Explanation

This application is comprised of at most a stylesheet, a context properties file, a Java class or two, and associated labels properties for each university. The directory servers and data are hosted at the schools themselves. An initial search form is generated dynamically by LDAPHttp based on the associated object definition. A custom static HTML form could also be used. Regardless, every submitted search request is processed following these 6 steps:

	With a form in your browser, you set the parameters for a search and click the submit button.
	The Mentata Systems web server identifies the form action as a request for the retrieve servlet. If the servlet is not already in memory, it is loaded.
	The servlet processes the form parameters to determine the context to use and the object to retrieve. It then builds a query appropriate to the corresponding Java class and submitted parameters.
	The container opens a connection over the internet to the directory server as defined in the context and submits the query. The remote server returns data for all matching entries.
	The servlet sorts the query results and translates the entries into a response appropriate for the submitted parameters and the number of entries found.
	The output is returned to you and rendered in your browser, localizing text where possible and reusing the stylesheet defined for the identified context (with HTML).

This example required no coordination with the organizations that host the directories. Everything is generated dynamically in real time, with no caching. Each request involves data traveling thousands of miles and communication between separate components from competing vendors.