Use SearchIndex with an Amazon SDK or CLI

    /// <summary>
    /// Searches for IoT Things using the search index.
    /// </summary>
    /// <param name="queryString">The search query string.</param>
    /// <returns>List of Things that match the search criteria, or empty list if search failed.</returns>
    public async Task<List<ThingDocument>> SearchIndexAsync(string queryString)
    {
        try
        {
            // First, try to perform the search
            var request = new SearchIndexRequest
            {
                QueryString = queryString
            };

            var response = await _amazonIoT.SearchIndexAsync(request);
            _logger.LogInformation($"Search found {response.Things.Count} Things");
            return response.Things;
        }
        catch (Amazon.IoT.Model.IndexNotReadyException ex)
        {
            _logger.LogWarning($"Search index not ready, setting up indexing configuration: {ex.Message}");
            return await SetupIndexAndRetrySearchAsync(queryString);
        }
        catch (Amazon.IoT.Model.ResourceNotFoundException ex) when (ex.Message.Contains("index") || ex.Message.Contains("Index"))
        {
            _logger.LogWarning($"Search index not configured, setting up indexing configuration: {ex.Message}");
            return await SetupIndexAndRetrySearchAsync(queryString);
        }
        catch (Amazon.IoT.Model.ThrottlingException ex)
        {
            _logger.LogWarning($"Request throttled, please try again later: {ex.Message}");
            return new List<ThingDocument>();
        }
        catch (Exception ex)
        {
            _logger.LogError($"Couldn't search index. Here's why: {ex.Message}");
            return new List<ThingDocument>();
        }
    }

    /// <summary>
    /// Sets up the indexing configuration and retries the search after waiting for the index to be ready.
    /// </summary>
    /// <param name="queryString">The search query string.</param>
    /// <returns>List of Things that match the search criteria, or empty list if setup/search failed.</returns>
    private async Task<List<ThingDocument>> SetupIndexAndRetrySearchAsync(string queryString)
    {
        try
        {
            // Update indexing configuration to REGISTRY mode
            _logger.LogInformation("Setting up IoT search indexing configuration...");
            await _amazonIoT.UpdateIndexingConfigurationAsync(
                new UpdateIndexingConfigurationRequest()
                {
                    ThingIndexingConfiguration = new ThingIndexingConfiguration()
                    {
                        ThingIndexingMode = ThingIndexingMode.REGISTRY
                    }
                });

            _logger.LogInformation("Indexing configuration updated. Waiting for index to be ready...");

            // Wait for the index to be set up - this can take some time
            const int maxRetries = 10;
            const int retryDelaySeconds = 10;

            for (int attempt = 1; attempt <= maxRetries; attempt++)
            {
                try
                {
                    _logger.LogInformation($"Waiting for index to be ready (attempt {attempt}/{maxRetries})...");
                    await Task.Delay(TimeSpan.FromSeconds(retryDelaySeconds));

                    // Try to get the current indexing configuration to see if it's ready
                    var configResponse = await _amazonIoT.GetIndexingConfigurationAsync(new GetIndexingConfigurationRequest());
                    if (configResponse.ThingIndexingConfiguration?.ThingIndexingMode == ThingIndexingMode.REGISTRY)
                    {
                        // Try the search again
                        var request = new SearchIndexRequest
                        {
                            QueryString = queryString
                        };

                        var response = await _amazonIoT.SearchIndexAsync(request);
                        _logger.LogInformation($"Search found {response.Things.Count} Things after index setup");
                        return response.Things;
                    }
                }
                catch (Amazon.IoT.Model.IndexNotReadyException)
                {
                    // Index still not ready, continue waiting
                    _logger.LogInformation("Index still not ready, continuing to wait...");
                    continue;
                }
                catch (Amazon.IoT.Model.InvalidRequestException ex) when (ex.Message.Contains("index") || ex.Message.Contains("Index"))
                {
                    // Index still not ready, continue waiting
                    _logger.LogInformation("Index still not ready, continuing to wait...");
                    continue;
                }
            }

            _logger.LogWarning("Timeout waiting for search index to be ready after configuration update");
            return new List<ThingDocument>();
        }
        catch (Exception ex)
        {
            _logger.LogError($"Couldn't set up search index configuration. Here's why: {ex.Message}");
            return new List<ThingDocument>();
        }
    }

//! Query the AWS IoT fleet index.
//! For query information, see https://docs.aws.amazon.com/iot/latest/developerguide/query-syntax.html
/*!
  \param: query: The query string.
  \param clientConfiguration: AWS client configuration.
  \return bool: Function succeeded.
 */
bool AwsDoc::IoT::searchIndex(const Aws::String &query,
                              const Aws::Client::ClientConfiguration &clientConfiguration) {
    Aws::IoT::IoTClient iotClient(clientConfiguration);

    Aws::IoT::Model::SearchIndexRequest request;
    request.SetQueryString(query);

    Aws::Vector<Aws::IoT::Model::ThingDocument> allThingDocuments;
    Aws::String nextToken; // Used for pagination.
    do {
        if (!nextToken.empty()) {
            request.SetNextToken(nextToken);
        }

