Chris Warticki's Blog - Oracle Support

Find it, the First time - FAST! - Not using the MetaLink Knowledge Browser can result in wasting valuable time. Reduce the number of queries executed and notes read up to 65%! Spend less time on a support portal and more time on your projects and tasks.

I'm often told that searching MetaLink is cumbersome even for a seasoned veteran.  I don't know why there are so many options to choose from.  I'll keep my comments to myself.  For the record there's the QuickFind (with 8 pulldown choices), Advanced Search (with 13 options), Secure Enterprise Search (Oracle Product), and Bug Search (not covering that one yet).

The best way to know exactly what Support knows with 100% assurance if you need to open a Service Request or not, is to use the Knowledge Browser.  The Knowledge Browser is not new functionality.  It has existed in this interface for over 5 years.

Oracle Support datamines SRs and creates content in the philosophy of Find it once and fix it for many.  The Knowledge Browser has a structure that helps the user browse by major Product Category > Product Family > Function and Feature. Instead of searching hundreds of thousands of documents using the QuickFind, the Knowledge Browser allows you to search specific content folders.

Once you're inside the Knowledge Browser folder of your choice, follow these 1-2-3 best practices.

1. Click on the usage column - sort the subset of documents from the #1 most popular document to the least, in any folder.
2. Filter the list of documents using the Filter button
3. Search within the Category - If you put your keywords here and nothing comes back, guess what?  You will know with 100% assurance, that you can log a Service Request, write the support engineer, I just searched X  folder of content and nothing came back.  Most likely, it's a 1st-time discovery or it's a complex issue and Support will have to engage Development.
   There are many other tips and tricks for searching MetaLink.  The Customer Support Management team is here to help train you and your company this best practice and others. 
   
   Finally, if you are interested in contributing to the knowledgebase, did you know about the Customer Knowledge Exchange? (another thing to search)
   
   
   ROI:  Return the investment of your time from hunting and pecking for information and put it back to the projects and tasks to achieve your objectives.