Saying the up to date Microsoft SharePoint connector (V2.0) for Amazon Kendra

Amazon Kendra is a extremely correct and simple-to-use clever search service powered by machine studying (ML). Amazon Kendra provides a collection of knowledge supply connectors to simplify the method of ingesting and indexing your content material, wherever it resides.

Invaluable information in organizations is saved in each structured and unstructured repositories. Amazon Kendra can pull collectively information throughout a number of structured and unstructured data base repositories to index and search on.

One such data base repository is Microsoft SharePoint, and we’re excited to announce that we now have up to date the SharePoint connector for Amazon Kendra so as to add much more capabilities. On this new model (V2.0), we now have added assist for SharePoint Subscription Version and a number of authentication and sync modes to index contents primarily based on new, modified, or deleted contents.

Now you can additionally select OAuth 2.0 to authenticate with SharePoint On-line. A number of synchronization choices can be found to replace your index when your information supply content material adjustments. You’ll be able to filter the search outcomes primarily based on the consumer and group data to make sure your search outcomes are solely proven primarily based on consumer entry rights.

On this publish, we show methods to index content material from SharePoint utilizing the Amazon Kendra SharePoint connector V2.0.

Answer overview

You should use Amazon Kendra as a central location to index the content material offered by numerous information sources for clever search. Within the following sections, we undergo the steps to create an index, add the SharePoint connector, and take a look at the answer.

Conditions

To get began, you want the next:

Create an Amazon Kendra Index

To create an Amazon Kendra index, full the next steps:

1. On the Amazon Kendra console, select Create an index.
2. For Index title, enter a reputation for the index (for instance, my-sharepoint-index).
3. Enter an elective description.
4. Select Create a brand new function.
5. For Position title, enter an IAM function title.
6. ­Configure elective encryption settings and tags.
7. Select Subsequent.
8. For Entry management settings, select Sure.
9. For Token configuration, set Token sort to JSON and depart the default values for Username and Teams.
10. For Person-group growth, depart the defaults.
11. Select Subsequent.
12. For Specify provisioning, choose Developer version, which is fitted to constructing a proof of idea and experimentation, and select Create.

Add a SharePoint information supply to your Amazon Kendra index

One of many benefits of implementing Amazon Kendra is that you should utilize a set of pre-built connectors for information sources equivalent to Amazon Simple Storage Service (Amazon S3), Amazon Relational Database Service (Amazon RDS), SharePoint On-line, and Salesforce.

So as to add a SharePoint information supply to your index, full the next steps:

1. On the Amazon Kendra console, navigate to the index that you simply created.
2. Select Information sources within the navigation pane.
3. Underneath SharePoint Connector V2.0, select Add connector.
4. For Information supply title, enter a reputation (for instance, my-sharepoint-data-source).
5. Enter an elective description.
6. Select English (en) for Default language.
7. Enter elective tags.
8. Select Subsequent.

Relying on the internet hosting choice your SharePoint software is utilizing, choose the suitable internet hosting methodology. The required attributes for the connector configuration seem primarily based on the internet hosting methodology you select.

9. If you choose SharePoint On-line, full the next steps:
   • Enter the URL to your SharePoint On-line repository.
   • Select your authentication choice (these authentication particulars shall be utilized by the SharePoint connector to combine along with your SharePoint software).
   • Enter the tenant ID of your SharePoint On-line software.
   • For AWS Secrets and techniques Supervisor secret, choose the key that has SharePoint On-line software credentials or create a brand new secret and add the connection particulars (for instance, AmazonKendra-SharePoint-my-sharepoint-online-secret).

To study extra about AWS Secrets Manger, discuss with Getting started with Secrets Manager.

The SharePoint connector makes use of the clientId, clientSecret, userName, and password data to authenticate with the SharePoint On-line software. These particulars could be accessed on the App registrations web page on the Azure portal, if the SharePoi­nt On-line software is already registered.

10. If you choose SharePoint Server, full the next steps:
    • Select your SharePoint model (for instance, we use SharePoint 2019 for this publish).
    • Enter the location URL to your SharePoint Server repository.
    • For SSL certificates location, enter the trail to the S3 bucket file the place the SharePoint Server SSL certificates is positioned.
    • Enter the online proxy host title and the port quantity particulars if the SharePoint server requires a proxy connection.

For this publish, no net proxy is used as a result of the SharePoint software used for this instance is a public-facing software.

• • Choose the authorization choice for the Entry Management Checklist (ACL) configuration.

These authentication particulars shall be utilized by the SharePoint connector to combine along with your SharePoint occasion.

11. For AWS Secrets and techniques Supervisor secret, select the key that has SharePoint Server credentials or create a brand new secret and add the connection particulars (for instance, AmazonKendra-my-sharepoint-server-secret).

The SharePoint connector makes use of the consumer title and password data to authenticate with the SharePoint Server software. When you use an electronic mail ID with area kind IDP because the ACL setting, the LDAP server endpoint, search base, LDAP consumer title, and LDAP password are additionally required.

To realize a granular degree of management over the searchable and displayable content material, id crawler performance is launched within the SharePoint connector V2.0.

12. Allow the id crawler and choose Crawl Native Group Mapping and Crawl AD Group Mapping.
13. For Digital Non-public Cloud (VPC), select the VPC by way of which the SharePoint software is reachable out of your SharePoint connector.

For this publish, we select No VPC as a result of the SharePoint software used for this instance is a public-facing software deployed on Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (Amazon EC2) cases.

