Client Generated Aggregated Indices for Decentralized File Search
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing file management systems struggle to efficiently generate and maintain searchable indices across multiple client devices, leading to unindexed files remaining untouched for extended periods, which hinders file retrieval and search functionality.
Innovation Solution
A networked environment where client devices index downloaded files and contribute their indexed data to a master index, allowing other devices to search file content and metadata without direct access to the files, with an index aggregator service managing the process and ensuring files are indexed by available client devices.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a centralized indexing system is used to maintain searchable indices across multiple client devices, then file retrieval capability is improved, but system complexity and maintenance overhead increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the centralized indexing system into distributed client-side indexers that operate independently on each client device. Each client device maintains its own local index, eliminating the need for a complex centralized indexing service while preserving search functionality across the network.
Solution Approach 2:
Client devices automatically perform indexing operations on their own files without requiring external centralized management. The system enables itself to maintain up-to-date indices through automated client-side indexing processes, reducing administrative overhead and system complexity.
2Ease of operation
If client devices download and store files locally for extended periods, then file accessibility is improved, but indexing efficiency deteriorates as files remain unindexed
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs indexing operations immediately when files are downloaded to client devices, before the files are needed for search operations. This preliminary indexing ensures that files are ready for immediate retrieval without delays, maintaining both accessibility and indexing efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The client-side indexer continuously monitors and indexes files as they are downloaded, modified, or added to the device. This continuous indexing process ensures that the index remains synchronized with the actual file state, eliminating gaps where files would remain unindexed and improving overall indexing efficiency.
3Reliability
If files are stored across multiple locations including client devices and remote servers, then data redundancy and accessibility are improved, but index synchronization difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the indexing responsibility by location, with each client device and remote server maintaining its own local index. This segmentation eliminates the need for complex cross-location index synchronization while ensuring that each location can independently provide search functionality for its stored files.
Solution Approach 2:
The search system is designed to universally query multiple distributed indices across different locations through a unified search interface. This multi-functionality allows the system to search files regardless of their physical location without requiring complex synchronization mechanisms.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed are various embodiments for generating an index. A computing device provides a location of a requested file to a client device in response to receiving a search query of a master index from the client device. The computing device updates the master index with index data associated with the requested file, wherein the index data associated with the requested file is received from the client device.