12-13-2006 16:26
This may well get moved because its a tech question.
but I know not where else to hope to get an answer.

About your search technology - by the way u behave with it and express the problems - one can only draw a single conclusion:

You are loading the live database with "places" search requests?

Now if that is true, that is the daftest DB architecture I have come across in 20 years of consulting on systems of this scale.
If it is true, PLEASE get a search cluster in place, like Google's Search Appliance (they are cheap!) and have 24/7 index updates being created that the search cluster uses - not hitting the live DB with search requests on items that dont change that often.

*sigh*

I hope I am wrong in my assumption.

BR
Lord Leafblower