14. Selected Create a brand new function (Really helpful) and supply a job title, equivalent to AmazonKendra-sharepoint-v2.
15. Select Subsequent.
16. Choose entities that you simply wish to embrace for indexing. You’ll be able to select All or particular entities primarily based in your use case. For this publish, we select All.

You can too embrace or exclude paperwork by utilizing common expressions. You’ll be able to outline patterns that Amazon Kendra both makes use of to exclude sure paperwork from indexing or embrace solely paperwork with that sample. For extra data, discuss with SharePoint Configuration.

17. Choose your sync mode to replace the index when your information supply content material adjustments.

You’ll be able to sync and index all contents in all entities, whatever the earlier sync course of by deciding on Full sync, or solely sync new, modified, or deleted content material, or solely sync new or modified content material. For this publish, we choose Full sync.

18. Select a frequency to run the sync schedule, equivalent to Run on demand.
19. Select Subsequent.

On this subsequent step, you possibly can create discipline mappings so as to add an additional layer of metadata to your paperwork. This allows you to enhance accuracy by way of manual tuning, filtering, and faceting.

20. Evaluation the default discipline mappings data and select Subsequent.
21. As a final step, evaluation the configuration particulars and select Add information supply to create the SharePoint connector information supply for the Amazon Kendra index.

Check the answer

Now you’re prepared to organize and take a look at the Amazon Kendra search options utilizing the SharePoint connector.

For this publish, AWS getting began paperwork are added to the SharePoint information supply. The pattern dataset used for this publish could be downloaded from AWS_Whitepapers.zip. This dataset has PDF paperwork categorized into a number of directories primarily based on the kind of paperwork (for instance, paperwork associated to AWS database choices, safety, and ML).

Additionally, pattern dataset directories in SharePoint are configured with consumer electronic mail IDs and group particulars in order that solely the customers and teams with permissions can entry particular directories or particular person information.

To realize granular-level management over the search outcomes, the SharePoint connector crawls the native or Lively Listing (AD) group mapping within the SharePoint information supply along with the content material when the id crawler is enabled with the native and AD group mapping choices chosen. With this functionality, Amazon Kendra listed content material is searchable and displayable primarily based on the entry management permissions of the customers and teams.

To sync our index with SharePoint content material, full the next steps:

1. On the Amazon Kendra console, navigate to the index you created.
2. Select Information sources within the navigation pane and choose the SharePoint information supply.
3. Select Sync now to begin the method to index the content material from the SharePoint software and await the method to finish.

When you encounter any sync points, discuss with Troubleshooting data sources for extra data.

When the sync course of is profitable, the worth for Final sync standing shall be set to Profitable – service is working usually. The content material from the SharePoint software is now listed and prepared for queries.

4. Select Search listed content material (beneath Information administration) within the navigation pane.
5. Enter a take a look at question within the search discipline and press Enter.

A take a look at question equivalent to “What’s the sturdiness of S3?” supplies the next Amazon Kendra instructed solutions. Notice that the outcomes for this question are from all of the listed content material. It is because there isn’t a context of consumer title or group data for this question.

6. To check the access-controlled search, broaden Check question with username or teams and select Apply consumer title or teams so as to add a consumer title (electronic mail ID) or group data.

When an Expertise Builder app is used, it consists of the consumer context, and subsequently you don’t want so as to add consumer or group IDs explicitly.

7. For this publish, entry to the Databases listing within the SharePoint web site is offered to the database-specialists group solely.
8. Enter a brand new take a look at question and press Enter.

On this instance, solely the content material within the Databases listing is searched and the outcomes are displayed. It is because the database-specialists group solely has entry to the Databases listing.

Congratulations! You’ve got efficiently used Amazon Kendra to floor solutions and insights primarily based on the content material listed out of your SharePoint software.

Amazon Kendra Expertise Builder

You’ll be able to construct and deploy an Amazon Kendra search software with out the necessity for any front-end code. Amazon Kendra Expertise Builder helps you construct and deploy a completely practical search software in a couple of clicks to be able to begin looking immediately.

Check with Building a search experience with no code for extra data.

Clear up

To keep away from incurring future prices, clear up the sources you created as a part of this resolution. When you created a brand new Amazon Kendra index whereas testing this resolution, delete it if you happen to now not want it. When you solely added a brand new information supply utilizing the Amazon Kendra connector for SharePoint, delete that information supply after your resolution evaluation is accomplished.

Check with Deleting an index and data source for extra data.

Conclusion

On this publish, we confirmed methods to ingest paperwork out of your SharePoint software into your Amazon Kendra index. We additionally reviewed among the new options which might be launched within the new model of the SharePoint connector.

To study extra in regards to the Amazon Kendra connector for SharePoint, discuss with Microsoft SharePoint connector V2.0.

Lastly, don’t neglect to take a look at the other blog posts about Amazon Kendra!

Concerning the Creator

Udaya Jaladi is a Options Architect at Amazon Internet Providers (AWS), specializing in aiding Impartial Software program Vendor (ISV) clients. With experience in cloud methods, AI/ML applied sciences, and operations, Udaya serves as a trusted advisor to executives and engineers, providing personalised steering on maximizing the cloud’s potential and driving modern product improvement. Leveraging his background as an Enterprise Architect (EA) throughout numerous enterprise domains, Udaya excels in architecting scalable cloud options tailor-made to fulfill the particular wants of ISV clients.