Intelligent method to index storage system files accounting for snapshots

A non-transitory machine-readable medium having instructions stored therein, which when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations, the operations comprising:

• generating, based on a scan of the storage system, one or more file records, each file record of the one or more file records corresponding to a file stored on the storage system at the time of the scan;
• maintaining the one or more file records based on one or more notifications received from the storage system;
• maintaining a snapshot list of the storage system, the snapshot list having snapshot data corresponding to one or more snapshots stored on the storage system;
• and
• generating a search result that satisfies one or more search parameters, based at least on a) the one or more file records, or b) the snapshot list, including identifying files that are deleted on the storage system but persist through the one or more snapshots on the storage system, based on a) the one or more search parameters and b) by cross-referencing a time period of the one or more file records with a snapshot time stamp in the snapshot list, wherein each of the one or more file records defines the time period in which a file version of a corresponding file record is deemed valid.

A system comprising:

• a processing system having at least one hardware processor, the processing system coupled to a memory programmed with executable instructions that, when executed by the processing system, perform operations comprising:
• generating, based on a scan of the storage system, one or more file records, each file record of the one or more file records corresponding to a file stored on the storage system at the time of the scan;
• maintaining the one or more file records based on one or more notifications received from the storage system;
• maintaining a snapshot list of the storage system, the snapshot list having snapshot data corresponding to one or more snapshots stored on the storage system;
• and
• generating a search result that satisfies one or more search parameters, based at least on a) the one or more file records, or b) the snapshot list, including identifying files that are deleted on the storage system but persist through the one or more snapshots on the storage system, based on a) the one or more search parameters and b) by cross-referencing a time period of the one or more file records with a snapshot timestamp in the snapshot list, wherein each of the one or more file records defines the time period in which a file version of a corresponding file record is deemed valid.