System and method of search indexes using key-value attributes to searchable metadata

Abstract

Systems, methods, and computer program products for searching objects, metadata associated with the objects, and attributes assigned to or associated with the metadata. Referring to herein as metadata for the metadata, these attributes may be associated with one or more metadata field values of a metadata field name which, in turn, may be associated with an object being or already indexed in a search index of a search system. Each attribute may be optional, dynamically created, indexed, and searchable via the search index. There can be multiple attributes associated with the same metadata field value, each being represented as a key-value pair. This metadata for the metadata approach can be highly efficient. For example, the ability to search multiple attributes associated with the same metadata field can eliminate the potential need to create multiple metadata fields for the same value in different languages, countries, etc.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A computerized search system, comprising;
 a processor; and   a storage unit coupled to the processor and storing a search index and instructions, wherein the instructions when translated by the processor cause the processor to perform:
 assigning or associating an attribute to a metadata field value, the metadata field value being associated with a metadata field name, the metadata field name being associated with an object in an object repository communicatively connected to the computerized search system over a first network connection, the object being searchable via the search index, the search index being communicatively connected to a search engine, the search engine being communicatively connected to a client device over a second network connection; 
 indexing the attribute; and 
 making the attribute searchable via the search index. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the attribute is represented as a key-value pair in the search index. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the instructions when translated by the processor further cause the processor to perform:
 constructing a search query, the search query including the attribute, the attribute having an attribute field and a corresponding attribute value that further describe the metadata field value.   
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the instructions when translated by the processor further cause the processor to perform:
 searching the search index using the attribute field and corresponding attribute value that further describe the metadata field value for the metadata field name.   
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein the instructions when translated by the processor further cause the processor to perform:
 sorting results of the searching using the attribute field and corresponding attribute value that further describe the metadata field value for the metadata field name.   
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the attribute is dynamically created before, after or while the object is indexed into the search index. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the attribute is one of a plurality of attributes for the metadata field value. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the metadata field value is one of a plurality of metadata field values associate with the metadata field name. 
     
     
         9 . A method for searching metadata via a search index, the method comprising:
 at a computerized search system communicatively connected to an object repository over a first network connection:
 associating an attribute with a metadata field value, the metadata field value being associated with a metadata field name, the metadata field name being associated with an object in the object repository, the object being searchable via a search index maintained by the computerized search system, the index being communicatively connected to a search engine, the search engine being communicatively connected to a client device over a second network connection; 
 indexing the attribute; and 
 making the attribute searchable via the search index. 
   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the attribute is represented as a key-value pair in the search index. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 in response to a request for information on the object, constructing a search query, the search query including the attribute, the attribute having an attribute field and a corresponding attribute value that further describe the metadata field value.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising
 searching the search index using the attribute field and corresponding attribute value that further describe the metadata field value for the metadata field name.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 sorting results of the searching using the attribute field and corresponding attribute value that further describe the metadata field value for the metadata field name.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the attribute is dynamically created before, after or while the object is indexed into the search index. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the attribute is one of a plurality of attributes for the metadata field value. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the metadata field value is one of a plurality of metadata field values associate with the metadata field name. 
     
     
         17 . A computer program product comprising at least one non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions translatable by a computerized search system to perform:
 associating an attribute with a metadata field value, the metadata field value being associated with a metadata field name, the metadata field name being associated with an object in an object repository communicatively connected to the computerized search system over a first network connection, the object being searchable via a search index maintained by the computerized search system, the index being communicatively connected to a search engine, the search engine being communicatively connected to a client device over a second network connection;   indexing the attribute; and   making the attribute searchable via the search index.   
     
     
         18 . The computer program product of  claim 17 , wherein the attribute comprises an attribute field and a corresponding attribute value that further describe the metadata field value. 
     
     
         19 . The computer program product of  claim 17 , wherein the attribute is dynamically created before, after or while the object is indexed into the search index. 
     
     
         20 . The computer program product of  claim 17 , wherein the attribute is one of a plurality of attributes for the metadata field value.