Enterprise graph search based on object and actor relationships

• US 9,542,440 B2
• Filed: 11/04/2013
• Issued: 01/10/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Wang, ivind, Bodd, Nicolai, Xing, Chen, Kvalheim, Brd, Helvik, Torbjrn
• Primary Examiner(s): THAI, HANH B
• Application Number:
  US14/070,734
• Publication Number:
  US 20150127677A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,163 Days
• Field of Search: 707/706, 707/769, 707/798
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/20 of structured data, e.g. relational data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/245 Query processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9024 Graphs; Linked lists G06F16/9027 takes precedence

Abstract

Systems, methods, and software are disclosed herein for implementing enterprise graph search. In at least one implementation, an enterprise search service receives a search request that includes a graph query directed to an enterprise graph. The graph is representative of various objects and actors associated with an enterprise, as well as which of the actors performed which of various actions with respect to each of the various objects. The service searches at least a portion of the enterprise graph to identify a subset of the objects that relate to the actors as defined by the graph query in terms of at least the actors and actions. A reply to the search request may include graph results indicative of the subset of the objects.

Claims

1. A method, implemented by a computing system, for performing enterprise search comprising:

receiving a search request comprising a graph query directed to an enterprise graph representative of a plurality of objects associated with an enterprise and a plurality of actors associated with the enterprise and further representative of which of the plurality of actors performed which of a plurality of actions with respect to each of the plurality of objects;

searching at least a portion of the enterprise graph to identify a subset of the plurality of objects that relate to the plurality of actors as defined by the graph query in terms of at least the plurality of actors and the plurality of actions;

receiving graph results indicative of the subset of the plurality of objects that relate to the plurality of actors as defined by the graph query;

searching at least a portion of the full-text database to identify an additional subset of the plurality of objects based at least in part on the full-text query;

receiving full-text results indicative of the additional subset of the plurality of objects; and

merging the graph results and the full-text results to produce search results.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of objects comprise documents and emails and wherein the plurality of actions comprise composing, reading, modifying, sending, receiving, and forwarding, and wherein the graph query comprises a graph query expression that defines the subset of the plurality of objects as any of the plurality of objects acted upon by at least one actor of the plurality of actors in accordance with at least one action of the plurality of actions.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the enterprise graph comprises a first plurality of nodes corresponding to the plurality of objects, a second plurality of nodes corresponding to the plurality of actors, and a plurality of edges corresponding to the plurality of actions, wherein each the plurality of edges connects at least one of the plurality of objects to at least one of the plurality of actors.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the graph query expression specifies at least the one actor and at least the one action, and wherein searching at least the portion of the enterprise graph to identify the subset of the plurality of objects that relate to the plurality of actors as defined by the graph query comprises determining which subset of the first plurality of nodes are connected to any of the second plurality of nodes corresponding to at least the one actor by any of the plurality of edges corresponding to at least the one action.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising capturing a plurality of events occurring in the enterprise, deriving event information from the plurality of events representative of the plurality of objects, the plurality of actors, and the plurality of actions, and generating the enterprise graph based at least in part on the event information.

6. The method of claim 2 wherein the search request further comprises a full-text query directed to a full-text database comprising at least a portion of the plurality of objects and wherein the method further comprises:

replying to the search request with at least a portion of the graph results and at least a portion of the full-text results.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the search request comprises a natural language query and wherein the method further comprises deriving the graph query from at least a portion of the natural language query and deriving the full-text query from another portion of the natural language query.

8. An apparatus comprising:

a processing system; and

one or more computer readable storage media including program instructions stored on the one or more computer readable media that, when executed by the processing system, direct the processing system to at least;

generate an enterprise graph representative of a plurality of objects associated with an enterprise and a plurality of actors associated with the enterprise and further representative of which of the plurality of actors performed which of a plurality of actions with respect to each of the plurality of objects;

search at least a portion of the enterprise graph to identify a subset of the plurality of objects that relate to the plurality of actors as defined by a graph query expression in a graph query in terms of at least the plurality of actors and the plurality of actions;

generate graph results indicative of the subset of the plurality of objects that relate to the plurality of actors as defined by the graph query expression;

