SYSTEM AND METHOD TO ENABLE SEARCHING ACROSS MULTIPLE DATABASES AND FILES USING A SINGLE SEARCH

• US 20070208697A1
• Filed: 06/18/2001
• Published: 09/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Siebel Systems Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Subramaniam, Pavitra, Ying, Jian-Jung, Zoss, Jason, Caltabiano, Marc
• Granted Patent: US 7,293,014 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2471 Distributed queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/33 Querying
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface

Abstract

According to one aspect of the present invention, a method includes receiving a search category and a search keyword entered by a user. The method also includes performing a single search on at least one database and at least one attached document for data records matching the search category and the search keyword. The method further includes generating search results comprising of the data records matching the search category and the search keyword.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving search criteria;

defining an index field map object to map one or more business components to one or more result fields associated with a search engine, the index field map object including an index field type;

performing a search for data records matching the search criteria using the search engine, the search comprising searching in a plurality of databases, wherein the search further comprises searching at least one attached document stored in a file system if the index field type indicates the search is to be performed on the file system; and

generating search results comprising of the data records matching the received search criteria.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving search criteria further comprises receiving at least one search category entered by a user.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving search criteria further comprises receiving at least one search keyword entered by a user.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

passing the received search criteria to a Virtual Business Component (VBC) if the search is to be performed on at least one external database.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

passing the received search criteria from the Virtual Business Component to a search execution business service.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein performing the search further comprises:

using a search execution business service to search the plurality of databases for data records matching the search criteria; and

using the search execution business service to search the at least one attached document in the file system for data records matching the search criteria.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending the search results to a frame so that the search results can be listed on a user interface.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

displaying content of a search result selected from the search results listed on the user interface.

9. (canceled)

10. A method, comprising:

receiving a search category and a search keyword entered by a user;

defining an index field map object to map one or more business components to one or more result fields associated with a search engine, the index field map object including an index field type;

searching at least one database and at least one attached document for data records matching the search category and the search keyword using the search engine based on a value of the index field type; and

generating search results comprising of the data records matching the search category and the search keyword.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

passing the received search category and the search keyword to a Virtual Business Component (VBC) if the user requested the single search to be performed on at least one external database.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

passing the received search category and the search keyword from the Virtual Business Component to a search execution business service.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein searching the database further comprises:

using a search execution business service to search the at least one database and the at least one attached document for data records matching the search criteria.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

sending the search results to a frame so that the search results can be listed on a user interface.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

displaying content of a search result selected from the search results listed on the user interface.

16. A system, comprising:

a user interface to receive search criteria entered by a user;

a search engine associated with one or more result fields, the one or more result fields are mapped to one or more business components by an index field map object, the index field map object including an index field type;

a file system coupled to the search engine to store attached documents; and

a business service to perform a search for data records matching the search criteria using the search engine and to generate search results comprising of the data records matching the received search criteria, wherein the search comprises searching at least one database and the search further comprises searching at least one attached document in the file system if the index field type indicates the search is to be performed on the file system.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the search criteria comprises at least one search category.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the search criteria comprises at least one search keyword.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the business service sends the search results to the user interface so that the search results can be listed on the user interface.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the user interface displays in a content area frame_a search result selected from the search results listed on the user interface.

31. The system of claim 16, further comprising a Virtual Business Component (VBC) to receive the search criteria from the user interface if the user requested a search on at least one external database.

21. A system, comprising:

a user interface to receive search criteria entered by a user;

a Virtual Business Component (VBC) to receive the search criteria from the user interface if the user requested a search on at least one external database;

a search engine associated with one or more result fields, the one or more result fields are mapped to one or more business components by an index field map object, the index field map object including an index field type; and

a business service to receive the search criteria from the Virtual Business Component and to search a plurality of databases and at least one attached document for data records matching the search criteria using the search engine based on a value of the index field type.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the search criteria comprises at least one search category.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein the search criteria comprises at least one search keyword.

24. The system of claim 21, further comprising:

a search adapter to adapt to a selected search engine and to generate search results comprising of the data records matching the received search criteria.

25. The system of claim 21, wherein the business service sends the search results to a search frame so that the search results can be listed on the user interface.

26. (canceled)

27. A machine-readable medium comprising instructions which, when executed by a machine, cause the machine to perform operations comprising:

receiving search criteria entered by a user;

defining an index field map object to map one or more business components to one or more result fields associated with a search engine, the index field map object including an index field type;

performing a search on a plurality of databases and at least one attached document for data records matching the search criteria using the search engine based on a value of the index field type; and

generating search results comprising of the data records matching the received search criteria.

28. The machine-readable medium of claim 27, wherein receiving search criteria further comprises receiving at least one search category and at least one search keyword.

29. The machine-readable medium of claim 27, further comprising:

sending the search results to a search frame so that the search results can be listed on a user interface.

30. The machine-readable medium of claim 29, further comprising:

displaying in a content area frame a search result selected from the search results listed on the user interface.