Comprehensive, relevant, and dynamic data searching in a virtualization environment

摘要

A method includes indexing data and/or metadata in online virtual machines (VMs), offline VMs, virtual applications, and/or snapshots thereof on one or more host server(s) in a virtualization environment through a search architecture in the virtualization environment. The online VMs are VMs that are powered on, and the offline VMs are VMs that are powered off. The method also includes maintaining a database of the indexed data and/or metadata in the online VMs, the offline VMs, the virtual applications, and/or the snapshots thereof to enable a comprehensive search result to a search query through the search architecture. The database is associated with the search architecture.

主权项

1. A method for maintaining a search capability offered by a search system in a virtualization environment, the method comprising:
receiving, by the search system, first index data from an agent running in a currently running VM, wherein the agent is configured to generate the first index data wherein first index data corresponds to files stored on a file system used by the currently running VM; determining, by the search system, an event for the currently running VM that indicates a change in state for the currently running VM to an offline VM, the offline VM being a VM that is not currently running; when the event is determined by the search system, using an offline VM adapter to generate second index data, wherein using the offline VM adapter comprises:
mounting, by the offline VM adapter in the search system, a virtual disk image file associated with the offline VM to access file systems stored in the virtual disk image file; andgenerating the second index data wherein second index data corresponds to the file systems stored in the virtual disk image file; and maintaining, by the search system, a database of the first index data received from the agent and the second index data generated by offline VM adapter in the search system from the file systems stored in the virtual disk image files to enable a search result in response to a search query received by the search system.