Data Source-Independent Search System Architecture

• US 20090132494A1
• Filed: 10/20/2008
• Published: 05/21/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Gutlapalli, Hari Krishna, Kothari, Shirish Kasturchand, Mehta, Suhas Rohit, Pak, Wai
• Granted Patent: US 8,874,545 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24575 using context
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/90 Details of database functions independent of the retrieved data types
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/906 Clustering; Classification
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/93 Document management systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9538 Presentation of query results

Abstract

A search system architecture is disclosed. The search system architecture includes a search server, which in turn includes a search services module and a search engine adapter. The search services module and the search engine adapter are communicatively coupled to one another. The search services module is configured to communicate with a user interface. The search engine adapter is configured to communicate with a search engine.

Claims

1. A search system architecture comprising:

a search server, wherein

said search server comprises

a search services module, and

a search engine adapter,

said search services module and said search engine adapter are communicatively coupled to one another,

said search services module is configured to communicate with a user interface, and

said search engine adapter is configured to communicate with a search engine.

2. The search system architecture of claim 1, wherein

said search system architecture further comprises said search engine, and

said search engine and said search engine adapter are communicatively coupled to one another.

3. The search system architecture of claim 2, further comprising:

a plurality of search engines, wherein

said search server comprises a plurality of search engine adapters,

each of said search engine adapters and at least one of said search engines are communicatively coupled to one another, and

said search engines comprise said search engine.

4. The search system architecture of claim 2, wherein

said search engine adapter is configured to send index data to said search engine, and

in response to receiving said index data from said search engine adapter, said search engine is configured to send native result data to said search engine adapter.

5. The search system architecture of claim 1, wherein said search engine adapter comprises:

a generic search adapter; and

an engine specific adapter, wherein

said generic search adapter and said engine specific adapter are communicatively coupled to one another.

6. The search system architecture of claim 5, wherein

said engine specific adapter is configured to communicate with said search engine,

said engine specific adapter is configured to send index data to said search engine, and

said engine specific adapter is further configured to receive native result data from said search engine.

7. The search system architecture of claim 5, further comprising:

a virtual business component, wherein

said search engine adapter and said virtual business component are communicatively coupled to one another.

8. The search system architecture of claim 7, wherein

said engine specific adapter is configured to send a data access to said virtual business component, and

in response to receiving said data access from said engine specific adapter, said virtual business component is configured to send data to said engine specific adapter.

9. The search system architecture of claim 8, wherein

said search service module and said virtual business component are communicatively coupled to one another.

10. The search system architecture of claim 5, further comprising:

a plurality of business objects, wherein

said virtual business component comprises said business objects, and

each of said business objects represents at least one of a plurality of data sources.

11. A method comprising:

receiving a search request at a search services module;

generating a search query by causing said search services module to perform search services preprocessing on said search request;

generating index data by causing a search engine adapter to perform search engine adapter preprocessing on said search query;

generating native result data by causing a search engine to perform a search using said index data;

generating result data by causing said search engine adapter to convert said native result data to said result data; and

generating search results by causing said search services module to convert said result data to said search results.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

causing said search services module to provide said search results to a user interface, wherein

said search request is received by said search services module from said user interface.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein

said search request and said search results are property sets,

said search query and said result data are in extensible markup language format, and

said index data and said native result data are in a native database format.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein said search engine adapter preprocessing comprises:

identifying said search engine, wherein

said search engine is to perform said search; and

converting said search query to said index data, wherein

said index data is in a native database format.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said search services preprocessing comprises:

identifying a search category for said search; and

applying a filter.

16. A computer program product comprising:

a plurality of instructions comprising

a first set of instructions, executable on a computer system, configured to receive a search request at a search services module,

a second set of instructions, executable on said computer system, configured to generate a search query by causing said search services module to perform search services preprocessing on said search request,

a third set of instructions, executable on said computer system, configured to generate index data by causing a search engine adapter to perform search engine adapter preprocessing on said search query,

a fourth set of instructions, executable on said computer system, configured to generate native result data by causing a search engine to perform a search using said index data,

a fifth set of instructions, executable on said computer system, configured to generate result data by causing said search engine adapter to convert said native result data to said result data, and

a sixth set of instructions, executable on said computer system, configured to generate search results by causing said search services module to convert said result data to said search results; and

computer readable storage media, wherein said instructions are encoded in said computer readable storage media.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, further comprising:

a seventh set of instructions, executable on said computer system, configured to cause said search services module to provide said search results to a user interface, wherein

said search request is received by said search services module from said user interface.

18. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein

said search request and said search results are property sets,

said search query and said result data are in extensible markup language format, and

said index data and said native result data are in a native database format.

19. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein said third set of instructions comprises:

a first subset of instructions, executable on said computer system, configured to identify said search engine, wherein

said search engine is to perform said search; and

a second subset of instructions, executable on said computer system, configured to convert said search query to said index data, wherein

said index data is in a native database format.

20. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein said second set of instructions comprises:

a third subset of instructions, executable on said computer system, configured to identify a search category for said search; and

a fourth subset of instructions, executable on said computer system, configured to apply a filter.