SEARCHING FILES

• US 20140081948A1
• Filed: 11/25/2013
• Published: 03/20/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Doshi, Apurva Ashwin, PANG, JUAN-LEE, RACIBORSKI, BOHDAN W.
• Granted Patent: US 9,870,379 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/711
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1446 Point-in-time backing up or restoration of persistent data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/148 File search processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/1873 Versioning file systems, temporal file systems, e.g. file system supporting different historic versions of files
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/219 Managing data history or versioning querying versioned data G06F16/2474; querying temporal data G06F16/2477

Abstract

Aspects of the subject matter described herein relate to searching files. In aspects, a search engine is able to search not only the current files but also is able to search for deleted and previous versions of files that satisfy queries. The search engine may maintain an index that facilitates searches. In addition, the search engine may also determine not only that a file satisfies a query but what version(s) of the file satisfies the query.

Claims

1. A method performed on a computing device, the method comprising maintaining a single index that corresponds to a plurality of versions of a file, and where the single index comprises tokens that correspond to words that are included in various of the plurality of versions of the file.

2. The method of claim 1 where the file is in a protected namespace, and is designated for backup.

3. The method of claim 1 where the file is deleted, and where at least one of the plurality of versions of the file is a version of the deleted file.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

retaining, in the single index in response to an indication that the file has been changed, a reference for a word present in the changed file prior to the file being changed; and

adding, to the index in response to the indication, a new reference for a new word present in the changed file that was not present in the file prior to being changed.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising retaining, in the single index in response to the file being deleted, any references to words in the deleted file prior to the file being deleted.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising deleting, from the single index in response to an indication that the file has been changed and further in response to the changed file not being in a protected namespace, any references to the file.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising re-indexing, in response to the deleting, the changed file.

8. At least one computer storage device storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform actions comprising maintaining a single index that corresponds to a plurality of versions of a file, and where the single index comprises tokens that correspond to words that are included in various of the plurality of versions of the file.

9. The at least one computer storage device of claim 8 where the file is in a protected namespace, and is designated for backup.

10. The at least one computer storage device of claim 8 where the file is deleted, and where at least one of the plurality of versions of the file is a version of the deleted file.

11. The at least one computer storage device of claim 8, the actions further comprising:

retaining, in the single index in response to an indication that the file has been changed, a reference for a word present in the changed file prior to the file being changed; and

adding, to the index in response to the indication, a new reference for a new word present in the changed file that was not present in the file prior to being changed.

12. The at least one computer storage device of claim 8, the actions further comprising retaining, in the single index in response to the file being deleted, any references to words in the deleted file prior to the file being deleted.

13. The at least one computer storage device of claim 8, the actions further comprising deleting, from the single index in response to an indication that the file has been changed and further in response to the changed file not being in a protected namespace, any references to the file.

14. The at least one computer storage device of claim 13, the actions further comprising re-indexing, in response to the deleting, the changed file.

15. A system comprising a computing device and at least one program module together configured for performing actions comprising maintaining a single index that corresponds to a plurality of versions of a file, and where the single index comprises tokens that correspond to words that are included in various of the plurality of versions of the file.

16. The system of claim 15 where the file is in a protected namespace, and is designated for backup.

17. The system of claim 15 where the file is deleted, and where at least one of the plurality of versions of the file is a version of the deleted file.

18. The system of claim 15, the actions further comprising:

retaining, in the single index in response to an indication that the file has been changed, a reference for a word present in the changed file prior to the file being changed; and

adding, to the index in response to the indication, a new reference for a new word present in the changed file that was not present in the file prior to being changed.

19. The system of claim 15, the actions further comprising retaining, in the single index in response to the file being deleted, any references to words in the deleted file prior to the file being deleted.

20. The system of claim 15, the actions further comprising:

deleting, from the single index in response to an indication that the file has been changed and further in response to the changed file not being in a protected namespace, any references to the file; and

re-indexing, in response to the deleting, the changed file.