Patent ID: 8868495

Claim:
A method for indexing data overlaid on a storage space exported by a storage system, including a processor and a memory, to a client, the method comprising: determining, by an agent executing on the client, that the data, associated with data containers of the storage system managed by the client, has been modified by the client, wherein the agent utilizes functionality of a client-based file system to access the data overlaid on the storage space exported by the storage system to determine the modified data, wherein the client-based file system has a format different than that of the storage system's native file system format, the native file system configured to perform indexing functionality; and in response to determining that the data has been modified by the client, utilizing the functionality of the client-based file system, to access the data overlaid on the storage space exported by the storage system to: parse, by the agent, the modified data, transmit, from the client to a management server, the parsed data, and update a search database associated with the management server utilizing the parsed data, whereby the data stored on the storage system is indexed, wherein updating the search database includes: (i) generating one or more word entries, for the parsed data, within a word table data structure of the search database that associates each word entry with a numeric identifier, (ii) creating associations within a content table data structure of the search database that provides at least a mapping between a particular word entry stored in the word table data structure and file entries stored in a file table data structure of the search database utilizing the numeric identifier, and (iii) generating a new entry for the file table data structure when the parsed data indicates that a new data container has been created.