search at least a portion of a full-text database to identify an additional subset of the plurality of objects based at least in part on the full-text query; and

generate full-text results indicative of the additional subset of the plurality of objects; and

merge the graph results and the full-text results to produce search results.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 further comprising the processing system configured to execute the program instructions, wherein the program instructions further direct the processing system to receive a search request comprising the graph query and reply to the graph query with the graph results.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the plurality of objects comprise documents and emails and wherein the plurality of actions comprise composing, reading, modifying, sending receiving, and forwarding, and wherein the graph query expression defines the subset of the plurality of objects as any of the plurality of objects acted upon by at least one actor of the plurality of actors in accordance with at least one action of the plurality of actions.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the enterprise graph comprises a first plurality of nodes corresponding to the plurality of objects, a second plurality of nodes corresponding to the plurality of actors, and a plurality of edges corresponding to the plurality of actions, wherein each the plurality of edges connects at least one of the plurality of objects to at least one of the plurality of actors.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the graph query expression specifies at least the one actor and at least the one action, and wherein:

to search at least the portion of the enterprise graph to identify the subset of the plurality of objects that relate to the plurality of actors as defined by the graph query expression, the program instructions direct the processing system to determine which subset of the first plurality of nodes are connected to any of the second plurality of nodes corresponding to at least the one actor by any of the plurality of edges corresponding to at least the one action.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the program instructions further direct the processing system to capture a plurality of events occurring in the enterprise, derive event information from the plurality of events representative of the plurality of objects, the plurality of actors, and the plurality of actions, and generate the enterprise graph based at least in part on the event information.

14. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the search request further comprises a full-text query directed to a full-text database comprising at least a portion of the plurality of objects and wherein the program instructions further direct the processing system to:

reply to the search request with at least a portion of the graph results and at least a portion of the full-text results.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the program instructions further direct the processing system to receive a natural language query, generate the graph query from at least a portion of the natural language query, and generate the full-text query from another portion of the natural language query.

16. A method, implemented by a computing system, of operating an enterprise search service comprising:

receiving a search request comprising a natural language query;

translating at least part of the natural language query into at least a full-text query with which to search a full-text database comprising at least a portion of a plurality of objects associated with an enterprise;

translating at least part of the natural language query into a graph query comprising a graph query expression that defines a subset of the plurality of objects as any of the plurality of objects acted upon by at least one specific actor of a plurality of actors in accordance with at least one specific action of a plurality of actions;

searching at least a portion of an enterprise graph based at least in part on the graph query expression to identify the subset of the plurality of objects;

receiving graph results indicative of the subset of the plurality of objects that relate to the plurality of actors as defined by the graph query expression;

searching at least a portion of the full-text database to identify an additional subset of the plurality of objects based at least in part on the full-text query;

receiving full-text results indicative of the additional subset of the plurality of objects; and

merging the graph results and the full-text results to produce search results, wherein the search results include at least a portion of the graph results and at least a portion of the full-text results.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the enterprise graph is representative of the plurality of objects, the plurality of actors, and which of the plurality of actors performed which of a plurality of actions with respect to each of the plurality of objects.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the plurality of objects comprise documents and emails and wherein the plurality of actions comprise composing, reading, modifying, sending receiving, and forwarding, and wherein the enterprise graph comprises a first plurality of nodes corresponding to the plurality of objects, a second plurality of nodes corresponding to the plurality of actors, and a plurality of edges corresponding to the plurality of actions, wherein each the plurality of edges connects at least one of the plurality of objects to at least one of the plurality of actors.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein searching at least the portion of the enterprise graph to identify the subset of the plurality of objects that relate to the plurality of actors as defined by the graph query expression comprises determining which subset of the first plurality of nodes are connected to any of the second plurality of nodes corresponding to at least the one specific actor by any of the plurality of edges corresponding to at least the one specific action.

20. The method of claim 18 wherein one or more of the full-text results indicative of the additional subset of the plurality of objects are received from an enterprise search service and the graph results indicative of the subset of the plurality of objects that relate to the plurality of actors as defined by the graph query expression are received from an enterprise search service.