Deploying new website, looking for free site search tool

[jerzgirl]

We're deploying a new website which will have a resource library that contains downloadable white papers in PDF format and possibly podcasts.
Can anyone recommend a good site search tool (One that indexes PDF content and HTML content (meta tags too)? I've always assumed that Google site search was the way to go, but am interested in hearing about pros and cons based on others' experiences. Thanks.

[encyclo]

Using Google custom search (not a Google appliance) can work quite well when the site is regularly indexed by Googlebot. If you prefer integrating your own search function, what server-side technology do you have available? Is your site static of database-driven?

[edited by: encyclo at 2:21 pm (utc) on Sep. 29, 2009]

[jerzgirl]

Thanks, encyclo. Website is static and will be hosted on an Apache server.