We demonstrate the Search Computing framework for multi-domain queries upon ranked data collected from Web sources. Search Computing answers to queries like "Find a good Jazz concert close to a specified location, a good restaurant and a hotel at walking distance" and fills the gap between generic and domain-specific search engines, by proposing new methods, techniques, interfaces, and tools for building search-based applications spanning multiple data services. The main enabling technology is an execution engine supporting methods for rank-join execution upon ranked data sources, abstracted and wrapped by means of a unifying service model. The demo walks through the interface for formulating multi-domain queries and follows the steps of the query engine that builds the result, with the help of run-time monitors that clearly explain the system's behavior. Once results are extracted, the demonstration shows several approaches for visualizing results and exploring the information space.@en

Search computing focuses on building answers to complex search queries (for example, "Where can I attend an interesting conference in my field near a sunny beach?") by interacting with a constellation of cooperating search services, and using result ranking and joining as the dominant factors for service composition. The service computing paradigm has so far been neutral to the specific features of search applications and services. To address this weakness, search computing advocates a new approach in which search, join, and ranking are the central aspects for service composition.

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Current search engines lack in support for multi-domain queries, i.e., queries that can be answered by combining information from two or more knowledge domains. Questions such as "Find a theater close to Times Square, NYC, showing a recent thriller movie, close to a pizza restaurant" have no answer unless the user individually queries different vertical search engines for each domain and then manually combines results. Therefore, the need arises for a special class of search applications that combine different search services. In this paper we propose an architecture aiming at answering multi-domain queries through composition of search services and we provide facilities for the execution of multi-domain queries and the visualization of their results, at the purpose of simplifying the access to the information. We describe our service-based architecture and the implemented optimization and distribution options, and we evaluate the feasibility and performance of our approach.@en

Search Computing defines a new class of applications, which enable end users to perform exploratory search processes over multi-domain data sources available on the Web. These applications exploit suitable models, supported by a framework, that make it possible for expert users to configure the data sources to be searched and the interfaces for query submission and result visualization, by using for such source and interface configurations mash-up tools which do not require programming. This paper presents Search Computing design process and developer roles, together with the conceptual models that represent the foundation of a model-driven approach to Search Computing.@en

Search Computing aims at opening the Web to a new class of search applications, by offering enhanced expressive and computational power. The success of Search Computing, as of any technical advance, will be measured by its impact upon the search industry and market, and this in turn will be highly influenced by reactions of Web users and developers. It is too early to anticipate such reactions - as the technology is still "under construction" - but this chapter attempts a first identification of the possible future players in the development of Search Computing applications, by grossly identifying the roles of "data source publishers" and of "application developers", and by discussing how classical advertising-based models may support the new applications. This chapter also describes the high-level design of the prototyping environment that is currently under development and how the design will support the deployment upon high performance architectures. Finally, we describe advertising as the prevalent business model of the search engines industry, and briefly discuss the options for the evolution of such model in the context of Search Computing.@en

Search Computing defines a new class of applications, which enable end users to perform exploratory search processes over multi-domain data sources available on the Web. These applications exploit suitable software frameworks and models that make it possible for expert users to configure the data sources to be searched and the interfaces for query submission and result visualization. We describe some usage scenarios and the reference architecture for Search Computing systems.@en