Search server architecture using a search engine adapter

• US 8,832,076 B2
• Filed: 10/20/2008
• Issued: 09/09/2014
• 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
• Primary Examiner(s): Perveen, Rehana
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hershley, Mark E
• Application Number:
  US12/254,473
• Publication Number:
  US 20090157629A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,150 Days
• Field of Search: 707/707, 707/711, 707/713, 707/715
• US Class Current: 707/715
• 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 server comprising:

one or more processors; and

a search engine adapter, wherein

said search engine adapter is configured to be executed on said one or more processors,

said search engine adapter comprises

a generic search adapter, and

an engine specific adapter,

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

said generic search adapter is configured to send a search request to said engine specific adapter,

said generic search adapter is further configured to be communicatively coupled to a plurality of engine specific adapter configured to communicate with a plurality of search engines,

said plurality of engine specific adapters comprises said engine specific adapter,

said engine specific adapter is configured to communicate with at least one respective search engine of said plurality of search engines by virtue of said engine specific adapter being configured to send at least one application programming interface (API) command to said at least one respective search engine, and

said at least one API command is configured to cause said at least one respective search engine to perform a search according to said search request by referencing a search index comprising a mapping between

one or more fields of said search index, and

one or more fields of a business object corresponding to a data source.

2. The search server of claim 1, wherein said search server further comprises:

a search services module, wherein

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

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

3. The search server of claim 2, wherein said search server further comprises:

a plurality of search engine adapters, wherein

each of said search engine adapters is communicatively coupled to said search services module.

4. The search server of claim 3, further comprising:

a virtual business component, wherein

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

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

5. The search server of claim 1, wherein

said search engine adapter further comprises

said plurality of engine specific adapters, and

said plurality of engine specific adapters comprise

said engine specific adapter.

6. The search server of claim 5, wherein

said search server is communicatively coupled to said search engines.

7. The search server of claim 6, wherein

said each engine specific adapter and said at least one respective search engine are communicatively coupled to one another.

8. The search server of claim 6, wherein

at least one of said each engine specific adapter is coupled to a plurality of said search engines.

9. The search server of claim 5, wherein

said search engine adapter is configured to be communicatively coupled to a virtual business component.

10. The search server of claim 9, wherein

said virtual business component comprises

a plurality of business objects, and

said each engine specific adapter corresponds to at least one of said business objects by virtue of said at least one respective search engine and said at least one of said business objects corresponding to one another.

11. The search server of claim 10, wherein

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

12. The search server of claim 9, wherein

said each 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 each engine specific adapter, said virtual business component is configured to send data to said each engine specific adapter.

13. The search server of claim 5, wherein

said each engine specific adapter is configured to communicate with said at least one respective search engine by virtue of being configured to send index data to said at least one respective search engine, and

receive native result data from said at least one respective search engine, wherein

said search index comprises a plurality of references to a plurality of business objects corresponding to a plurality of data sources, and

said native result data comprises at least one reference to a business object corresponding to a data source comprising data.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein

said search request is in a generic format, and

said at least one API command is in a native format of said at least one respective search engine.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein

said data source comprises a database.

16. A method comprising:

sending index data to at least one respective search engine of a plurality of search engines, wherein

said index data is sent from an engine specific adapter of a search engine adapter,

said search engine adapter comprises

a generic search adapter, and

said engine specific adapter,

said generic search adapter is configured to be communicatively coupled to a plurality of engine specific adapters and send a search request to said engine specific adapter,

said plurality of engine specific adapters comprise said engine specific adapter,

said engine specific adapter is configured to communicate with

said generic search adapter, and

said at least one respective search engine

by virtue of being configured to send at least one application programming interface (API) command to said at least one respective search engine, and

said at least one API command is configured to cause said at least one respective search engine to perform a search according to said search request by referencing a search index comprising

one or more fields of said search index, and

one or more fields of a business object corresponding to a data source.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

receiving native result data from said at least one respective search engine at said engine specific adapter, wherein

said search index comprises

a plurality of references to a plurality of business objects, wherein

each of said plurality of references corresponds to at least one corresponding data source of a plurality of data sources, and

said native result data comprises

at least one reference to a business object of the plurality of business objects, and

said business object corresponds to a data source comprising a database.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

sending a data access from said engine specific adapter to a business object of a virtual business component; and

receiving data from said business object at said engine specific adapter.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein

said engine specific adapter corresponds to said business object by virtue of said at least one respective search engine and said business object corresponding to one another.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein

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

21. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

receiving a search request at a search services module;

generating a search query corresponding to said search request;

sending said search query from said search services module to said search engine adapter;

generating said index data from said search query;

generating result data from said native result data;

sending said result data from said search engine adapter to said search services module;

generating search results corresponding to said result data; and

sending said search results from search services module to a user interface.

22. A computer program product comprising:

a plurality of instructions, comprising

a first set of instructions, executable on a computer system, configured to send index data to at least one respective search engine of a plurality of search engines, wherein

said first set of instructions are implemented in an engine specific adapter of a search engine adapter,

said search engine adapter comprises

a generic search adapter, and

said engine specific adapter,

said generic search adapter is configured to

communicate with a plurality of engine specific adapters, and

communicate a search request to said plurality of engine specific adapters,

said plurality of engine specific adapters comprise said engine specific adapter,

said engine specific adapter is configured to communicate with

said generic search adapter, and

said at least one respective search engine by virtue of being configured to communicate at least one application programming interface (API) command to said at least one respective search engine, and

said at least one API command is configured to cause said at least one respective search engine to perform a search according to said search request by referencing a search index comprising

one or more fields of said search index, and

one or more fields of a business object corresponding to a data source; and

non-transitory computer-readable storage media, wherein

said instructions are encoded in said non-transitory computer readable storage media.