Keyword searches of structured databases

A method supporting keyword searches of data items in a structured database, the method comprising the computer-implemented steps of:

• selecting at least one data item in the structured database, each selected item containing data and each selected item having a corresponding location identifier which identifies the item's location within the structured database;
• documenting the selected data items by creating at least one document outside the structured database which contains a textual representation of each selected item's data;
• and
• indexing the documents by creating an index outside the database, the index associating keywords in the textual representation of each selected item's data with that item's location identifier,
• wherein the indexing step includes providing to a keyword search engine indexing agent both the textual representation of each selected item's data and the selected item's location identifier, the indexing agent produces an index that associates keywords with resource locators, each resource locator includes a textual representation of a data item location identifier, and the resource locator includes a distinguished name.

A method supporting keyword searches of data items in a structured database, the method comprising the computer-implemented steps of:

• selecting at least one data item in the structured database, each selected item containing data and each selected item having a corresponding location identifier which identifies the item's location within the structured database;
• documenting the selected data items by creating at least one document outside the structured database which contains a textual representation of each selected item's data;
• and
• indexing the documents by creating an index outside the database, the index associating keywords in the textual representation of each selected item's data with that item's location identifier,
• wherein the creating step creates an index containing keywords that are textual representations of data in the selected data items and also containing every keyword that is a textual representation of data in the selected data items.

A method supporting keyword searches of data items in a structured database, the method comprising the computer-implemented steps of:

• selecting at least one data item in the structured database, each selected item containing data and each selected item having a corresponding location identifier which identifies the item's location within the structured database;
• documenting the selected data items by creating at least one document outside the structured database which contains a textual representation of each selected item's data;
• indexing the documents by creating an index outside the database, the index associating keywords in the textual representation of each selected item's data with that item's location identifier;
• and
• logging changes that are made to data items after the creating step and then updating the index to reflect at least some of the changes.

A method supporting keyword searches of data items in a structured database, the method comprising the computer-implemented steps of:

• selecting at least one data item in the structured database, each selected item containing data and each selected item having a corresponding location identifier which identifies the item's location in the structured database;
• allowing a network-roaming indexing agent to create an index which associates keywords with resource locators, each keyword being a textual representation of data from a selected data item and each resource locator containing a textual representation of the corresponding selected item's location identifier;
• obtaining a keyword from a search engine interface;
• using the index to obtain a resource locator associated with the keyword;
• and then
• using the resource locator to retrieve the item's current data from the structured database.

A computer system comprising:

• selecting means for selecting data items in a structured database;
• retrieving means for retrieving from the database the current data of a selected data item;
• and
• exposing means for exposing to an indexing agent information about a data item's location in the database together with information about the data item's retrieved data,
• wherein the structured database includes a relational database, the data items include relational database records or tables, and the selecting means includes a selection data dictionary which specifies only selected relational database records or tables.

A computer system comprising:

• selecting means for selecting data items in a structured database;
• retrieving means for retrieving from the database the current data of a selected data item;
• and
• exposing means for exposing to an indexing anent information about a data item's location in the database together with information about the data item's retrieved data, wherein the exposing means includes a page generator capable of generating a textual document containing the retrieved data.