I am planning to add a full-text search engine for searching a MySQL database to a website. Most recommendations on a nice, user-friendly implementation I found, mentioned the use of Apache Solr.
Keeping this in mind I started searching for the requirements for a hoster to use Solr but I didn't find any useful information expect for "it should support java". So I picked a random host that states it has Java JRE installed (http://wiki.dreamhost.com/What_We_Support) and asked if they supported Solr. Unfortunately, the answer was "no".
So, what would I need to be looking for? Do I need a dedicated server, a VPN, or are there shared hosting solutions where it is possible to run Solr?
What are the system requirements?
I hope there is someone out there, who knows a bit about this. Thanks!
The Solr requirements can be found here: https://wiki.apache.org/solr/SolrInstall
So an installed JRE is needed, but also an servlet container, which also needs an JRE.
If I would be in your situation, I would rent an virtual server. An other option is an hosting service, specialized for solr hosting: search the web for "apache solr hosting". There are offers for free or payed offers also.