System, method and computer program product for scanning and indexing data for different purposes

• US 8,671,087 B2
• Filed: 12/05/2011
• Issued: 03/11/2014
• 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.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cao, Phuong Thao
• Application Number:
  US13/311,089
• Publication Number:
  US 20120079117A1
• Time in Patent Office: 827 Days
• Field of Search: 707/705, 707/999.003, 707/966, 707/999.002, 726/1, 709/223
• US Class Current: 707/705
• 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. An apparatus, comprising:

a processor;

a memory coupled to the processor; and

a communication adapter configured to receive, from each device of a plurality of devices, processing resources available at the device and a schedule of resource availability for the device, and to distribute one or more policies to the plurality of devices wherein

the one or more policies are generated based on

scanning results provided by the plurality of devices;

the processing resources available at each of the plurality of devices; and

the schedule of resource availability for each of the plurality of devices, and the one or more policies indicate when an indexing and scanning should occur at each of the plurality of devices.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the communication adapter is further configured to receive the scanning results, which are to be presented in response to a request provided to the apparatus.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is further configured to update agent software for each of the plurality of devices.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is further configured to adjust a priority and a sequence of enforcement actions for the plurality of devices based on the scanning results.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to determine a workload distribution across the plurality of devices, and the workload distribution factors in bandwidth characteristics associated with each of the plurality of devices.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a graphical user interface configured to generate the one or more policies.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more policies specify which particular data is indexed based on authorship for the particular data or words in the particular data.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is a management console.

9. A method implemented by an apparatus, comprising:

receiving, from each device of a plurality of devices, processing resources available at the device and a schedule of resource availability for the device; and

distributing one or more policies to the plurality of devices, wherein the one or more policies are generated based on scanning results provided by the plurality of devices;

the processing resources available at each of the plurality of devices, and the schedule of resource availability for each of the plurality of devices; and

the one or more policies indicate when an indexing and scanning should occur at each of the plurality of devices.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

updating agent software for each of the plurality of devices.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

determining a workload distribution across the plurality of devices, wherein the workload distribution factors in bandwidth characteristics associated with each of the plurality of devices.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

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

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the scanning results are initially stored in a local database and subsequently provided in a remote database in which the scanning results are aggregated.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the one or more policies include signatures with which data is scanned by the plurality of devices.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the one or more policies indicate actions to be taken by the plurality of devices based at least on a result of the indexing and scanning.

16. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving, at an agent in one device of the plurality of devices, a particular policy via a network;

performing, with the agent, an action based on a particular result of scanning; and

communicating, from the agent, to the apparatus, available communication resources at the one device.

17. The method of claim 9, wherein at least a portion of the scanning results is stored at a regional server, which shares a same geographic area with the plurality of devices.

18. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

scanning and indexing data with a universal engine at each of the plurality of devices.

19. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media that include code for execution that, when executed by a processor, performs operations comprising:

receiving, from each device of a plurality of devices, processing resources available at the device and a schedule of resource availability for the device; and

distributing one or more policies to the plurality of devices, wherein the one or more policies are generated based on scanning results provided by the plurality of devices;

the processing resources available at each of the plurality of devices, and the schedule of resource availability for each of the plurality of devices; and

the one or more policies indicate when an indexing and scanning should occur at each of the plurality of devices.

20. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 19, wherein the one or more policies include signatures.