System and method for multiple data sources to plug into a standardized interface for distributed deep search

• US 20030126120A1
• Filed: 03/26/2002
• Published: 07/03/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Beatty, John, Waterhouse, Steve, Faybishenko, Yaroslav, Doolin, David M., Kan, Gene H., Camarda, Thomas J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,013,303 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/3
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9536 Search customisation based on social or collaborative filtering
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9538 Presentation of query results

Abstract

A system and method for adapters to provide nodes of a network access to a distributed search mechanism. Network nodes operating as consumer or requesting nodes generate search requests. Nodes operating as hubs are configured to route messages in the network. Individual nodes operating as provider nodes receive search requests and may generate results according to their own procedures in return. Hub nodes may resolve the search requests to a subset of the provider nodes in the network, for example by matching search requests with registration information from nodes. Communication between nodes in the network may use a common query protocol. Adapters may be implemented in the network to reformat messages exchanged in the network. Adapters may customize results. Adapters may enable nodes to function in a distributed search mechanism.

Claims

1. A method for participating in a distributed search network, comprising:

receiving a search request formatted in accordance with a common query protocol sent to a plurality of provider network nodes from a requesting network node through a hub network node configured to match the search request against provider registrations indicating at least the plurality of provider network nodes;

reformatting the search request from the common query protocol to a different protocol used by one of the plurality of provider network nodes; and

sending the reformatted search request to the one provider network node.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a search response formatted in accordance with the different protocol from the provider network node including one or more results generated in response to the reformatted search request;

reformatting the search response from the different protocol to the common query protocol; and

sending the reformatted search response to the requesting network node.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said reformatting the search response includes selecting at least one search result from the one or more results.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said selecting is based on data access rights associated with the one provider network node.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein said selecting is based on data access rights associated with the requesting network node.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein one of the one or more results is a reference to a computer data file stored in the network.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein one of the one or more results is at least a portion of the data contained in a computer data file.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein one of the one or more results is at least a portion of the data contained in a computer data file and one of the one or more results is a reference to a computer data file stored in the network.

9. The method of claim 2, further comprising including relevance information corresponding to each of the one or more results in the search response indicating a ranking of the one or more results.

10. A method for participating in a distributed search network, comprising:

receiving a plurality of search results requested by a requesting network node from one or more provider network nodes, wherein the search results are formatted in accordance with a common query protocol;

reformatting the received search results from the common query protocol to a different protocol used by the requesting network node; and

sending the reformnatted search results to the requesting network node.

11. The method as recited in claim 10, wherein said reformatting includes collating at least a first and second search results of the plurality of search results.

12. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein the first and second search results respectively include first and second relevance information indicating a ranking according to corresponding first and second of the plurality of provider network nodes and said collating includes ordering the first and second search results in response to the first and second relevance information.

13. The method as recited in claim 12, further comprising receiving relevance information from the requesting network node indicating an ordering parameter, wherein said generating a combined search result includes selecting and ordering the plurality of search results in response to the relevance information.

14. The method as recited in claim 10, further comprising:

receiving from the requesting network node a search query formatted in accordance with a different protocol used by the requesting network node;

reformatting the search query to the common query protocol from the different protocol; and

sending the reformatted search query to a network hub for routing to the plurality of provider network nodes.

15. A method for interacting with a distributed search network, comprising:

receiving from a requesting network node a search query formatted in accordance with a requesting network node protocol;

reformatting the search query from the requesting network node protocol to the common query protocol;

sending the search query formatted in accordance with the common query protocol to a network hub for routing to at least a plurality of provider network nodes;

receiving a plurality of search results formatted in accordance with the common query protocol from the plurality of provider network nodes;

reformatting the plurality of search results from the common query protocol to the requesting network node protocol; and

sending to the requesting network node the plurality of search results formatted in accordance with the requesting network node protocol.

16. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein a first and a second of the plurality of search results respectively include a first and a second relevance information indicating a ranking by the corresponding first and second of the plurality of provider network nodes and said reformatting the plurality of search results includes ordering the first and second search results in response to the first and second relevance information.

17. The method as recited in claim 15, further comprising receiving relevance information indicating an ordering preference parameter from the requesting network node, wherein said generating a combined search result includes selecting and ordering the plurality of search results in response to the relevance information.

18. A method for participating in a distributed search network, comprising:

distributing a search request from a requesting node in the network to a plurality of provider nodes in the network each configured to generate one or more search results according to their own procedures in response to a search request;

each of a plurality of provider nodes receiving the search request;

each provider node generating a search response including the one or more search results from data accessible by the provider node in response to the search request;

formatting each search response according to a common query protocol; and

transmitting each search response to the requesting node.

19. The method as recited in claim 18, further comprising an adapter configured to reformat the search response from a format different from the common query protocol used by one of the plurality of provider nodes to the common query protocol receiving the search request in the different format from the one provider node.

