SEARCH CENTER DYNAMIC CONFIGURATION USING FIELD MAPPINGS

• US 20090106191A1
• Filed: 10/19/2007
• Published: 04/23/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Mehta, Sushas R., Gutlapalli, Hari K., Kothari, Shirish K., Pak, Wai
• Granted Patent: US 7,979,474 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/284 Relational databases

Abstract

A mechanism for dynamically configuring searchable fields of interest within a search provided. A field mappings file is used to define relationships between searchable interest in searchable objects and fields within a search index accessible to an se-wide search center. The field mappings file can provide the defined relationships searchable object fields and search index fields at runtime of a user session, thus a rigid configuration at the time of search center initialization.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

providing access to a plurality of searchable objects, wherein each searchable object comprises a plurality of fields of data; and

generating a search index comprising searchable fields, wherein said generating comprises

mapping each searchable field to a selected field of a selected searchable object,

said mapping is defined by a field mappings file, and

said generating is performed at a time of a search.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

modifying the field mappings file, wherein said modifying the field mappings file results in generating a modified search index.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein said modifying the field mappings file comprises one or more of adding a first searchable object, removing a second searchable object, adding an index field correlated to a field in a third searchable object, and removing an index field.

4. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

in response to said modifying the field mappings file, modifying one or more search index settings corresponding to modified fields of the field mappings file; and

said generating the modified search index comprises using the one or more modified search index settings.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

formatting the field mappings file using a definitional file, wherein

the definitional file defines variables and structures comprising the field mappings file.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein

the field mappings file is an XML file, and

the definitional file is an XML DTD file.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein the field mappings file comprises the definitional file.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

caching the field mappings file to preserve the searchable fields for a subsequent session.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

modifying the field mappings file; and

caching the modified field mappings file in place of the original field mappings file, in response to said modifying the field mappings file.

10. A system comprising:

an interface configured to provide access to one or more storage devices, wherein

each storage device stores one or more of a plurality of searchable objects, and

each searchable object comprises a plurality of fields of data; and

a processor, coupled to the interface, wherein the processor is configured to

generate a search index comprising searchable fields, wherein said generating comprises

mapping each searchable field to a selected field of a selected searchable object,

said mapping is defined by a field mappings file, and

said generating is performed at a time of a search.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the processor is further configured to:

modify the field mappings file; and

generate a modified search index in response to said modifying the field mappings file.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the processor is further configured to:

modify one or more search index settings corresponding to modified fields of the field mappings file, in response to said modifying the field mappings file; and

said generating the modified search index comprises using the one or more modified search index settings.

13. The system of claim 10 wherein the processor is further configured to:

format the field mappings file using a definitional file, wherein

the definitional file defines variables and structures comprising the field mappings file.

14. The system of claim 10 wherein the processor is further configured to:

cache the field mappings file to preserve the searchable fields for a subsequent session.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the processor is further configured to:

modify the field mappings file; and

cache the modified field mappings file in place of the original field mappings file, in response to said modifying the field mappings file.

16. A computer-readable storage medium comprising:

a first set of instructions, executable by a processor, configured to provide access to a plurality of searchable objects, wherein each searchable object comprises a plurality of fields of data; and

a second set of instructions, executable by the processor, configured to generate a search index comprising searchable fields, wherein the second set of instructions further comprises

a third set of instructions, executable by the processor, configured to map each searchable field to a selected field of a selected searchable object,

said map is defined by a field mappings file, and

said second set of instructions are performed at a time of a search.

17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 16 further comprising:

a fourth set of instructions, executable by the processor, configured to modify the field mappings file, wherein said modifying the field mappings file results in generating a modified search index.

18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 17 further comprising:

a fifth set of instructions, executable by the processor, configured to modify one or more search index settings corresponding to modified fields of the field mappings file, in response to said modifying the field mappings file; and

said fourth set of instructions configured to generate the modified search index further comprises a sixth set of instructions, executable by the processor, configured to use the one or more modified search index settings.

19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 16 further comprising:

a fourth set of instructions, executable by the processor, configured to format the field mappings file using a definitional file, wherein

the definitional file defines variables and structures comprising the field mappings file.

20. The computer readable storage medium of claim 16 further comprising:

a fourth set of instructions, executable by the processor, configured to cache the field mappings file to preserve the searchable fields for a subsequent session.

21. The computer readable storage medium of claim 20 further comprising:

a fifth set of instructions, executable by the processor, configured to modify the field mappings file; and

a sixth set of instructions, executable by the processor, configured to cache the modified field mappings file in place of the original field mappings file, in response to said modifying the field mappings file.