Search and index hosting system

A method of retrieving a list of documents in a database which include user-specified data, and of retrieving one or more data segments from each document on the list, the method comprising the steps of:

• storing an index of documents from the database, the index including pointers corresponding to data in the database, where the pointers define data segments having a predetermined size;
• identifying one or more documents in the database that contain the user-specified data based on the index;
• creating a list of one or more pointers corresponding to each occurrence of the user-specified data in the documents identified in the identifying step;
• extracting each data segment in the database that contains the user-specified data based on the list of pointers created in the creating step;
• and
• outputting a list of the documents in the database that contain the user-specified data, together with the extracted data segments.

A method of initiating a search at a first network site for user-specified data in a remote database at a second network site and of conducting the search at a third network site, the method comprising the steps of:

• receiving, at the first network site, a provider identifier associated with the database from the second network site;
• inputting the user-specified data at the first network site;
• outputting the user-specified data and the provider identifier from the first network site to the third network site;
• and
• searching for the user-specified data in a database at the third network site using the provider identifier, where the database at the third network site includes data that corresponds to data stored in the remote database at the second network site.

A method of configuring a computerized searching system so that the searching system can be used to search a database comprised of one or more documents, the method comprising the steps of:

• inputting information identifying the database;
• assigning a provider identifier to the database;
• searching through the database using the information input in the inputting step in order to identify locations of documents in the database;
• storing, in memory, the locations of the documents in the database, together with the provider identifier;
• indexing the documents in the database;
• storing, in memory, an index of the documents generated in the indexing step, together with the provider identifier;
• storing, in memory, data corresponding to data in the database, together with the provider identifier;
• and
• outputting the provider identifier to the database.

Computer-executable process steps according to claim 41, further comprising:

• code to search for locations of the user-specified data in the documents identified by the identifying code;
• code to store, in memory, compressed data which corresponds to data stored in each of the plural databases;
• code to generate pointers into the compressed data based on the search conducted by the searching code;
• code to select compressed data from memory that corresponds to the provider identifier;
• code to decompress segments of the compressed data selected by the selecting code that correspond to the pointers generated by the generating code;
• and
• code to output the decompressed data segments.

Computer-executable process steps stored on a computer-readable medium, the computer-executable process steps to retrieve a list of documents in a database which include user-specified data, and to retrieve one or more data segments from each document on the list, the computer-executable process steps comprising:

• code to store an index of documents from the database, the index including pointers corresponding to data in the database, where the pointers define data segments having a predetermined size;
• code to identify one or more documents in the database that contain the user-specified data based on the index;
• code to create a list of one or more pointers corresponding to each occurrence of the user-specified data in the documents identified by the identifying code;
• code to extract each data segment in the database that contains the user-specified data based on the list of pointers created by the creating code;
• and
• code to output a list of the documents in the database that contain the user-specified data, together with the extracted data segments.

Computer-executable process steps stored on a computer-readable medium, the computer-executable process steps to initiate a search at a first network site for user-specified data in a remote database at a second network site and to conduct the search at a third network site, the computer-executable process steps comprising:

• code to receive, at the first network site, a provider identifier associated with the database from the second network site;
• code to input the user-specified data at the first network site;
• code to output the user-specified data and the provider identifier from the first network site to the third network site;
• and
• code to search for the user-specified data in a database at the third network site using the provider identifier, where the database at the third network site includes data that corresponds to data stored in the remote database at the second network site.

Computer-executable process steps stored on a computer-readable medium, the computer-executable process steps to configure a computerized searching system so that the searching system can be used to search a database comprised of one or more documents, the computer-executable process steps comprising:

• code to input information identifying the database;
• code to assign a provider identifier to the database;
• code to search through the database using the information input by the inputting code in order to identify locations of documents in the database;
• code to store, in memory, the locations of the documents in the database, together with the provider identifier;
• code to index the documents in the database;
• code to store, in memory, an index of the documents generated in the indexing step, together with the provider identifier;
• code to store, in memory, data corresponding to data in the database, together with the provider identifier;
• and
• code to output the provider identifier to the database.