What is a federated search?
A federated search consists of a real time search through a disparate group of databases. The user enters a set of query parameters, which are broadcast to the selected databases; the results are collated and presented back to the user in a unified format. Federated search is distinct from the functioning of traditional search engines, which use robots to continuously index and crawl through web-based content, retrieving results from previously cached documents that match the query terms. Federated search portals form part of what is also known as the invisible web, which contains documents that cannot be accessed by traditional search engines due to limitations in crawler technology.
