Datacenter search query interpretation system

• US 10,198,511 B1
• Filed: 01/08/2015
• Issued: 02/05/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vmware LLC (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: VMware, Inc. (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gupta, Kshitij, Gupta, Mukul, Agarwal, Shiv, Sharma, Abhijit
• Primary Examiner(s): Lu, Charles E
• Application Number:
  US14/592,845
• Time in Patent Office: 1,489 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/248 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3344 using natural language analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2009/45579 I/O management, e.g. providing access to device drivers or storage
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/453 Help systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/45558 Hypervisor-specific management and integration aspects

Abstract

A computerized datacenter contextual search query interpretation method includes receiving a search query from a user; displaying search suggestions based on the search query and obtaining a selected one of the search suggestions. Any time period associated with the search query is identified, instructions based on the selected search suggestion and any time period for searching a data model of a datacenter are generated to obtain search results and display a graphical visualization of the search results.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving a user-generated computer network search query;

interpreting the user-generated computer network search query based on relationships and properties of physical entities of a datacenter and relationships and properties of virtual entities of the datacenter;

generating search suggestions based on the interpretation of the user-generated computer network search query and independent of user intervention;

determining that the user-generated computer network search query does not include a time period;

inferring a time period associated with the user-generated computer network search query based on the interpretation of the user-generated computer network search query;

searching a data model associated with the datacenter for results from the inferred time period based on a user-selected one of the search suggestions;

displaying a graphical visualization of the results of searching the data model, wherein the results of searching the data model include a topology diagram representing corresponding physical entities of the datacenter or corresponding virtual entities of the datacenter;

receiving a selection, made using the graphical visualization, of one of a plurality of values of a property associated with the virtual entities of the datacenter; and

displaying a graphical visualization of a subset of the results of the searching the data model having the selected one of the plurality of values of the property.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the user-generated computer network search query includes identifying a user-selected physical entity or a user-selected virtual entity of the datacenter selected from a graphical display of the physical entities and the virtual entities of the datacenter.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the user-generated computer network search query includes a natural language expression relating to the physical entities or the virtual entities of the datacenter.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising sharing the graphical visualization of the results with users of the datacenter.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the interpretation of the user-generated computer network search query is further based on a datacenter dictionary associated with the datacenter.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising interpreting the user-generated computer network search query based on identifiers associated with the physical entities of the datacenter, identifiers associated with the virtual entities of the datacenter, performance data associated with the physical entities or the virtual entities, or configuration data associated with the physical entities or the virtual entities.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein interpreting the user-generated computer network search query includes:

translating the user-generated computer network search query into a structured search query based on heuristics associated with the datacenter;

parsing the structured search query; and

interpreting the parsed structured search query based on the relationships and the properties of the physical entities of the datacenter and the relationships and the properties of the virtual entities of the datacenter.

8. A system, comprising:

a search interface of a computing device configured to;

receive a user-generated computer network search query;

interpret the user-generated computer network search query based on relationships and properties of physical entities of a datacenter and virtual entities of the datacenter; and

generate search suggestions based on the interpretation of the user-generated computer network search query and independent of user intervention;

a search engine comprising instructions executable by a processing resource to cause a computing system to;

determine that the user-generated computer network search query does not include a time period;

infer a time period associated with the user-generated computer network search query based on the interpretation of the user-generated computer network search query; and

search a data model associated with the data center for results from the inferred time period based on a user-selected one of the search suggestions; and

a visualization manager comprising instructions executable by the processing resource to cause the computing system to;

display a graphical visualization of the results of searching the data model, wherein the results of searching the data model include a topology diagram representing corresponding physical entities of the datacenter or corresponding virtual entities of the datacenter;

receive a selection, made using the graphical visualization, of one of a plurality of values of a property associated with the virtual entities of the datacenter; and

display a graphical visualization of a subset of the results of the searching the data model having the selected one of the plurality of values of the property.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the user-generated computer network search query includes a user-selected physical entity or a user-selected virtual entity of the datacenter selected from a graphical display of the physical entities and the virtual entities of the datacenter.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the user-generated computer network search query includes a natural language expression relating to the physical entities or the virtual entities of the datacenter.

11. The system of claim 8, further comprising a collaboration manager comprising instructions executable by the processing resource to cause the computing system to share the graphical visualization of the results users of the datacenter.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the search interface is further configured to interpret the user-generated computer network search query based on identifiers associated with the physical entities of the datacenter, identifiers associated with the virtual entities of the datacenter, performance data associated with the physical entities or the virtual entities, or configuration data associated with the physical entities or the virtual entities.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the search interface is further configured to:

translate the user-generated computer network search query into a structured search query based on heuristics associated with the datacenter;

parse the structured search query; and

interpret the parsed structured search query based on the relationships and the properties of the physical entities of the datacenter and the relationships and the properties of the virtual entities of the datacenter.

14. A non-transitory machine-readable medium storing instructions executable by a processing resource to cause a computing system to:

receive a user-generated computer network search query;

interpret the user-generated computer network search query based on relationships and properties of physical entities of a datacenter and relationships and properties of virtual entities of the datacenter;

generate search suggestions based on the interpretation of the user-generated computer network search query and independent of user intervention;

determine that the user-generated computer network search query does not include a time period;

infer a time period associated with the user-generated computer network search query based on the interpretation of the user-generated computer network search query;

search a data model associated with the datacenter for results from the inferred time period based on a user-selected one of the search suggestions; and

display a graphical visualization of the results of searching the data model, wherein the results of searching the data model include a topology diagram representing corresponding physical entities of the datacenter or corresponding virtual entities of the datacenter;

receive a selection, made using the graphical visualization, of one of a plurality of values of a property associated with the virtual entities of the datacenter; and

display a graphical visualization of a subset of the results of the searching the data model having the selected one of the plurality of values of the property.

15. The medium of claim 14, further comprising instructions to interpret the user-generated computer network search query based on identifiers associated with the physical entities of the datacenter, identifiers associated with the virtual entities of the datacenter, performance data associated with the physical entities or the virtual entities, or configuration data associated with the physical entities or the virtual entities.