Object searching in data storage systems

• US 8,131,743 B1
• Filed: 06/29/2009
• Issued: 03/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Emc IP Holding Company LLC (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: EMC Corporation (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Desai, Munish, Schutzman, Neil, Joyce, Scott, daSilva, Thiago, Sutton, Keith
• Primary Examiner(s): Ng, Amy
• Application Number:
  US12/493,883
• Time in Patent Office: 981 Days
• Field of Search: 707/705, 707/706, 707/759, 707/769
• US Class Current: 707/759
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24526 Internal representations for queries

Abstract

The method of object searching in a data storage system includes receiving, by an object search machine, a search criteria, the search criteria including a plurality of parameters and storing, by the object search machine, the search criteria as a persistence query having a first query format. The method also includes creating, by the object search machine, a protocol query based upon the persistence query, the protocol query having a second query format, the second query format distinct from the first query format. The method additionally includes utilizing, by the object search machine, the protocol query to request at least one object associated with the protocol query from the data storage system.

Claims

1. A method of object searching in a data storage system, comprising:

receiving, by an object search machine, a search criteria, the search criteria including a plurality of parameters;

storing, by the object search machine, the search criteria as a persistence query having a first query format;

creating, by the object search machine, a protocol query based upon the persistence query, the protocol query having a second query format, the second query format distinct from the first query format; and

utilizing, by the object search machine, the protocol query to request at least one object associated with the protocol query from the data storage system,

wherein storing, by the object search machine, the search criteria as a persistence query having a first query format includes;

generating, by the object search machine, a first Extensible Markup Language (XML) file that includes each of the plurality of parameters as a separate tagged parameter; and

storing, by the object search machine, the first XML file as the persistence query having the first query format, and

wherein creating the protocol query based upon the persistence query includes;

generating, by the object search machine, a second XML file that includes the plurality of parameters in a string in a single tagged statement, the single tagged statement being free of embedded tagged statements; and

forwarding the second XML file to the data storage system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving, by the object search machine, the search criteria includes:

receiving, by the object search machine, a characteristic property parameter of the at least one object to be searched;

receiving, by the object search machine, an operator parameter to act on the characteristic property parameter; and

receiving, by the object search machine, a value parameter to establish a bound for the operator parameter to act on the characteristic property parameter.

3. The method of claim 2:

wherein receiving, by the object search machine, the search criteria includes receiving at least one selection criteria, each of the at least one selection criteria including one characteristic property parameter, one operator parameter, and one value parameter; and

further comprising receiving a modification of the search criteria, the modification including at least one of added, deleted, and replaced selection criteria of the search criteria.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising, storing, by the object search machine, the modified search criteria as a second persistence query having the first query format.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the string in the single tagged element is written in Common Information Model (CIM) query language (CQL).

6. The method of claim 1:

wherein the object search machine is configured to be logged onto by a first user and a second user;

wherein receiving, by the object search machine, the search criteria includes receiving, by the object search machine, the search criteria that is created by the first user; and

further comprising restricting, by the object search machine, visibility of the persistence query to the first user.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one object is one of a logical location of data and a physical location of data in the data storage system.

8. The method of claim 1:

wherein data stored in the data storage system is divided into a plurality of CIM classes; and

further comprising storing in the persistence query and the protocol query a selection of the plurality of CIM classes to be searched.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the search criteria refer to data objects of a Common Information Model (CIM) of the data storage system, and wherein the method further comprises:

accessing the persistence query;

displaying the search criteria stored in the persistence query;

accepting changes to some but not all of the displayed search criteria;

storing the search criteria including the changes as a second persistence query;

creating a second protocol query from the second persistence query; and

transmitting the second protocol query to the data storage system to request information about at least one data object of the CIM.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the plurality of parameters stored in the first persistence query includes at least one of a RAIDType parameter to identify a RAID type, a NumberOfLUNs parameter to identify a number of logical unit numbers, a DiskState parameter to specify a state of a disk, and a NumberOfDisks parameter to specify a number of disks.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the persistence query specifies each of the plurality of parameters within a respective pair of XML tags, and wherein the protocol query specifies all of the plurality of parameters in a single CIM Query Language (CQL) statement.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein each of the persistence query and the protocol query includes a list of object properties of the CIM to be displayed.

13. An object search machine comprising:

a non-volatile memory; and

processing circuitry disposed in electrical communication with the non-volatile memory, the processing circuitry constructed and arranged to;

receive a search criteria, the search criteria including a plurality of parameters,

store the search criteria as a persistence query having a first query format to the non-volatile memory,

create a protocol query based upon the persistence query, the protocol query having a second query format, the second query format distinct from the first query format,

utilize the protocol query to request at least one object associated with the protocol query from a data storage system,

store the search criteria as a persistence query having a first query format by being constructed and arranged to;

generate a first Extensible Markup Language (XML) file that includes each of the plurality of parameters as a separate tagged parameter; and

store the first XML file as the persistence query having the first query format,

and

create the protocol query based upon the persistence query by being constructed and arranged to;

generate a second XML file that includes the plurality of parameters in a string in a single tagged statement, the single tagged statement being free of embedded tagged statements; and

forward the second XML file to the data storage system.

14. The object search machine of claim 13, wherein the processing circuitry is constructed and arranged to receive the search criteria by being constructed and arranged to:

receive a characteristic property parameter of the at least one object to be searched;

receive an operator parameter to act on the characteristic property parameter; and

receive a value parameter to establish a bound for the operator parameter to act on the characteristic property parameter.

15. The object search machine of claim 14:

wherein the search criteria includes at least one selection criteria, each of the at least one selection criteria including one characteristic property parameter, one operator parameter, and one value parameter; and

wherein the processing circuitry is further constructed and arranged to (i) receive a modification of the search criteria, the modification including at least one of added, deleted, and replaced selection criteria of the search criteria, and (ii) store the modified search criteria as a second persistence query having the first query format.

16. The object search machine of claim 13, wherein the string in the single tagged element is written in Common Information Model (CIM) query language (CQL).

17. The object search machine of claim 13:

wherein the object search machine is configured to be logged onto by a first user and a second user;

wherein the search criteria is created by the first user; and

wherein the object search machine is further constructed and arranged to restrict visibility of the persistence query to the first user.

18. The object search machine of claim 13, wherein the at least one object is one of a logical location of data and a physical location of data in the data storage system.

19. The object search machine of claim 13:

wherein data stored in the data storage system is divided into a plurality of CIM classes; and

wherein the processing circuitry is further constructed and arranged to store in the persistence query and the protocol query a selection of the plurality of CIM classes are to be searched.

20. A computer program product having a non-transitory computer-readable medium including computer program logic encoded thereon that, when performed on an object search machine directs the computer system to perform the method of:

receiving, by the object search machine, a search criteria, the search criteria including a plurality of parameters;

storing, by the object search machine, the search criteria as a persistence query having a first query format;

creating, by the object search machine, a protocol query based upon the persistence query, the protocol query having a second query format, the second query format distinct from the first query format; and

utilizing, by the object search machine, the protocol query to request at least one object associated with the protocol query from the data storage system,

wherein storing, by the object search machine, the search criteria as a persistence query having a first query format includes;

generating, by the object search machine, a first Extensible Markup Language (XML) file that includes each of the plurality of parameters as a separate tagged parameter; and

storing, by the object search machine, the first XML file as the persistence query having the first query format, and

wherein creating the protocol query based upon the persistence query includes;

generating, by the object search machine, a second XML file that includes the plurality of parameters in a string in a single tagged statement, the single tagged statement being free of embedded tagged statements; and

forwarding the second XML file to the data storage system.