Data object search and retrieval

• US 20070043715A1
• Filed: 08/18/2005
• Published: 02/22/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Emc IP Holding Company LLC (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: EMC Corporation (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Periyagaram, Subramanian, Kaushik, Akhil, Suryanarayanan, Rangarajan, Xing, Jian
• Granted Patent: US 9,026,512 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24 Querying
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques

Abstract

Searching data is disclosed. A searchable index is used to determine which, if any, data objects comprising a set of backup data are responsive to a search query. For the search query, a search result is generated. The search result includes, in the event a first data object that is responsive to the search query comprises a version of one or more other data objects that are responsive to the search query, data indicating that the first data object comprises a version of said one or more other data objects.

Claims

1. A method of searching data, comprising:

using a searchable index to determine which, if any, data objects comprising a set of backup data are responsive to a search query; and

generating for the search query a search result that includes, in the event a first data object that is responsive to the search query comprises a version of one or more other data objects that are responsive to the search query, data indicating that the first data object comprises a version of said one or more other data objects.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising receiving a search query.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising determining if the first data object that is responsive to the search query comprises a subsequent version of one or more other data objects that are responsive to the search query.

4. A method as recited in claim 3, wherein the determination is made using one or more of the following:

a file name, a file path, a file attribute, a file size, file contents, a file creation time, a file modification time, an inode number, a backup information, and an associated location identifier.

5. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the backup data includes versions of data objects backed up from a production data.

6. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the set of backup data includes data objects backed up on a periodic interval, on a prescribed instance, on a configured time, or after at least one data change is made to a production storage.

7. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the set of backup data includes incremental, differential, or other backup data comprising data changes from a last completed full backup operation.

8. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising generating the searchable index, including by performing one or more of the following:

decompressing backup data, converting backup data, translating backup data, transferring backup data, indexing backup data, generating keywords associated with backup data, and any processing required for data search and retrieval, on a prescribed basis, periodically, or substantially concurrent with addition, modification, and deletion of the backup data.

9. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the searchable index includes an index data indicating a location within the set of backup data of a data object comprising the set of backup data.

10. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein two data objects are determined to be versions of each other if at least a portion of a first data object is copied, modified, replaced, or derived from a second data object or another data object related to the second data object.

11. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising using the searchable index to determine which, if any, data objects comprising a set of production data associated with the set of backup data are responsive to the search query.

12. A method as recited in claim 11, wherein the searchable index is updated on a first periodic interval with respect to the set of backup data and the searchable index is updated with respect to the set of production data on a second periodic interval that is shorter than the first periodic interval.

13. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the searchable index includes:

index data associated with data objects associated with one or more of the following;

backup data stored in one or more media volumes or other storage locations, backup data generated by one or more backup operations, and production data, and

location identifiers indicating for each data object the location of associated data within the backup or production data.

14. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the searchable index data comprises index data from multiple data sources, backup types, or backup instances.

15. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the search result is organized in an order indicating that the first data object comprises a version of said one or more other data objects.

16. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the search result includes data grouped into a group associated with versions of a related data object.

17. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the search result includes data associated with a non-responsive data object version related to a search responsive data object version, wherein the non-responsive data object version is not directly responsive to the search query.

18. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising retrieving a data object associated with the query result, wherein the data object may be viewed, accessed, or used by an application, saved as new data in a production storage, or used to replace or merged with a pre-existing data in a production storage.

19. A system for searching data, comprising:

a processor configured to use a searchable index to determine which, if any, data objects comprising a set of backup data are responsive to a search query, and generate for the search query a search result that includes, in the event a first data object that is responsive to the search query comprises a version of one or more other data objects that are responsive to the search query, data indicating that the first data object comprises a version of said one or more other data objects; and

a memory coupled to the processor and configured to provide the searchable index.

20. A system as recited in claim 19, the processor further configured to determine if the first data object that is responsive to the search query comprises a subsequent version of one or more other data objects that are responsive to the search query.

21. A system as recited in claim 20, wherein the determination is made using one or more of the following:

a file name, a file path, a file attribute, a file size, file contents, a file creation time, a file modification time, an inode number, a backup information, and an associated location identifier.

22. A system as recited in claim 19, wherein the set of backup data includes incremental, differential, or other backup data comprising data changes from a last completed full backup operation.

23. A system as recited in claim 19, the processor further configured to generate the searchable index, including by performing one or more of the following:

decompressing backup data, converting backup data, translating backup data, transferring backup data, indexing backup data, generating keywords associated with backup data, and any processing required for data search and retrieval, on a prescribed basis, periodically, or substantially concurrent with addition, modification, and deletion of the backup data.

24. A system as recited in claim 19, wherein the searchable index includes an index data indicating a location within the set of backup data of a data object comprising the set of backup data.

25. A system as recited in claim 19, wherein two data objects are determined to be versions of each other if at least a portion of a first data object is copied, modified, replaced, or derived from a second data object or another data object related to the second data object.

26. A system as recited in claim 19, wherein the searchable index includes:

index data associated with data objects associated with one or more of the following;

backup data stored in one or more media volumes or other storage locations, backup data generated by one or more backup operations, and production data, and

location identifiers indicating for each data object the location of associated data within the backup or production data.

27. A system as recited in claim 19, wherein the search result is organized in an order indicating that the first data object comprises a version of said one or more other data objects.

28. A system as recited in claim 19, wherein the search result includes data associated with a non-responsive data object version related to a search responsive data object version, wherein the non-responsive data object version is not directly responsive to the search query.

29. A system as recited in claim 19, the processor further configured to retrieve a data object associated with the query result, wherein the data object may be viewed, accessed, or used by an application, saved as new data in a production storage, or used to replace or merged with a pre-existing data in a production storage.

30. A computer program product for searching data, the computer program product being embodied in a computer readable medium and comprising computer instructions for:

using a searchable index to determine which, if any, data objects comprising a set of backup data are responsive to a search query; and

generating for the search query a search result that includes, in the event a first data object that is responsive to the search query comprises a version of one or more other data objects that are responsive to the search query, data indicating that the first data object comprises a version of said one or more other data objects.