Server search performance

[dbarton]

Is there a way to improve server side search performance (IMAP)? I am running dovecot as the server, and searches can take a minute.

Dovecot uses single file per message, so io is quite high for this.

Alternatively, being able to search just the subject and from / to emails would be incredibly useful. Roundcube has this option and when used it is very fast and full text is very slow.
Thanks,
David

[mikeone]

It's possible to modify the message search as follows:

1) "by headers and text"
2) "by sender only"
3) "by headers only"

Just bring up the search panel and tap the" T" icon once/twice/...
Long press the "T" icon will show you the current type of search function.

[Kostya Vasilyev]

1) "by headers and text"
2) "by sender only"
3) "by headers only"

This is the only thing that the app has control over - what exactly is asks the server to search "on".

Other than that: the performance of a server search, with "search type" being equal, depends on -- ta-daam! -- the server.

Speaking of Dovecot's, yes it can be improved:

https://wiki.dovecot.org/Plugins/FTS

[dbarton]

Just bring up the search panel and tap the" T" icon once/twice/...

This is magic, I had no idea!  Searches are now very very fast when this is turned on.

Thank you so much.
David

[dbarton]

Speaking of Dovecot's, yes it can be improved:

not a link wiki.dovecot.org/Plugins/FTS

Thanks, that's what I was looking for.  I didn't know if Aquamail would use that extension if installed.  I'll give it a go.

David

[Kostya Vasilyev]

Re: I didn't know if Aquamail would use that extension if installed.

We don't "use" or "not use" the extension.

That's part of the server's search implementation, the search commands are generic -- "dear server please search for this text in ... (headers / text)".