Datacenter search query interpretation system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10198511-B1
Application number	US-201514592845-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Jan 8, 2015
Priority date	Aug 20, 2014
Publication date	Feb 5, 2019
Grant date	Feb 5, 2019

Abstract

A computerized datacenter contextual search query interpretation method includes receiving a search query from a user; displaying search suggestions based on the search query and obtaining a selected one of the search suggestions. Any time period associated with the search query is identified, instructions based on the selected search suggestion and any time period for searching a data model of a datacenter are generated to obtain search results and display a graphical visualization of the search results.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
receiving a user-generated computer network search query;
interpreting the user-generated computer network search query based on relationships and properties of physical entities of a datacenter and relationships and properties of virtual entities of the datacenter;
generating search suggestions based on the interpretation of the user-generated computer network search query and independent of user intervention;
determining that the user-generated computer network search query does not include a time period;
inferring a time period associated with the user-generated computer network search query based on the interpretation of the user-generated computer network search query;
searching a data model associated with the datacenter for results from the inferred time period based on a user-selected one of the search suggestions;
displaying a graphical visualization of the results of searching the data model, wherein the results of searching the data model include a topology diagram representing corresponding physical entities of the datacenter or corresponding virtual entities of the datacenter;
receiving a selection, made using the graphical visualization, of one of a plurality of values of a property associated with the virtual entities of the datacenter; and
displaying a graphical visualization of a subset of the results of the searching the data model having the selected one of the plurality of values of the property.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving the user-generated computer network search query includes identifying a user-selected physical entity or a user-selected virtual entity of the datacenter selected from a graphical display of the physical entities and the virtual entities of the datacenter.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the user-generated computer network search query includes a natural language expression relating to the physical entities or the virtual entities of the datacenter.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising sharing the graphical visualization of the results with users of the datacenter.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the interpretation of the user-generated computer network search query is further based on a datacenter dictionary associated with the datacenter.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising interpreting the user-generated computer network search query based on identifiers associated with the physical entities of the datacenter, identifiers associated with the virtual entities of the datacenter, performance data associated with the physical entities or the virtual entities, or configuration data associated with the physical entities or the virtual entities.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein interpreting the user-generated computer network search query includes:
translating the user-generated computer network search query into a structured search query based on heuristics associated with the datacenter;
parsing the structured search query; and
interpreting the parsed structured search query based on the relationships and the properties of the physical entities of the datacenter and the relationships and the properties of the virtual entities of the datacenter.

8. A system, comprising:
a search interface of a computing device configured to:
receive a user-generated computer network search query;
interpret the user-generated computer network search query based on relationships and properties of physical entities of a datacenter and virtual entities of the datacenter; and
generate search suggestions based on the interpretation of the user-generated computer network search query and independent of user intervention;

a search engine comprising instructions executable by a processing resource to cause a computing system to:
determine that the user-generated computer network search query does not include a time period;
infer a time period associated with the user-generated computer network search query based on the interpretation of the user-generated computer network search query; and
search a data model associated with the data center for results from the inferred time period based on a user-selected one of the search suggestions; and

a visualization manager comprising instructions executable by the processing resource to cause the computing system to:
display a graphical visualization of the results of searching the data model, wherein the results of searching the data model include a topology diagram representing corresponding physical entities of the datacenter or corresponding virtual entities of the datacenter;
receive a selection, made using the graphical visualization, of one of a plurality of values of a property associated with the virtual entities of the datacenter; and
display a graphical visualization of a subset of the results of the searching the data model having the selected one of the plurality of values of the property.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the user-generated computer network search query includes a user-selected physical entity or a user-selected virtual entity of the datacenter selected from a graphical display of the physical entities and the virtual entities of the datacenter.

10. The system of claim 8 , wherein the user-generated computer network search query includes a natural language expression relating to the physical entities or the virtual entities of the datacenter.

11. The system of claim 8 , further comprising a collaboration manager comprising instructions executable by the processing resource to cause the computing system to share the graphical visualization of the results users of the datacenter.

12. The system of claim 8 , wherein the search interface is further configured to interpret the user-generated computer network search query based on identifiers associated with the physical entities of the datacenter, identifiers associated with the virtual entities of the datacenter, performance data associated with the physical entities or the virtual entities, or configuration data associated with the physical entities or the virtual entities.

13. The system of claim 8 , wherein the search interface is further configured to:
translate the user-generated computer network search query into a structured search query based on heuristics associated with the datacenter;
parse the structured search query; and
interpret the parsed structured search query based on the relationships and the properties of the physical entities of the datacenter and the relationships and the properties of the virtual entities of the datacenter.

14. A non-transitory machine-readable medium storing instructions executable by a processing resource to cause a computing system to:
receive a user-generated computer network search query;
interpret the user-generated computer network search query based on relationships and properties of physical entities of a datacenter and relationships and properties of virtual entities of the datacenter;
generate search suggestions based on the interpretation of the user-generated computer network search query and independent of user intervention;
determine that the user-generated computer network search query does not include a time period;
infer a time period associated with the user-generated computer network search query based on the interpretation of the user-generated computer network search query;
search a data model associated with the datacenter for results from the inferred time period based on a user-selected one of the search suggestions; and
display a graphical visualization of the results of searching the data model, wherein the

Assignees

• Vmware Inc

Inventors

• Gupta Kshitij
• Gupta Mukul
• Agarwal Shiv
• Sharma Abhijit

Classifications

• G06F17/30864 Primary

  Physics · mapped topic

• G06F17/30684

  Physics · mapped topic

• H04L65/403

  Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences (data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15) · CPC title

• G06F17/30554

  Physics · mapped topic

• G06F9/45533

  Hypervisors; Virtual machine monitors · CPC title