Search and index hosting system

A method of hosting a search for documents in a database that contain data specified by a user at a first site location, the method comprising the steps of:

• storing, at a host, one or more indices of data in plural databases, the one or more indices identifying documents that contain data;
• providing, from a second site location to the first site location, a provider identifier associated with said second site location;
• receiving, at the host, data specified by the user and the provider identifier which corresponds to one of the plural databases describing data at said second location site, and wherein each of the plural databases describes data from a different site location associated with a unique provider identifier;
• retrieving, at the host, an index of data;
• and
• identifying documents in the retrieved index that contain the user-specified data and appear in the database corresponding to the provider identifier.

An apparatus for hosting a search for documents in a database that contain user-specified data, the user-specified data being entered at a computer employed by a user, the apparatus comprising:

• a memory that stores, at a host, one or more indices of data in plural databases, the one or more indices identifying documents that contain data;
• a first processor that executes instructions that provide, from a second site location to the computer employed by the user, a provider identifier associated with said second site location:
• a second processor that executes instructions that:
• receive, at the host, from the computer employed by the user, the user-specified data and the provider identifier which corresponds to one of the plural databases describing data at said second site location, and wherein each of the plural database describes data from a different site location associated with a unique provider identifier
• retrieve, at the host, an index of data;
• and
• identify documents in the retrieved index that contain the user-specified data and appear in the database corresponding to the provider identifier, thereby performing a search of the database corresponding to the provider identifier at the host.

An apparatus for hosting a search for documents in a database that contain data specified by a user at a first site location, the apparatus comprising a processor that:

• stores, at a host, one or more indices of data in plural databases, the one or more indices identifying documents that contain data;
• provides, from a second site location to the first site location, a provider identifier associated with said second site location;
• receives, at the host, data specified by the user and said provider identifier which corresponds to one of the plural databases describing data at said second location site, and wherein each of the plural databases describes data from a different site location associated with a unique provider identifier;
• retrieves, at the host, an index of data;
• and
• identifies documents in the retrieved index that contain the user-specified data and appear in the database corresponding to the provider identifier.

Computer-executable process steps stored on a computer-readable medium, the computer-executable process steps to host a search for documents in a database that contain user-specified data, the user-specified data being entered at a computer employed by a user, the computer-readable medium comprising:

• code to store, at a host, one or more indices of data in plural databases, the one or more indices identifying documents that contain data;
• code to provide, from a second site location to the computer employed by the user, a provider identifier associated with said second site location;
• code to receive, at the host, from the computer employed by the user, the user-specified data and the provider identifier which corresponds to one of the plural databases describing data at said second site location, and wherein each of the plural databases describes data from a different site location associated with a unique provider identifier;
• code to retrieve, at the host, an index of data;
• and
• code to identify documents in the retrieved index that contain the user-specified data and appear in the database corresponding to the provider identifier, thereby performing a search of the database corresponding to the provider identifier at the host.

Computer-executable process steps stored on a computer-readable medium, the computer-executable process steps to host a search for documents in a database that contain data specified by a user at a first site location, the computer-readable medium comprising:

• code to store, at a host, one or more indices of data in plural databases, the one or more indices identifying documents that contain data;
• code to provide, from a second site location to the first site location, a provider identifier associated with said second site location;
• code to receive, at the host, data specified by the user and the provider identifier which corresponds to one of the plural databases describing data at said second site location, and wherein each of the plural databases describes data from a different site location with a unique provider identifier;
• code to retrieve, at the host, an index of data;
• and
• code to identify documents in the retrieved index that contain the user-specified data and appear in the database corresponding to the provider identifier.