Abstract: Techniques for query processing in a multi-site search engine are described. During an indexing phase, each site of a multi-site search engine indexes a set of assigned web resources and each site calculates, for each term in the set of assigned web resources, a site-specific upper bound ranking score on the contribution of the term to the search engine ranking function for a query containing the term. During a propagation phase, all sites exchange their site-specific upper bound ranking scores with each other. In response to a site receiving a query, the site determines the set of locally matching resources and compares the ranking score of a locally matching resource with the site-specific upper bound ranking scores for the terms of the query that were received during the propagation phase and determines whether to communicate the query to other sites.

Abstract: Techniques for query processing in a multi-site search engine are described. During an indexing phase, each site of a multi-site search engine indexes a set of assigned web resources and each site calculates, for each term in the set of assigned web resources, a site-specific upper bound ranking score on the contribution of the term to the search engine ranking function for a query containing the term. During a propagation phase, all sites exchange their site-specific upper bound ranking scores with each other. In response to a site receiving a query, the site determines the set of locally matching resources and compares the ranking score of a locally matching resource with the site-specific upper bound ranking scores for the terms of the query that were received during the propagation phase and determines whether to communicate the query to other sites.