System and method for multiple data sources to plug into a standardized interface for distributed deep search

A method for participating in a distributed search network, comprising:

• receiving a plurality of search results requested by a requesting network node from one or more provider network nodes, wherein the search results are formatted in accordance with a common query protocol;
• reformatting the received search results from the common query protocol to a different protocol used by the requesting network node;
• and
• sending the reformatted search results to the requesting network node.

A method for interacting with a distributed search network, comprising:

• receiving from a requesting network node a search query formatted in accordance with a requesting network node protocol;
• reformatting the search query from the requesting network node protocol to the common query protocol;
• sending the search query formatted in accordance with the common query protocol to a network hub for routing to at least a plurality of provider network nodes;
• receiving a plurality of search results formatted in accordance with the common query protocol from the plurality of provider network nodes;
• reformatting the plurality of search results from the common query protocol to the requesting network node protocol;
• and
• sending to the requesting network node the plurality of search results formatted in accordance with the requesting network node protocol.

A method for participating in a distributed search network, comprising:

• distributing a search request from a requesting node in the network to a plurality of provider nodes in the network each configured to generate one or more search results according to their own procedures in response to a search request;
• each of a plurality of provider nodes receiving the search request;
• each provider node generating a search response including the one or more search results from data accessible by the provider node in response to the search request;
• each of a plurality of adapters associated with a different one of the plurality of provider nodes receiving the search response in a format different from a common query protocol from the respective associated provider node;
• each adapter reformatting the received search response to the common query protocol;
• and
• each adapter transmitting the reformatted search response to the requesting node.

A computer system in a network, comprising program instructions, wherein the program instructions are computer-executable to implement;

• an adaptor associated with a provider network node receiving a search request formatted in accordance with a common query protocol sent to a plurality of provider network nodes from a requesting network node through a hub network node configured to match the search request against provider registrations indicating at least the plurality of provider network nodes;
• wherein the hub network node forwards the search request to the adaptor associated with each of the indicated provider network nodes;
• the adaptor reformatting the search request from the common query protocol to a different protocol used by the associated one of the plurality of provider network nodes;
• and
• the adaptor sending the reformatted search request to the associated provider network node.

A computer system in a distributed search network, comprising program instructions, wherein the program instructions are computer-executable to implement:

• receiving a plurality of search results requested by a requesting network node from one or more provider network nodes, wherein the search results are formatted in accordance with a common query protocol;
• reformatting the received search results from the common query protocol to a different protocol used by the requesting network node;
• and
• sending the reformatted search results to the requesting network node.

A computer system for interacting with a distributed search network, comprising program instructions, wherein the program instructions are computer-executable to implement:

• receiving from a requesting network node a search query formatted in accordance with a requesting network node protocol;
• reformatting the search query from the requesting network node protocol to the common query protocol;
• sending the search query formatted in accordance with the common query protocol to a network hub for routing to at least a plurality of provider network nodes;
• receiving a plurality of search results formatted in accordance with the common query protocol from the plurality of provider network nodes;
• reformatting the plurality of search results from the common query protocol to the requesting network node protocol;
• and
• sending to the requesting network node the plurality of search results formatted in accordance with the requesting network node protocol.

A computer system for participating in a distributed search network, comprising program instructions, wherein the program instructions are computer-executable to implement:

• distributing a search request from a requesting node in the network to a plurality of provider nodes in the network each configured to generate one or more search results according to their own procedures in response to a search request;
• each of a plurality of provider nodes receiving the search request;
• each provider node generating a search response including the one or more search results from data accessible by the provider node in response to the search request;
• each of a plurality of adapters associated with one of the plurality of provider nodes receiving the search response in a format different from a common query protocol from the associated provider node;
• each adapter reformatting the received search response to the common query protocol;
• and
• each adapter transmitting the reformatted search response to the requesting node.

A computer system in a distributed search network, comprising:

• a plurality of adapter means for receiving a search request formatted in accordance with a common query protocol;
• wherein each of the adapter means is associated with a different provider network node of a plurality of provider network nodes;
• wherein the search request is sent to a plurality of provider network nodes from a requesting network node through a hub network node configured to match the search request against provider registrations indicating at least the plurality of provider network nodes, wherein the hub network node forwards the search request to the adapter associated with each of the indicated provider network nodes;
• wherein each adapter means includes means for reformatting the received search request from the common query protocol to a different protocol used by the respective associated provider network nodes;
• and
• wherein each adapter means includes means for sending the reformatted search request to the one provider network node.

A computer system for participating in a distributed search network, comprising:

• means for receiving a plurality of search results requested by a requesting network node from one or more provider network nodes, wherein the search results are formatted in accordance with a common query protocol;
• means for reformatting the received search results from the common query protocol to a different protocol used by the requesting network node;
• and
• means for transmitting the reformatted search results to the requesting network node.

A computer system for interacting with a distributed search network, comprising:

• means for receiving from a requesting network node a search query formatted in accordance with a requesting network node protocol;
• means for reformatting the search query from the requesting network node protocol to the common query protocol;
• means for sending the search query formatted in accordance with the common query protocol to a network hub for routing to at least a plurality of provider network nodes;
• means for receiving a plurality of search results formatted in accordance with the common query protocol from the plurality of provider network nodes;
• means for reformatting the plurality of search results from the common query protocol to the requesting network node protocol;
• and
• means for sending to the requesting network node the plurality of search results formatted in accordance with the requesting network node protocol.

A distributed search network, comprising:

• a plurality of provider nodes;
• a hub network node configured to distribute a search request from a requesting node in the network to the plurality of provider nodes in the network;
• wherein each provider node is configured to:
• receive the search request;
• generate, one or more search results according to its own procedures in response to the search request;
• and
• a search response including the one or more search results from data accessible by the provider node in response to the search request;
• a plurality of adapters each associated with a different one of the plurality of provider nodes, wherein each adapter is configured to:
• receive the search response from the associated provider node in a format used by the associated provider node and different from a common query protocol;
• reformat the received search response to the common query protocol;
• and
• transmit the reformatted search response to the requesting node.