SYSTEM, METHOD AND COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCT FOR SCANNING AND INDEXING DATA FOR DIFFERENT PURPOSES

• US 20120079117A1
• Filed: 12/05/2011
• Published: 03/29/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: McAfee, LLC
• Original Assignee: McAfee, Inc. (McAfee, LLC)
• Inventors: Wills, Ronald Holland, Ross, Charles Allen, Heron, George L.
• Granted Patent: US 8,671,087 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/226
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/13 File access structures, e.g. distributed indices arrangements of input from, or output to, record carriers G06F3/06
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/966 Distributed

Abstract

A system, method and computer program product are provided for scanning and indexing data for different purposes. Included is a universal engine operable to scan and index data stored in at least one device, for a plurality of different purposes. Further provided is at least one application for controlling the universal engine to perform the scanning and indexing for at least one of the different purposes.

Claims

1-17. -17. (canceled)

18. An apparatus, comprising:

a processor;

a memory coupled to the processor, wherein the apparatus is configured for;

distributing one or more policies over a network link to a plurality of devices, which are provisioned with a universal engine configured to scan and index data, wherein the policies are generated based on;

scanning results provided by the plurality of devices; and

heuristics provided by the plurality of devices, wherein the heuristics include processing resources available at each of the plurality of devices, and a schedule of resource availability for each of the plurality of devices.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the heuristics are used to identify when indexing and scanning should occur at each of the plurality of devices.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, the apparatus being further configured for:

receiving the results to be presented in response to a user request provided to the apparatus.

21. The apparatus of claim 18, the apparatus being further configured for:

updating agent software for each of the plurality of devices.

22. The apparatus of claim 18, the apparatus being further configured for:

directing data migration from local indexes, which are associated with the plurality of devices, to centralized indexes existing on a network.

23. The apparatus of claim 18, the apparatus being further configured for:

adjusting a priority and a sequence of enforcement actions for the plurality of devices based on the results.

24. The apparatus of claim 18, the apparatus being further configured for:

determining workload distributional across a network to which the plurality of devices are coupled, wherein the workload distribution factors in bandwidth characteristics associated with each of the plurality of devices.

25. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the policies indicate a time at which indexing and scanning should occur for each of the plurality of devices.

26. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the results provided by the plurality of devices are initially stored in a local database and subsequently provided in a remote database in which they are aggregated.

27. The apparatus of claim 18, further comprising:

a graphical user interface configured to generate the policies to be distributed to the plurality of devices.

28. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the policies include signatures with which the data is scanned by the plurality of devices.

29. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the policies specify which particular data is indexed based on specific criteria including at least one of authorship for the particular data, a location of the particular data, metadata associated with a particular data, and words associated with the particular data.

30. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the policies indicate which actions are to be taken by the plurality of devices.

31. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein an agent is provisioned in each of the plurality of devices and configured to:

receive a particular policy via a network from the apparatus;

perform an action based on a particular result of scanning; and

communicate an individual heuristic associated with available communication resources at that corresponding device.

32. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the apparatus is a management console configured to communicate with a hub, which interacts with the plurality of devices.

33. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein at least a portion of the results is stored at a regional server, which shares a same geographic area with the plurality of devices.

34. A method, comprising:

distributing one or more policies over a network link to a plurality of devices, which are configured to scan and index data, wherein the policies are generated based on;

scanning results provided by the plurality of devices; and

heuristics provided by the plurality of devices, wherein the heuristics include processing resources available at each of the plurality of devices, and a schedule of resource availability for each of the plurality of devices.

35. The method of claim 34, further comprising:

updating agent software for each of the plurality of devices.

36. The method of claim 34, further comprising:

determining workload distributional across a network to which the plurality of devices are coupled, wherein the workload distribution factors in bandwidth characteristics associated with each of the plurality of devices.

37. Logic encoded in one or more non-transitory media that includes code for execution and when executed by a processor is operable to perform operations, comprising:

distributing one or more policies over a network link to a plurality of devices, which are configured to scan and index data, wherein the policies are generated based on;

scanning results provided by the plurality of devices; and

heuristics provided by the plurality of devices, wherein the heuristics include processing resources available at each of the plurality of devices, and a schedule of resource availability for each of the plurality of devices.