Cross-Server Extension for Unified Search
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current information retrieval systems face challenges in efficiently and securely retrieving information from multiple, geographically distant servers with different search algorithms and overlapping data repositories, often requiring multiple searches and lacking seamless integration across platforms.
Innovation Solution
A cross-server extension system that allows information retrieval servers to act as extensions of each other, enabling unified search across multiple servers using neural network-based representations and approximate nearest neighbor searches, facilitating efficient and secure retrieval of information from diverse sources.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If information is retrieved from multiple geographically distant servers with different search algorithms, then search coverage and completeness are improved, but system complexity and retrieval time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a central coordinator server that acts as an intermediary between client devices and multiple information retrieval servers. This coordinator receives search requests, distributes them to appropriate remote servers, aggregates results, and manages the cross-server extension relationships. By centralizing coordination logic, the system manages complexity while enabling comprehensive multi-server search coverage.
Solution Approach 2:
The system segments the information retrieval functionality across multiple independent servers located geographically distant from each other. Each server can maintain its own search algorithms and data repositories independently, while the coordinator orchestrates their combined operation. This segmentation allows each server to be optimized for specific functions while collectively providing comprehensive search coverage.
2Loss of information
If multiple servers with different search algorithms are integrated, then information retrieval completeness is improved, but integration complexity and security management worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The coordinator server implements a universal interface that can communicate with multiple different information retrieval servers using their respective search algorithms. The extension configuration mechanism allows the system to universally integrate various server types (public and private) with different data repositories and search capabilities, managing integration complexity through a standardized coordination framework.
3Productivity
If cross-server extensions are implemented to allow servers to act as extensions of each other, then search efficiency is improved, but security risks and privacy concerns increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements feedback mechanisms where the coordinator receives and processes results from remote servers, evaluating their relevance and quality. The extension configuration allows selective activation of remote servers based on search requirements, and the system can adjust which extensions are active based on performance and security considerations, providing controlled access while maintaining efficiency.
4Speed
If neural network-based representations and approximate nearest neighbor searches are used, then search speed and relevance are improved, but computational resource requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses approximate nearest neighbor searches instead of exhaustive exact matching, providing sufficiently accurate results with reduced computational overhead. The neural network representations enable efficient similarity comparison without requiring complete data transmission between servers, achieving partial action that balances speed and resource consumption for cross-server search operations.
Data Source
AI summary
Servers at different locations and storing different data can be designed such that one server can act as an extension of the other server by accepting search queries from the other server and returning a response. The response can also comprise results, from the querying server, from within its own document collection. The other server can then include in its response to its user's queries, results obtained from its extension. One or more of the servers can act as an aggregation server that aggregates data from other servers before sending the data to a querying device or server. Additionally, the aggregation server can modify, add, or delete information from the results, before sending to the querying device, based on previous rules and/or properties associated with the aggregation server.