Google Search Appliance Creating the Search Experience - Manual (Page 28)

Google Search Appliance: Creating the Search Experience Introduction 28
Search Experience Background
The Google Search Appliance response to a search query may appear to be instantaneous to an end
user. However, in the background, each search query follows a six-step search process. The following
diagram provides an overview of the search process.
The numbers in the diagram refer to the following steps in the process:
1. The end user enters a search query using a search page.
2. The Web browser converts the search query into a URL.
3. The search appliance receives the search query and executes it.
4. The search appliance returns search results in XML.
5. The search appliance applies an XSLT stylesheet to the XML results and creates the search results
page in HTML.
6. The Web browser presents the search results page to the end user.
Entering a Search Query
An end user enters a search query into the search box. An end user can select other options on the
search page by using check boxes, pull-down menus, or radio buttons. In the HTML code for the search
page, these end-user input fields appear within
Converting the Search Query HTML to a URL
After an end-user clicks Search, the Web browser converts the fields within the tags of the HTML
page into a URL. This URL is sent to the search appliance as part of an inbound HTTP request message.
The URL includes:
• The search appliance name
• An HTTP GET method