20. The method as recited in claim 19, wherein the adapter is configured to reformat the search response from a second format different from the common query protocol used by a second of the plurality of provider nodes to the common query protocol receiving the search request in the second different format from the second provider node.

21. The method as recited in claim 18, wherein the one or more search results generated by at least one of the plurality of provider nodes include one or more dynamic data accessible by the one provider node.

22. The method as recited in claim 18, wherein the one or more search results generated by at least one of the plurality of provider nodes is generated from dynamic data.

23. A computer system in a network, comprising program instructions, wherein the program instructions are computer-executable to implement:

receiving a search request formatted in accordance with a common query protocol sent to a plurality of provider network nodes from a requesting network node through a hub network node configured to match the search request against provider registrations indicating at least the plurality of provider network nodes;

reformatting the search request from the common query protocol to a different protocol used by one of the plurality of provider network nodes; and

sending the reformatted search request to the one provider network node.

24. The computer system as recited in claim 23, further comprising:

receiving a search response formatted in accordance with the different protocol from the provider network node including one or more results generated in response to the reformatted search request;

reformatting the search response from the different protocol to the common query protocol; and

sending the reformatted search response to the requesting network node.

25. The computer system of claim 24, wherein said reformatting the search response includes selecting at least one search result from the one or more results.

26. The computer system of claim 25, wherein said selecting is based on data access rights associated with the one provider network node.

27. The computer system of claim 25, wherein said selecting is based on data access rights associated with the requesting network node.

28. The computer system of claim 24, wherein one of the one or more results is a reference to a computer data file stored in the network.

29. The computer system of claim 24, wherein one of the one or more results is at least a portion of the data contained in a computer data file.

30. The computer system of claim 24, wherein one of the one or more results is at least a portion of the data contained in a computer data file and one of the one or more results is a reference to a computer data file stored in the network.

31. The computer system of claim 24, further comprising including relevance information corresponding to each of the one or more results in the search response indicating a ranking of the one or more results.

32. A computer system in a distributed search network, comprising program instructions, wherein the program instructions are computer-executable to implement:

receiving a plurality of search results requested by a requesting network node from one or more provider network nodes, wherein the search results are formatted in accordance with a common query protocol;

reformatting the received search results from the common query protocol to a different protocol used by the requesting network node; and

sending the reformatted search results to the requesting network node.

33. The computer system as recited in claim 32, wherein said reformatting includes collating at least a first and second search results of the plurality of search results.

34. The computer system as recited in claim 33, wherein the first and second search results respectively include first and second relevance information indicating a ranking according to corresponding first and second of the plurality of provider network nodes and said collating includes ordering the first and second search results in response to the first and second relevance information.

35. The computer system as recited in claim 34, further comprising receiving relevance information from the requesting network node indicating an ordering parameter, wherein said generating a combined search result includes selecting and ordering the plurality of search results in response to the relevance information.

36. The computer system as recited in claim 32, further comprising:

receiving from the requesting network node a search query formatted in accordance with a different protocol used by the requesting network node;

reformatting the search query to the common query protocol from the different protocol; and

sending the reformatted search query to a network hub for routing to the plurality of provider network nodes.

37. A computer system for interacting with a distributed search network, comprising program instructions, wherein the program instructions are computer-executable to implement:

receiving from a requesting network node a search query formatted in accordance with a requesting network node protocol;

reformatting the search query from the requesting network node protocol to the common query protocol;

sending the search query formatted in accordance with the common query protocol to a network hub for routing to at least a plurality of provider network nodes;

receiving a plurality of search results formatted in accordance with the common query protocol from the plurality of provider network nodes;

reformatting the plurality of search results from the common query protocol to the requesting network node protocol; and

sending to the requesting network node the plurality of search results formatted in accordance with the requesting network node protocol.

38. The computer system as recited in claim 37, wherein a first and a second of the plurality of search results respectively include a first and a second relevance information indicating a ranking by the corresponding first and second of the plurality of provider network nodes and said reformatting the plurality of search results includes ordering the first and second search results in response to the first and second relevance information.

39. The computer system as recited in claim 37, further comprising receiving relevance information indicating an ordering preference parameter from the requesting network node, wherein said generating a combined search result includes selecting and ordering the plurality of search results in response to the relevance information.

40. A computer system for participating in a distributed search network, comprising program instructions, wherein the program instructions are computer-executable to implement:

distributing a search request from a requesting node in the network to a plurality of provider nodes in the network each configured to generate one or more search results according to their own procedures in response to a search request;

each of a plurality of provider nodes receiving the search request;

each provider node generating a search response including the one or more search results from data accessible by the provider node in response to the search request;

formatting each search response according to a common query protocol; and

transmitting each search response to the requesting node.

