Link analysis for enterprise environment

Abstract

A flexible and extensible architecture allows for secure searching across an enterprise. Such an architecture can provide a simple Internet-like search experience to users searching secure content inside (and outside) the enterprise. The architecture allows for the crawling and searching of a variety of sources across an enterprise, regardless of whether any of these sources conform to a conventional user role model. The architecture further allows for security attributes to be submitted at query time, for example, in order to provide real-time secure access to enterprise resources. The user query also can be transformed to provide for dynamic querying that provides for a more current result list than can be obtained for static queries.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of improving link scores in a secure search system, the method comprising:
 receiving, at a host system, a query from a user of the secure search system;   running, at the host system, the query against a plurality of secure data sources and obtaining search results for the query;   determining, by the host system, a link score for the plurality of secure data sources, includes:
 identifying, by the host system, a set of incoming links, wherein an incoming link of the set of incoming links points to the particular document; 
 counting, at the host system, a number of incoming links that are not same host links, wherein a same host link has an associated source host that is the same as the document host associated with the particular document; and 
 determining, by the host system, a ratio of a first number of incoming links to a second number of incoming links, wherein the first number of incoming links is a number of incoming links that are not same host links, and the second number of incoming links is a total number of incoming links including same host links; and 
   returning, by the host system, sorted search results sorted based at least in part on the link scores stored in association with the plurality of secure data sources.   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 populating a table with the search results, the populating excluding search results mapped to same host links; and   calculating a link score for each search result and sorting the scored search results in the populated table by link score.   
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 2 , further comprising:
 obtaining security credentials necessary to access the plurality of secure data sources on behalf of the user submitting the query.   
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 2 , wherein sorting the scored search results includes sorting in ascending or descending order. 
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 2 , further comprising comparing the scored search results to benchmarked results. 
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 2 , further comprising:
 providing same host link index security attributes into the query; and   utilizing an index security filter to exclude the same host links.   
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 2 , further comprising entering suggested link data into the query to improve link score results. 
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 2 , further comprising populating a suggested link table coupled with the same host link table in order to provide a revised link score that eliminates link interaction. 
     
     
         9 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium having sets of instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to:
 receive a query from a user of the secure search system;   run the query against a plurality of secure data sources and obtaining search results for the query;   determine a link score for the plurality of secure data sources, includes:
 identifying, by the host system, a set of incoming links, wherein an incoming link of the set of incoming links points to the particular document; 
 counting, at the host system, a number of incoming links that are not same host links, wherein a same host link has an associated source host that is the same as the document host associated with the particular document; and 
 determining, by the host system, a ratio of a first number of incoming links to a second number of incoming links, wherein the first number of incoming links is a number of incoming links that are not same host links, and the second number of incoming links is a total number of incoming links including same host links; and 
   return sorted search results sorted based at least in part on the link scores stored in association with the plurality of secure data sources.   
     
     
         10 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to  claim 9 , wherein the sets of instructions when further executed by the computer, cause the computer to:
 populate a table with the search results, the populating excluding search results mapped to same host links; and   calculate a link score for each search result and sorting the scored search results in the populated table by link score.   
     
     
         11 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to  claim 10 , wherein the sets of instructions when further executed by the computer, cause the computer to obtain security credentials necessary to access the plurality of secure data sources on behalf of the user submitting the query. 
     
     
         12 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to  claim 10 , wherein the sets of instructions when further executed by the computer, cause the computer to sort the scored search results includes program code for sorting in ascending or descending order. 
     
     
         13 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to  claim 10 , wherein the sets of instructions when further executed by the computer, cause the computer to compare the scored search results to benchmarked results. 
     
     
         14 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to  claim 10 , wherein the sets of instructions when further executed by the computer, cause the computer to:
 provide same host link index security attributes into the query; and   utilize an index security filter to exclude the same host links.   
     
     
         15 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to  claim 10 , wherein the sets of instructions when further executed by the computer, cause the computer to enter suggested link data into the query to improve link score results. 
     
     
         16 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to  claim 10 , wherein the sets of instructions when further executed by the computer, cause the computer to populate a suggested link table coupled with the same host link table in order to provide a revised link score that eliminates link interaction. 
     
     
         17 . A system for improving link scores in a secure search system, the system comprising:
 a computer processor; and   a storage device having sets of instruction stored thereon which, when executed by the computer processor, cause the computer processor to:   receive a query from a user of the secure search system;   run the query against a plurality of secure data sources and obtaining search results for the query;   determine a link score for the plurality of secure data sources, includes:
 identifying, by the host system, a set of incoming links, wherein an incoming link of the set of incoming links points to the particular document; 
 counting, at the host system, a number of incoming links that are not same host links, wherein a same host link has an associated source host that is the same as the document host associated with the particular document; and 
 determining, by the host system, a ratio of a first number of incoming links to a second number of incoming links, wherein the first number of incoming links is a number of incoming links that are not same host links, and the second number of incoming links is a total number of incoming links including same host links; and 
   return sorted search results sorted based at least in part on the link scores stored in association with the plurality of secure data sources.   
     
     
         18 . The system according to  claim 17 , wherein the sets of instructions when further executed by the computer processor, cause the computer processor to:
 populate a table with the search results, the populating excluding search results mapped to same host links; and   calculate a link score for each search result and sorting the scored search results in the populated table by link score.   
     
     
         19 . The system according to  claim 18 , wherein the sets of instructions when further executed by the computer processor, cause the computer processor to obtain security credentials necessary to access the plurality of secure data sources on behalf of the user submitting the query. 
     
     
         20 . The system according to  claim 18 , wherein the sets of instructions when further executed by the computer processor, cause the computer processor to sort the scored search results includes program code for sorting in ascending or descending order.