diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index b2731d18e..77a30cb36 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 lerna-debug.log
 .groovylintrc.json
 .vscode/*.log
+.vscode/launch.json
 
 **/dist
 **/node_modules
diff --git a/modules/server/README.md b/modules/server/README.md
index 18d5bf48e..4d25ba4d2 100644
--- a/modules/server/README.md
+++ b/modules/server/README.md
@@ -18,3 +18,9 @@ Build (required before publish):
 ```
 npm run prepare
 ```
+
+## Federated Search
+
+### Config
+
+[Placeholder] 
diff --git a/modules/server/configTemplates/network.json b/modules/server/configTemplates/network.json
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..60dfdbf46
--- /dev/null
+++ b/modules/server/configTemplates/network.json
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+{
+	"network": {
+		"servers": [
+			{
+				"displayName": "Toronto",
+				"graphqlUrl": "http://.../graphql",
+				"documentType": "file"
+			}
+		]
+	}
+}
diff --git a/modules/server/src/config/types.ts b/modules/server/src/config/types.ts
index 5d93185d2..7f16e3fef 100644
--- a/modules/server/src/config/types.ts
+++ b/modules/server/src/config/types.ts
@@ -1,10 +1,12 @@
 // TODO: will gradually tighten these as we migrate to TS
 
 import { ES_TYPES } from '@/mapping/esToAggTypeMap';
+import { DOCUMENT_TYPE } from './constants';
 
 export const ConfigOptionalProperties = {
 	DOWNLOADS: 'downloads',
 	MATCHBOX: 'matchbox',
+	NETWORK_AGGREGATION: 'network',
 } as const;
 
 export const ConfigRequiredProperties = {
@@ -53,6 +55,12 @@ export const TableProperties = {
 	ROW_ID_FIELD_NAME: 'rowIdFieldName',
 } as const;
 
+export const NetworkAggregationProperties = {
+	GRAPHQL_URL: 'graphqlUrl',
+	DOCUMENT_TYPE: 'documentType',
+	DISPLAY_NAME: 'displayName',
+} as const;
+
 //////////////////////////////////
 
 export const ConfigProperties = {
@@ -143,6 +151,12 @@ export interface TableConfigsInterface {
 	[ConfigProperties.ROW_ID_FIELD_NAME]?: string;
 }
 
+export interface NetworkAggregationInterface {
+	[NetworkAggregationProperties.GRAPHQL_URL]: string;
+	[NetworkAggregationProperties.DOCUMENT_TYPE]: string;
+	[NetworkAggregationProperties.DISPLAY_NAME]: string;
+}
+
 export interface ConfigObject {
 	[ConfigProperties.DOCUMENT_TYPE]: string;
 	[ConfigProperties.DOWNLOADS]?: DownloadsConfigsInterface;
@@ -151,6 +165,7 @@ export interface ConfigObject {
 	[ConfigProperties.INDEX]: string;
 	[ConfigProperties.MATCHBOX]: any[];
 	[ConfigProperties.TABLE]: TableConfigsInterface;
+	[ConfigProperties.NETWORK_AGGREGATION]: NetworkAggregationInterface[];
 }
 
 export interface FieldFromMapping {
diff --git a/modules/server/src/config/utils/getConfigFromFiles.ts b/modules/server/src/config/utils/getConfigFromFiles.ts
index a72cff569..4f31fff79 100644
--- a/modules/server/src/config/utils/getConfigFromFiles.ts
+++ b/modules/server/src/config/utils/getConfigFromFiles.ts
@@ -56,23 +56,27 @@ const getConfigFromFiles = (
 
 			const configObj = (files as [string, any][]).reduce(
 				(configsAcc: Partial<ConfigObject>, [fileName, fileData]) => {
-					const fileDataJSON = JSON.parse(fileData);
+					try {
+						const fileDataJSON = JSON.parse(fileData);
 
