HYBRID APPROACH TO FEDERATED SEARCH

1 . A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving a first search query from a client at a server;

selecting an immediate search source;

sending the search query to the immediate search source; and

returning search results from the immediate search to the client with a script that, when run, causes the client to send a second search query comprising the first search query.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein sending the search query to the immediate search source comprises:

retrieving a search configuration for the immediate search source;

formatting the search query according to the search configuration; and

sending the formatted search query to the immediate search source.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein returning search results from the immediate search comprises:

formatting the search results for display at the client.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the script is run at the client when the search results are displayed on the client.

5 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving the second search query from the client;

selecting a delayed search source;

sending the second search query to the delayed search source; and

returning search results from the delayed search source to the client.

6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein selecting a search source comprises selecting an immediate search source or a delayed search source from a configurable list of search sources.

7 . The method of claim 6 , further comprising:

dynamically changing a search source between being a delayed and an immediate search source according to at least one of server performance and client performance.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one search source is independent of the server.

9 . An article comprising a storage medium containing instructions that when executed cause the system to:

select an immediate search source in response to a first search query from a client;

send the search query to the immediate search source;

generate a script that, when run by the client, causes the client to send a second search query comprising the first search query; and

return search results from the immediate search to the client with the script.

10 . The article of claim 9 , wherein the instructions to send the search query to the immediate search source comprise instructions that when executed cause the system to:

retrieve a search configuration for the immediate search source;

format the search query according to the search configuration; and

send the formatted search query to the immediate search source.

11 . The article of claim 9 , further comprising instructions that when executed cause the system to:

receive search results from a plurality of immediate search sources;

aggregate the search results;

format the aggregated search results for display on the client; and

send the formatted search results with the script to the client.

12 . The article of claim 9 , further comprising instructions that when executed cause the system to:

select a delayed search source in response to receiving the second search query from the client;

send the second search query to the delayed search source; and

return search results from the delayed search source to the client.

13 . The article of claim 9 , wherein the instructions to select a search source further comprise instructions that when executed cause the system to:

select an immediate search source or a delayed search source from a configurable list of search source.

14 . The article of claim 13 , further comprising instructions that when executed cause the system to:

dynamically change a search source between being a delayed and an immediate search source.

15 . An apparatus, comprising:

a logic device;

a communication interface; and

a federated search module executing on the logic device to:

select a search source in response to a search query from a client, wherein the selected search source is an immediate search source or a delayed search source;

send the search query to the selected search source;

generate a script that, when run by the client, causes the client to re-send the search query for a delayed search source, when the selected search source is an immediate search source; and

return the search results from the selected search source to the client via the communication interface.

16 . The apparatus of claim 15 , the federated search module comprising:

a search handler to select the search source from a search sources mapping configuration list and to format results for display by the client;

a search manager to select a search configuration for the selected search source; and

a search connector to generate a search configuration instance including the search query formatted according to the selected search source.

17 . The apparatus of claim 16 , the search manager further to aggregate search results from a plurality of search sources for the search handler and to format the search results for the search handler.

18 . The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the search sources mapping configuration list is dynamically configurable to change an immediate search source to a delayed search source or a delayed search source to an immediate search source

19 . The apparatus of claim 15 , the federated search module further to send the script to the client with the search results when the selected search source was an immediate search source.

20 . The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the search sources are independent of the apparatus.