diff --git a/search-services/alfresco-solrclient-lib/source/java/org/alfresco/solr/InformationServer.java b/search-services/alfresco-solrclient-lib/source/java/org/alfresco/solr/InformationServer.java
index 8975a0c34..4c974ac85 100644
--- a/search-services/alfresco-solrclient-lib/source/java/org/alfresco/solr/InformationServer.java
+++ b/search-services/alfresco-solrclient-lib/source/java/org/alfresco/solr/InformationServer.java
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ import org.json.JSONException;
  */
 public interface InformationServer
 {
+    public static final String PROP_PREFIX_PARENT_TYPE = "alfresco.metadata.ignore.datatype.";
 
     void rollback() throws IOException;
 
diff --git a/search-services/alfresco-solrclient-lib/source/java/org/alfresco/solr/client/SOLRAPIClientFactory.java b/search-services/alfresco-solrclient-lib/source/java/org/alfresco/solr/client/SOLRAPIClientFactory.java
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..1d4269215
--- /dev/null
+++ b/search-services/alfresco-solrclient-lib/source/java/org/alfresco/solr/client/SOLRAPIClientFactory.java
@@ -0,0 +1,103 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright (C) 2005-2014 Alfresco Software Limited.
+ *
+ * This file is part of Alfresco
+ *
+ * Alfresco is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+ * it under the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public License as published by
+ * the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+ * (at your option) any later version.
+ *
+ * Alfresco is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+ * but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+ * GNU Lesser General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU Lesser General Public License
+ * along with Alfresco. If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+ */
+package org.alfresco.solr.client;
+
+import java.util.Properties;
+
+import org.alfresco.encryption.KeyResourceLoader;
+import org.alfresco.encryption.KeyStoreParameters;
+import org.alfresco.encryption.ssl.SSLEncryptionParameters;
+import org.alfresco.httpclient.AlfrescoHttpClient;
+import org.alfresco.httpclient.HttpClientFactory;
+import org.alfresco.httpclient.HttpClientFactory.SecureCommsType;
+import org.alfresco.repo.dictionary.NamespaceDAO;
+import org.alfresco.service.cmr.dictionary.DictionaryService;
+
+public class SOLRAPIClientFactory
+{
+
+    // encryption related parameters
+    private String secureCommsType; // "none", "https"
+    private String keyStoreType;
+    private String keyStoreProvider;
+    private String passwordFileLocation;
+    private String keyStoreLocation;
+    
+    // ssl
+    private String sslKeyStoreType;
+    private String sslKeyStoreProvider;
+    private String sslKeyStoreLocation;
+    private String sslKeyStorePasswordFileLocation;
+    private String sslTrustStoreType;
+    private String sslTrustStoreProvider;
+    private String sslTrustStoreLocation;
+    private String sslTrustStorePasswordFileLocation;
+    private String alfrescoHost;
+    private int alfrescoPort;
+    private int alfrescoPortSSL;
+    private String baseUrl;
+    
+    // http client
+    private int maxTotalConnections = 40;
+    private int maxHostConnections = 40;
+    private int socketTimeout = 120000;
+    
+    
+    public SOLRAPIClient getSOLRAPIClient(Properties p, KeyResourceLoader keyResourceLoader, DictionaryService dictionaryService, NamespaceDAO namespaceDAO)
+    {
+        alfrescoHost = p.getProperty("alfresco.host", "localhost");
+        alfrescoPort = Integer.parseInt(p.getProperty("alfresco.port", "8080"));
+        alfrescoPortSSL = Integer.parseInt(p.getProperty("alfresco.port.ssl", "8443"));
+        baseUrl = p.getProperty("alfresco.baseUrl", "/alfresco");
+        keyStoreType = p.getProperty("alfresco.encryption.keystore.type", "JCEKS");
+        keyStoreProvider = p.getProperty("alfresco.encryption.keystore.provider");
+        passwordFileLocation = p.getProperty("alfresco.encryption.keystore.passwordFileLocation");
+        keyStoreLocation = p.getProperty("alfresco.encryption.keystore.location");
+        sslKeyStoreType = p.getProperty("alfresco.encryption.ssl.keystore.type");
+        sslKeyStoreProvider = p.getProperty("alfresco.encryption.ssl.keystore.provider", "");
+        sslKeyStoreLocation = p.getProperty("alfresco.encryption.ssl.keystore.location", "ssl.repo.client.keystore");
+        sslKeyStorePasswordFileLocation = p.getProperty("alfresco.encryption.ssl.keystore.passwordFileLocation", "ssl-keystore-passwords.properties");
+        sslTrustStoreType = p.getProperty("alfresco.encryption.ssl.truststore.type", "JCEKS");
+        sslTrustStoreProvider = p.getProperty("alfresco.encryption.ssl.truststore.provider", "");
+        sslTrustStoreLocation = p.getProperty("alfresco.encryption.ssl.truststore.location", "ssl.repo.client.truststore");
+        sslTrustStorePasswordFileLocation = p.getProperty("alfresco.encryption.ssl.truststore.passwordFileLocation", "ssl-truststore-passwords.properties");
+        secureCommsType = p.getProperty("alfresco.secureComms", "https");
+        maxTotalConnections = Integer.parseInt(p.getProperty("alfresco.maxTotalConnections", "40"));
+        maxHostConnections = Integer.parseInt(p.getProperty("alfresco.maxHostConnections", "40"));
+        socketTimeout = Integer.parseInt(p.getProperty("alfresco.socketTimeout", "0"));
+        
+        return new SOLRAPIClient(getRepoClient(keyResourceLoader), dictionaryService, namespaceDAO);
+    }
+    
+    protected AlfrescoHttpClient getRepoClient(KeyResourceLoader keyResourceLoader)
+    {
+        // TODO i18n
+        KeyStoreParameters keyStoreParameters = new KeyStoreParameters("SSL Key Store", sslKeyStoreType, sslKeyStoreProvider, sslKeyStorePasswordFileLocation, sslKeyStoreLocation);
+        KeyStoreParameters trustStoreParameters = new KeyStoreParameters("SSL Trust Store", sslTrustStoreType, sslTrustStoreProvider, sslTrustStorePasswordFileLocation, sslTrustStoreLocation);
+        SSLEncryptionParameters sslEncryptionParameters = new SSLEncryptionParameters(keyStoreParameters, trustStoreParameters);
+        
+        HttpClientFactory httpClientFactory = new HttpClientFactory(SecureCommsType.getType(secureCommsType),
+                sslEncryptionParameters, keyResourceLoader, null, null, alfrescoHost, alfrescoPort, alfrescoPortSSL, maxTotalConnections, maxHostConnections, socketTimeout);
+        // TODO need to make port configurable depending on secure comms, or just make redirects
+        // work
+        AlfrescoHttpClient repoClient = httpClientFactory.getRepoClient(alfrescoHost, alfrescoPortSSL);
+        repoClient.setBaseUrl(baseUrl);
+        return repoClient;
+    }
+}