-					if (fileDataJSON?.[ConfigProperties.TABLE]?.[ConfigProperties.DEFAULT_SORTING]) {
-						return merge({}, configsAcc, fileDataJSON, {
-							[ConfigProperties.TABLE]: {
-								...fileDataJSON[ConfigProperties.TABLE],
-								[ConfigProperties.DEFAULT_SORTING]: fileDataJSON[ConfigProperties.TABLE][
-									ConfigProperties.DEFAULT_SORTING
-								].map((sorting: SortingConfigsInterface) => ({
-									...sorting,
-									desc: sorting.desc || false,
-								})),
-							},
-						});
-					}
+						if (fileDataJSON?.[ConfigProperties.TABLE]?.[ConfigProperties.DEFAULT_SORTING]) {
+							return merge({}, configsAcc, fileDataJSON, {
+								[ConfigProperties.TABLE]: {
+									...fileDataJSON[ConfigProperties.TABLE],
+									[ConfigProperties.DEFAULT_SORTING]: fileDataJSON[ConfigProperties.TABLE][
+										ConfigProperties.DEFAULT_SORTING
+									].map((sorting: SortingConfigsInterface) => ({
+										...sorting,
+										desc: sorting.desc || false,
+									})),
+								},
+							});
+						}
 
-					return merge({}, configsAcc, fileDataJSON);
+						return merge({}, configsAcc, fileDataJSON);
+					} catch (e) {
+						throw new Error('Could not parse the provided configuration files');
+					}
 				},
 				configsFromEnv,
 			);
diff --git a/modules/server/src/graphqlRoutes.js b/modules/server/src/graphqlRoutes.js
index a9db949b0..f0f9072c2 100644
--- a/modules/server/src/graphqlRoutes.js
+++ b/modules/server/src/graphqlRoutes.js
@@ -4,10 +4,11 @@ import { Router } from 'express';
 import expressPlayground from 'graphql-playground-middleware-express';
 
 import getConfigObject, { initializeSets } from './config';
-import { DEBUG_MODE, ES_USER, ES_PASS } from './config/constants';
+import { DEBUG_MODE, ENABLE_NETWORK_AGGREGATION, ES_PASS, ES_USER } from './config/constants';
 import { ConfigProperties } from './config/types';
 import { addMappingsToTypes, extendFields, fetchMapping } from './mapping';
 import { extendColumns, extendFacets, flattenMappingToFields } from './mapping/extendMapping';
+import { createSchemaFromNetworkConfig, mergeSchemas } from './network';
 import makeSchema from './schema';
 
 const getESMapping = async (esClient, index) => {
@@ -249,6 +250,8 @@ export const createSchemasFromConfigs = async ({
 			configsFromFiles,
 		);
 
+		const commonFields = { fieldsFromMapping, typesWithMappings };
+
 		const { mockSchema, schema } = await createSchema({
 			enableAdmin,
 			getServerSideFilter,
@@ -256,12 +259,26 @@ export const createSchemasFromConfigs = async ({
 			types: typesWithMappings,
 		});
 
-		return {
-			fieldsFromMapping,
-			mockSchema,
-			schema,
-			typesWithMappings,
-		};
+		if (false) {
+			const { networkSchema } = await createSchemaFromNetworkConfig({
+				networkConfig: configsFromFiles[ConfigProperties.NETWORK_AGGREGATION],
+			});
+			const [mergedSchema, mergedMockSchema] = mergeSchemas({
+				local: { schema, mockSchema },
+				network: { schema: networkSchema, mockSchema: networkMockSchema },
+			});
+			return {
+				...commonFields,
+				schema: mergedSchema,
+				mockSchema: mergedMockSchema,
+			};
+		} else {
+			return {
+				...commonFields,
+				mockSchema,
+				schema,
+			};
+		}
 	} catch (error) {
 		const message = error?.message || error;
 		console.info('\n------\nError thrown while creating the GraphQL schemas.');
diff --git a/modules/server/src/network/index.ts b/modules/server/src/network/index.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..cba08d5b8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/modules/server/src/network/index.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+import { NetworkAggregationInterface } from '@/config/types';
+
+export const createSchemaFromNetworkConfig = ({
+	networkConfig,
+}: {
+	networkConfig: NetworkAggregationInterface[];
+}) => {
+	console.log('network config', networkConfig);
+};
+export const mergeSchemas = () => {};