System and method for updating a search index

#The present teaching generally relates to searching. More specifically, the present teaching relates to systems, methods, and programming for updating a search index.

#A search index allows for quick identification of content items that relate to a query. The search index includes a listing of content items that relate to different topics. When a user submits a query, content items may be identified quickly by scanning the search index. The search index, in one example, may be an inverted list of identifiers, each pointing to one particular content item. Each entry in the list is order by a relevancy score with respect to the query. Thus, the first identifier in the search index may point to a content item that is most relevant to the query, followed by a second identifier pointing to another content item having a relevancy less than or equal to the first content item. By storing identifiers pointing to content items as opposed to the content items themselves, the digital footprint within memory for the search index may be reduced.

#The search index resides on an external platform, such as a web server, that may be interfaced by a user via a user device. When an action is performed to a content item (e.g., an email) on the user device, the action may be analyzed by a separate system, which may also generate and store a record of the action thereon. After storing the record of the action, the action may be propagated to the search index. For example, when an email is deleted at a user device, the mail server may store a record of the deletion action, and may propagate the event to the external platform storing the search index to cause the email's identifier to be removed from the search index. For each action performed, the search index will be interacted with.

#The methods, systems and/or programming described herein are further described in terms of exemplary embodiments. These exemplary embodiments are described in detail with reference to the drawings. These embodiments are non-limiting exemplary embodiments, in which like reference numerals represent similar structures throughout the several views of the drawings, and wherein:

#FIGS. 1A and 1B are illustrative diagrams of exemplary network environments for updating a search index, in accordance with various embodiments of the present teaching;

#FIGS. 2A and 2B are illustrative diagrams of exemplary data pipelines and search indices, in accordance with various embodiments of the present teaching;

#In the following detailed description, numerous specific details are set forth by way of examples in order to provide a thorough understanding of the relevant teachings. However, it should be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present teachings may be practiced without such details. In other instances, well known methods, procedures, components, and/or circuitry have been described at a relatively high-level, without detail, in order to avoid unnecessarily obscuring aspects of the present teachings.

#The present teaching aims to eliminate the limitations of associated with previous data pipeline systems. More specifically, the present teaching aims to describe systems, methods, and programming that reduce and/or minimize a number of calls to a search index. In particular, the number of calls to the search index may be reduced such that calls to the search index's external platform are made only for events relevant to the search index.

#The search index commonly reside on an external platform. Therefore, accessing the external platform to apply each action performed to a content item to the search index may be unnecessary and computationally expensive. The present teaching allows for the events to be filtered such that only events whose actions affect the search index, as well as events whose associated content items likely are represented by the search index, are identified.