Issues¶

Issue: Fields not appearing in Search Explorer Solutions: - Verify field attributes (searchable, filterable, etc.) - Check index schema configuration - Ensure index rebuild completed successfully - Verify sample data was indexed properly

Data Source Connection Issues¶

Issue: Cannot connect to data sources in Import Data wizard Solutions: - Verify connection strings and credentials - Check network connectivity and firewall rules - Ensure data source contains accessible data - Validate permissions and access policies

Getting Help¶

If you encounter issues during setup:

Troubleshooting Guide - Common issues and solutions
Azure AI Search Documentation - Official Microsoft documentation
Best Practices - Guidelines for effective portal usage
Code Samples - Working examples for automation

Quick Diagnostic Steps¶

Verify all prerequisites are met
Test with simple operations before complex ones
Check service health and status
Validate authentication and permissions
Review Azure portal notifications for errors

Additional Resources¶

Next Steps¶

Once all prerequisites are met, proceed to: - Best Practices - Learn portal usage guidelines - Practice & Implementation - Start hands-on exercises - Code Samples - Explore automation examples - Main Documentation - Complete module overview

Learning Objectives Alignment¶

This prerequisites setup ensures you can achieve the module's learning objectives: - Navigate Azure AI Search portal interface effectively - Use Search Explorer for query testing and debugging - Utilize Import Data wizard for rapid prototyping - Monitor indexer execution and performance - Debug search queries and analyze results - Manage indexes, indexers, and data sources through portal - Understand when to use portal vs APIs

By completing this setup, you'll be ready to explore all Azure AI Search portal tools and features covered in this module.