Patent ID: 6748534
Filing Date: 2004-06-08
Classification: G06F,H04L

Abstract:
A system for performing partitioned scanning of a dataset for malware in a distributed computing environment, comprising:a dataset maintained in a plurality of structured databases in the distributed computing environment, each database storing a plurality of data item groups which each comprise a plurality of individual data items, each such data item being uniquely identified within the dataset by a data item identifier, and comprising a header; a set of indices stored in a centralized database and comprising: a list of scanned data item identifiers for each data item within the dataset scanned for malware; a list of last entry numbers for each data item group stored in each database, each last entry number corresponding to one such data item within the data item group last scanned for malware; and a list of locks for data item threads, each data item thread corresponding to a set of one or more data items each having a header indicating a grouping relationship; and a plurality of malware scanners executing in substantial concurrency and, for each malware scanner, comprising: a malware scanner selecting one such database and each such data item group within the selected database having data items not appearing in the list of last entry numbers, obtaining each such data item having a data item identifier not appearing in the list of scanned data item identifiers, and scanning each such obtained data item for malware; and for each malware scanner, the malware scanner temporarily locking each data item thread using a data item thread lock while the each of the data items in the data item thread are scanned.