        Aws::IoT::Model::SearchIndexOutcome outcome = iotClient.SearchIndex(request);

        if (outcome.IsSuccess()) {
            const Aws::IoT::Model::SearchIndexResult &result = outcome.GetResult();
            allThingDocuments.insert(allThingDocuments.end(),
                                     result.GetThings().cbegin(),
                                     result.GetThings().cend());
            nextToken = result.GetNextToken();

        }
        else {
            std::cerr << "Error in SearchIndex: " << outcome.GetError().GetMessage()
                      << std::endl;
            return false;
        }
    } while (!nextToken.empty());

    std::cout << allThingDocuments.size() << " thing document(s) found." << std::endl;
    for (const auto thingDocument: allThingDocuments) {
        std::cout << "  Thing name: " << thingDocument.GetThingName() << "."
                  << std::endl;
    }
    return true;
}

To query the thing index

The following search-index example queries the AWS_Things index for things that have a type of LightBulb.

aws iot search-index \
    --index-name "AWS_Things" \
    --query-string "thingTypeName:LightBulb"

Output:

{
    "things": [
        {
            "thingName": "MyLightBulb",
            "thingId": "40da2e73-c6af-406e-b415-15acae538797",
            "thingTypeName": "LightBulb",
            "thingGroupNames": [
                "LightBulbs",
                "DeadBulbs"
            ],
            "attributes": {
                "model": "123",
                "wattage": "75"
            },
            "connectivity": {
                "connected": false
            }
        },
        {
            "thingName": "ThirdBulb",
            "thingId": "615c8455-33d5-40e8-95fd-3ee8b24490af",
            "thingTypeName": "LightBulb",
            "attributes": {
                "model": "123",
                "wattage": "75"
            },
            "connectivity": {
                "connected": false
            }
        },
        {
            "thingName": "MyOtherLightBulb",
            "thingId": "6dae0d3f-40c1-476a-80c4-1ed24ba6aa11",
            "thingTypeName": "LightBulb",
            "attributes": {
                "model": "123",
                "wattage": "75"
            },
            "connectivity": {
                "connected": false
            }
        }
    ]
}

For more information, see Managing Thing Indexing in the Amazon IoT Developer Guide.

    /**
     * Searches for IoT Things asynchronously based on a query string.
     *
     * @param queryString The query string to search for Things.
     *
     * This method initiates an asynchronous request to search for IoT Things.
     * If the request is successful and Things are found, it prints their IDs.
     * If no Things are found, it prints a message indicating so.
     * If an exception occurs, it prints the error message.
     */
    public void searchThings(String queryString) {
        SearchIndexRequest searchIndexRequest = SearchIndexRequest.builder()
            .queryString(queryString)
            .build();

        CompletableFuture<SearchIndexResponse> future = getAsyncClient().searchIndex(searchIndexRequest);
        future.whenComplete((searchIndexResponse, ex) -> {
            if (searchIndexResponse != null) {
                // Process the result.
                if (searchIndexResponse.things().isEmpty()) {
                    System.out.println("No things found.");
                } else {
                    searchIndexResponse.things().forEach(thing -> System.out.println("Thing id found using search is " + thing.thingId()));
                }
            } else {
                Throwable cause = ex != null ? ex.getCause() : null;
                if (cause instanceof IotException) {
                    System.err.println(((IotException) cause).awsErrorDetails().errorMessage());
                } else if (cause != null) {
                    System.err.println("Unexpected error: " + cause.getMessage());
                } else {
                    System.err.println("Failed to search for IoT Things.");
                }
            }
        });

        future.join();
    }

suspend fun searchThings(queryStringVal: String?) {
    val searchIndexRequest =
        SearchIndexRequest {
            queryString = queryStringVal
        }

    IotClient.fromEnvironment { region = "us-east-1" }.use { iotClient ->
        val searchIndexResponse = iotClient.searchIndex(searchIndexRequest)
        if (searchIndexResponse.things?.isEmpty() == true) {
            println("No things found.")
        } else {
            searchIndexResponse.things
                ?.forEach { thing -> println("Thing id found using search is ${thing.thingId}") }
        }
    }
}

class IoTWrapper:
    """Encapsulates AWS IoT actions."""

    def __init__(self, iot_client, iot_data_client=None):
        """
        :param iot_client: A Boto3 AWS IoT client.
        :param iot_data_client: A Boto3 AWS IoT Data Plane client.
        """
        self.iot_client = iot_client
        self.iot_data_client = iot_data_client

    @classmethod
    def from_client(cls):
        iot_client = boto3.client("iot")
        iot_data_client = boto3.client("iot-data")
        return cls(iot_client, iot_data_client)

    def search_index(self, query):
        """
        Searches the AWS IoT index.

        :param query: The search query.
        :return: The list of things found.
        """
        try:
            response = self.iot_client.search_index(queryString=query)
            logger.info("Found %s things.", len(response.get("things", [])))
        except ClientError as err:
            if err.response["Error"]["Code"] == "ThrottlingException":
                logger.error("Request throttled. Please try again later.")
            else:
                logger.error(
                    "Couldn't search index. Here's why: %s: %s",
                    err.response["Error"]["Code"],
                    err.response["Error"]["Message"],
                )
            raise
        else:
            return response.get("things", [])