41. The computer system as recited in claim 40, further comprising an adapter configured to reformat the search response from a format different from the common query protocol used by one of the plurality of provider nodes to the common query protocol receiving the search request in the different format from the one provider node.

42. The computer system as recited in claim 41, wherein the adapter is configured to reformat the search response from a second format different from the common query protocol used by a second of the plurality of provider nodes to the common query protocol receiving the search request in the second different format from the second provider node.

43. The computer system as recited in claim 40, wherein the one or more search results generated by at least one of the plurality of provider nodes include one or more dynamic data accessible by the one provider node.

44. The computer system as recited in claim 40, wherein the one or more search results generated by at least one of the plurality of provider nodes is generated from dynamic data.

45. A computer system in a distributed search network, comprising:

means for receiving a search request formatted in accordance with a common query protocol sent to a plurality of provider network nodes from a requesting network node through a hub network node configured to match the search request against provider registrations indicating at least the plurality of provider network nodes;

means for reformatting the search request from the common query protocol to a different protocol used by one of the plurality of provider network nodes; and

means for sending the reformatted search request to the one provider network node.

46. The computer system as recited in claim 45, further comprising:

means for receiving a search response formatted in accordance with the different protocol from the provider network node including one or more results generated in response to the reformatted search request;

means for reformatting the search response from the different protocol to the common query protocol; and

means for sending the reformatted search response to the requesting network node.

47. The computer system of claim 46, further comprising means for including relevance information corresponding to each of the one or more results in the search response indicating a ranking of the one or more results.

48. A computer system for participating in a distributed search network, comprising:

means for receiving a plurality of search results requested by a requesting network node from one or more provider network nodes, wherein the search results are formatted in accordance with a common query protocol;

means for reformatting the received search results from the common query protocol to a different protocol used by the requesting network node; and

means for transmitting the reformatted search results to the requesting network node.

49. The computer system as recited in claim 48, further comprising means for collating at least a first and second search results of the plurality of search results.

50. The computer system as recited in claim 49, wherein the first and second search results respectively include first and second relevance information indicating a ranking according to corresponding first and second of the plurality of provider network nodes and said means for collating includes means for ordering the first and second search results in response to the first and second relevance information.

51. The computer system as recited in claim 49, further comprising means for receiving relevance information from the requesting network node indicating an ordering parameter, wherein said means for generating a combined search result includes means for selecting and ordering the plurality of search results in response to the relevance information.

52. The computer system as recited in claim 48, further comprising:

means for receiving from the requesting network node a search query formatted in accordance with a different protocol used by the requesting network node;

means for reformatting the search query to the common query protocol from the different protocol; and

means for sending the reformatted search query to a network hub for routing to the plurality of provider network nodes.

55. The computer system as recited in claim 52, further comprising means for receiving relevance information indicating an ordering preference parameter from the requesting network node, wherein said means for generating a combined search result includes means to select and order the plurality of search results in response to the relevance information.

53. A computer system for interacting with a distributed search network, comprising:

means for receiving from a requesting network node a search query formatted in accordance with a requesting network node protocol;

means for reformatting the search query from the requesting network node protocol to the common query protocol;

means for sending the search query formatted in accordance with the common query protocol to a network hub for routing to at least a plurality of provider network nodes;

means for receiving a plurality of search results formatted in accordance with the common query protocol from the plurality of provider network nodes;

means for reformatting the plurality of search results from the common query protocol to the requesting network node protocol; and

means for sending to the requesting network node the plurality of search results formatted in accordance with the requesting network node protocol.

54. The computer system as recited in claim 53, wherein a first and a second of the plurality of search results respectively include a first and a second relevance information indicating a ranking by the corresponding first and second of the plurality of provider network nodes and said means for reformatting the plurality of search results includes means for ordering the first and second search results in response to the first and second relevance information.

56. A computer system for participating in a distributed search network, comprising:

distributing a search request from a requesting node in the network to a plurality of provider nodes in the network each configured to generate one or more search results according to their own procedures in response to a search request;

each of a plurality of provider nodes receiving the search request;

each provider node generating a search response including the one or more search results from data accessible by the provider node in response to the search request;

formatting each search response according to a common query protocol; and

transmitting each search response to the requesting node.

57. The method as recited in claim 56, further comprising an adapter configured to reformat the search response from a format different from the common query protocol used by one of the plurality of provider nodes to the common query protocol receiving the search request in the different format from the one provider node.

58. The method as recited in claim 57, wherein the adapter is configured to reformat the search response from a second format different from the common query protocol used by a second of the plurality of provider nodes to the common query protocol receiving the search request in the second different format from the second provider node.

59. The method as recited in claim 56, wherein the one or more search results generated by at least one of the plurality of provider nodes include one or more dynamic data accessible by the one provider node.

60. The method as recited in claim 56, wherein the one or more search results generated by at least one of the plurality of provider nodes is generated from dynamic data.