The Case for a New Web Search Architecture

In this paper we make the case for microsearch, an architecture in which Web search capabilities are added to a user’s local PC. We demonstrate that the substantial storage and computing capacity of a user’s local computer can be used to index the World Wide Web directly on the PC. Compared to traditional purely centralized search, microsearch enables a new class of search-based applications, improves the relevancy of results through personalization, enhances privacy, permits disconnected operation, and allows for customized search strategies. We describe an implementation of a microsearch system, several new applications, and the future implications of tomorrow’s larger storage capacities on microsearch.