Processing index action requests for search engines

• US 20050076022A1
• Filed: 08/17/2004
• Published: 04/07/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Gong, Huiling, Wu, Yuh-Cherng
• Granted Patent: US 7,340,454 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99934 Query formulation, input preparation, or translation

Abstract

One implementation provides a method included in performing an action on a searchable index of content that is electronically stored in a knowledge base. The method includes receiving an input indicating a request that a computer-implemented process be performed that acts upon a specified index of content that is searchable using a predefined one of multiple search engines, wherein the content resides within a specified one of multiple electronic knowledge bases. The method further includes performing a computer-implemented process that composes, using the received request, a request to perform the computer-implemented process, wherein the request has a format that is compatible with the predefined one search engine. The composed request is submitted to the predefined one search engine for execution.

Claims

1. A method included in performing an action on a searchable index of content that is electronically stored in a knowledge base, the method comprising:

receiving input indicating a request that a computer-implemented process be performed that acts upon a specified index of content that is searchable using a predefined one of multiple search engines, wherein the content resides within a specified one of multiple electronic knowledge bases;

performing a computer-implemented process that composes, using the received request, a request to perform the computer-implemented process, wherein the request has a format that is compatible with the predefined one search engine; and

submitting the composed request to the predefined one search engine for execution.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving input indicating the request that the computer-implemented process be performed includes receiving input from a software application.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein receiving input from the software application includes receiving input from an administrative software application that is capable of providing configuration information.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving input indicating the request that the computer-implemented process be performed includes receiving configuration input from a software application specifying a specific configuration for the specified index of content.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving input indicating the request that the computer-implemented process be performed includes receiving input from a software application that indicates a search request to search for specific content contained in the specified index.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the search request includes an identification of the specified one electronic knowledge base.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising determining the predefined one search engine upon receipt of the input received from the software application.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein determining the predefined one search engine upon receipt of the input received from the software application includes using predefined configuration information that specifies an assignment between the specified one electronic knowledge base and the predefined one search engine.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving execution results from the predefined one search engine subsequent to submission of the composed request.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the execution results comprise search results for content contained within the specified index.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising providing the execution results to a software application.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein performing the computer-implemented process that composes, using the received request, the request to perform the computer-implemented process includes transforming the received request in order to create the request that has the format that is compatible with the predefined one search engine.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving input indicating the request that the computer-implemented process be performed that acts upon a specified index of content that is searchable using the predefined one of multiple search engines includes receiving input indicating a specific request to create new entries within the specified index corresponding to information contained within the specified one electronic knowledge base.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein receiving input indicating the specific request to create new entries within the specified index includes receiving input from a software application.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising receiving information from the specified one electronic knowledge base, and wherein the composed request includes a creation request to create new entries within the specified index by using the received information from the specified one electronic knowledge base.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein performing the computer-implemented process that composes the request to perform the computer-implemented process includes executing instructions specific to the predefined one search engine that cause the request to be composed with the format that is compatible with the predefined one search engine.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving input indicating the request that the computer-implemented process be performed that acts upon the specified index of content that is searchable using the predefined one of multiple search engines includes receiving input indicating a specific request to update existing entries within the specified index corresponding to information that has been updated within the specified one electronic knowledge base.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising receiving updated information from the specified one electronic knowledge base, and wherein the composed request includes an update request to update existing entries within the specified index by using the updated information received from the specified one electronic knowledge base.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising requesting the updated information from the specified one electronic knowledge base.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein submitting the composed request to the predefined one search engine for execution includes submitting the composed request to cause the predefined one search engine to update only those entries within the specified index that are affected by the updated information received from the specified one electronic knowledge base.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving input indicating the request that the computer-implemented process be performed that acts upon the specified index of content that is searchable using the predefined one of multiple search engines includes receiving input indicating a specific request to delete existing entries within the specified index.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein receiving input indicating the specific request to delete existing entries within the specified index includes receiving input indicating the specific request to delete existing entries within the specified index corresponding to information that has been deleted within the specified one electronic knowledge base.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving input indicating the request that the computer-implemented process be performed that acts upon the specified index of content that is searchable using the predefined one of multiple search engines includes receiving input indicating a specific request to create an index cluster within the specified index, the index cluster being associated with a related set of index entries.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein receiving input indicating the specific request to create the index cluster within the specified index includes receiving input from a software application.

25. The method of claim 23, further comprising classifying content contained within the specified one electronic knowledge base with the index cluster for the specified index.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein submitting the composed request to the predefined one search engine for execution includes submitting the composed request for creation of an index entry within the index cluster that corresponds to the classified content.

27. A computer program product tangibly embodied in an information carrier, the computer program product including instructions that, when executed, perform a method included in performing an action on a searchable index of content that is electronically stored in a knowledge base, the method comprising:

receiving input indicating a request that a computer-implemented process be performed that acts upon a specified index of content that is searchable using a predefined one of multiple search engines, wherein the content resides within a specified one of multiple electronic knowledge bases;

performing a computer-implemented process that composes, using the received request, a request to perform the computer-implemented process, wherein the request has a format that is compatible with the predefined one search engine; and

submitting the composed request to the predefined one search engine for execution.

28. A system for performing an action on a searchable index of content that is electronically stored in a knowledge base, the system being programmed to:

receive input indicating a request that a computer-implemented process be performed that acts upon a specified index of content that is searchable using a predefined one of multiple search engines, wherein the content resides within a specified one of multiple electronic knowledge bases;

perform a computer-implemented process that composes, using the received request, a request to perform the computer-implemented process, wherein the request has a format that is compatible with the predefined one search engine; and

submit the composed request to the predefined one search engine for execution.