Trusted index structure in a network environment

Abstract

Methods and apparatuses of a trusted index structure in a network environment. In one embodiment, a data processing system includes a master device and at least one slave device to communicate with each other through a network; and a master lock status of a shared storage device to determine the master device.

1 . A data processing system, comprising: 
 a master device and at least one slave device to communicate with each other through a network; and    a master lock status of a shared storage device to determine the master device based on an algorithm.    
   
   
       2 . The data processing system of  claim 1 , wherein the algorithm is at least one of a heartbeat messaging, a first-in-time assertion, and a preferred client analysis.  
   
   
       3 . The data processing system of  claim 2 , wherein the master lock status to release a master lock when the master device is disabled.  
   
   
       4 . The data processing system of  claim 1 , further comprising a shared storage volume of the shared storage device having a content structure, a trusted index structure, and a master list of changes generated by the master device.  
   
   
       5 . The data processing system of  claim 4 , wherein the master device to intermittently update the trusted index structure of the shared storage volume with entries in the master list of changes.  
   
   
       6 . The data processing system of  claim 5 , wherein the master list of changes are generated by scanning the at least one slave list of changes intermittently for published change list entries.  
   
   
       7 . The data processing system of  claim 4 , wherein the trusted index structure to reference both a meta-data library and a content library of the content structure.  
   
   
       8 . The data processing system of  claim 7 , wherein the meta-data library to include internally maintained meta-data and published meta-data.  
   
   
       9 . The data processing system of  claim 8 , wherein the meta-data library also to include a new meta-data generated based on business rules.  
   
   
       10 . The data processing system of  claim 9 , wherein the master list of changes to include changes made to various content files by different slave devices.  
   
   
       11 . The data processing system of  claim 10 , wherein the various content files are created by different application programs and include different internally maintained meta-data.  
   
   
       12 . The data processing system of  claim 11 , wherein the content structure is searched for particular ones of the internally maintained meta-data, the content, the published meta-data, and the new meta-data.  
   
   
       13 . The data processing system of  claim 1 , further comprising a first notification module of each of the at least one slave device to notify the master device when a change-list entry is published by any of the at least one slave device.  
   
   
       14 . The data processing system of  claim 13 , further comprising a second notification module of the master device to notify each of the at least one slave devices when the master list of changes is published by the master device.  
   
   
       15 . The data processing system of  claim 1 , wherein each of the at least one slave devices include a search module, a local index data structure, a meta extractor module, a change-list management module, a change-list structure, a notification module, and a prioritization module.  
   
   
       16 . The data processing system of  claim 15 , wherein a change-list generator of the change-list management module of a particular slave device of the at least one slave device to create a change-list entry in the change-list structure of the particular slave device based on an operation to a content file by the particular slave device.  
   
   
       17 . The data processing system of  claim 15 , further comprising a change-list updater of the change-list management module to update the local index structure when a particular slave device of the at least one slave device receives the master list of changes from the master device.  
   
   
       18 . The data processing system of  claim 15 , wherein the prioritization module to separate, within the change-list structure, change-list entries of at least two sessions of the master device based on physical station addresses associated with each of the at least two sessions.  
   
   
       19 . The data processing system of  claim 15 , wherein the meta-data extractor module to update the local index data structure with internally maintained meta-data, content, and published meta-data of a particular content file modified by at least a particular slave device.  
   
   
       20 . A method of a slave device, comprising: 
 performing an operation on a content file associated with the slave device;    receiving notification of changes to the content file;    generating a change-list packet of the received notification; and    writing the change-list packet to a shared storage device.    
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 20 , further comprising transforming into a master device when the slave device transmits a signal to a master lock status of the shared storage device before other slave devices and when the master lock status is unlocked.  
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the master lock status uses an algorithm chosen from a group comprising at least one of a heartbeat messaging, a first-in-time assertion, and a preferred client analysis to determine whether the slave device becomes the master device.  
   
   
       23 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the master device to intermittently transmit a master list of changes to replace a trusted index structure of the shared storage device.  
   
   
       24 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the content file is stored on the shared storage device, along with other content files modifiable by other slave devices.  
   
   
       25 . The method of  claim 20 , further comprising automatically generating a new meta-data based on at least one business rule.  
   
   
       26 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the notification includes changes to the new meta-data as well as changes to internally maintained meta-data and published meta-data.  
   
   
       27 . The method of  claim 26 , further comprising searching the shared storage device for particular ones of the new meta-data, the internally maintained meta-data, and the published meta-data.  
   
   
       28 . The method of  claim 20 , further comprising receiving notifications from the master device when a master list of changes is published.  
   
   
       29 . A method of a master device, comprising: 
 processing at least one change list entry generated by at least one slave device;    updating a master list of changes based upon the at least one change list entry;    optionally prioritizing entries in the master list of changes based upon an algorithm; and    updating a trusted index structure intermittently.    
   
   
       30 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the master device wherein the at least one change-list entry indicates changes associated with an internally maintained meta-data, a published meta-data, and a newly generated meta-data associated with a content file.  
   
   
       31 . The method of  claim 29 , further comprising intermittently receiving notifications from the at least one slave device of new change-list entries generated by the at least one slave device.  
   
   
       32 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the optionally prioritizing further includes separating, within the master list of changes, change-list entries of at least two sessions of the master device based on physical station addresses associated with each of the at least two sessions.  
   
   
       33 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the change-list entry, the master list of changes, and the trusted index structure reference at least internally maintained meta-data, content, and published meta-data in a shared storage device.  
   
   
       34 . The method of  claim 33 , further comprising searching the shared storage device for particular ones of the internally maintained meta-data, the content, and the published meta-data.  
   
   
       35 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the algorithm is based on at least one of a time stamp, a session identifier, and a status of the packet.