Cloud-Native Information Governance Through In-Place Indexing

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing cloud-based electronic discovery systems require data to be downloaded and processed locally due to limited network connectivity, leading to slow processing speeds, errors, and failure, and are unable to efficiently index non-text searchable documents and embedded files.

Innovation Solution

Indexing is performed directly within cloud data centers using multi-core and distributed virtual machines, leveraging high-bandwidth connections to process data in situ, avoiding bandwidth throttling and enabling rapid detection of malfeasance and cyber threats.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If data is downloaded from cloud storage to local systems for indexing, then processing can be performed, but network bandwidth limitations cause slow processing speeds and processing failures

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprocessing speedVSAvoidnetwork bandwidth consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of downloading data from cloud storage to local systems for indexing, the patent inverts the approach by bringing indexing capabilities to the cloud storage environment. Indexing processes are executed within the cloud data centers using distributed virtual machines, eliminating the need to transfer data across network boundaries and resolving the bandwidth bottleneck.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces cloud data centers as intermediaries between cloud storage and local systems. The data centers host virtual machines that perform indexing operations on data remaining in cloud storage, acting as a mediator that enables processing without data transfer. This intermediary approach allows high-bandwidth processing while maintaining data in its original location.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Ease of operation

If data is copied through firewall to local storage system, then indexing can be performed, but excessive delays occur in electronic discovery activities

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveindexing capabilityVSAvoidelectronic discovery time

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements preliminary indexing actions within cloud data centers before electronic discovery activities are initiated. By pre-indexing data in the cloud using distributed virtual machines, the system prepares search-ready indexes in advance, eliminating the time-consuming data copying and indexing steps that would otherwise delay electronic discovery operations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent inverts the conventional sequence by performing indexing in the cloud environment rather than copying data to local systems first. This reversal eliminates firewall traversal and local system dependency, enabling rapid electronic discovery operations to proceed directly against cloud-based indexes without the delays associated with data transfer and local processing setup.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

3Reliability

If cloud-based services are used for electronic discovery, then data security is maintained, but search capabilities are limited and cannot efficiently process non-text documents

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata securityVSAvoidsearch capability

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements universal indexing capabilities within cloud data centers that can process multiple document types including text files, non-text searchable documents like PDF and TIFF files, password encrypted documents, corrupted items, attachments, embedded files, and compressed archives. The distributed virtual machine infrastructure provides multi-functional processing that maintains data security while enabling comprehensive search across all document formats without requiring data to leave the cloud environment.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentUS20250272272A1Systems and methods for scalable delocalized information governance

Publication Date: 2025.08.28 NUIX

AI summary

The invention relates to electronic indexing, and more particularly, to the indexing, in a cloud, data held in a cloud. Systems and methods of the invention index data by accessing the data in place in the cloud and breaking a job into work items and sending the work items to multiple cloud processes that can each determine whether to index data associated with the work item or to create a new work item and have a different cloud process index the data. Each cloud process is proximal to an item that it indexes. This gives the system scale as well as an internal load-balancing.