System and process for searching a network

A system for searching a network for network based content related to a search query, said system comprising:

• a processor;
• an adapter for receiving and formatting said search query to a format compatible with at least one search engine;
• a first cache database comprising search results from previous search queries;
• a second database comprising returnable metadata related to said search results generated from searchable metadata;
• and
• a search engine for:
• coordinating searching of said first cache database;
• coordinating searching of said second database;
• coordinating searching of a third database;
• searching said first cache database for network based content related to said formatted search query;
• if no search results related to said formatted search query are found in said first cache database,
• searching said third database for search results related to said formatted search query;
• and
• updating said first cache database with said search results from searching said third database;
• retrieving search results from said first cache database, wherein said search results from said first cache database are related to said formatted search query;
• merging said search results from said first cache database with returnable metadata from said second database, wherein said returnable metadata from said second database is related to said search results from said first cache database;
• and
• providing said merged search results to said adapter, wherein said adapter formats said merged search results to one of a user provided format and a requested format.

A computer-readable storage medium having embodied thereon a program for causing a processor to search a network for network based content related to a search query, said program comprising:

• means for causing said processor to receive said search query;
• means for causing said processor to format said search query;
• means for causing said processor to search a first cache database for network based content related to said formatted search query, said first cache database comprising previous search results;
• if no network based content related to said formatted search query is found in said first cache database,
• means for causing said processor to provide said formatted search query to at least one search engine, wherein said formatted search query is in a format compatible with said at least one search engine;
• means for causing said processor to receive network based content related to said formatted search query from the search engine;
• and
• means for causing said processor to update said first cache database with the received network based content from the search engine;
• means for causing said processor to retrieve search results from said first cache database, wherein said search results are related to said formatted search query;
• means for causing said processor to merge said search results from said first cache database with returnable metadata from a second database, said second database comprising returnable metadata related to said previous search results generated from searchable metadata, wherein said returnable metadata from said second database is related to said search results from said first cache database;
• and
• means for causing said processor to format said merged search results related to said search results from said first cache database and said returnable metadata from said second database to one of a user provided format and a requested format.