Method and system for searching for, and collecting, electronically-stored information

A computer-implemented method of directing a search for data on a storage device of a remote computer system, comprising:

• generating at a first computer system a search configuration file for use by a search agent process to be executed at the remote computer system, the search configuration file including an encryption key generated at the first computer system and at least one user-specified search parameter, the search agent process, when executed at the remote computer system, to:
• perform a search of at least one storage device of the remote computer system to identify data objects residing thereon and having characteristics that satisfy the at least one user-specified search parameter included in the search configuration file;
• utilize the encryption key generated at the first computer system and included in the search configuration file to encrypt information identifying the data objects having characteristics that satisfy the at least one search parameter included in the search configuration file;
• and
• write to a results file the encrypted information identifying the data objects having characteristics that satisfy the at least one search parameter specified in the search configuration file;
• and
• providing the search agent process and the encrypted search configuration file to the remote computer system.

A computer-readable medium having encoded thereon a set of instructions embodying a search agent process and an encrypted search configuration file for use by the search agent process, the encrypted search configuration file including an encryption key and at least one search parameter, and the instructions, when executed by a processor of a first computer system, cause the first computer system to perform a method comprising:

• reading from the search configuration file the at least one search parameter, the search configuration file generated at a second computer system;
• performing a search of at least one storage device of the first computer system to identify data objects residing thereon and having characteristics that satisfy the at least one search parameter read from the search configuration file;
• utilizing the encryption key included in the search configuration file to encrypt information identifying the data objects having characteristics that satisfy the at least one search parameter specified in the search configuration file;
• and
• writing to a results file the encrypted information identifying the data objects having characteristics that satisfy the at least one search parameter specified in the search configuration file.

A computer-readable medium having encoded thereon a set of instructions embodying a search configuration application, the instructions, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform one or more of the following method operations:

• generate at a first computer system a search configuration file for use by a search agent process to be executed at the remote computer system, the search configuration file including an encryption key generated at the first computer system and at least one user-specified search parameter, the search agent process, when executed at the remote computer system, to:
• perform a search of at least one storage device of the remote computer system to identify data objects residing thereon and having characteristics that satisfy the at least one user-specified search parameter included in the search configuration file;
• utilize the encryption key generated at the first computer system and included in the search configuration file to encrypt information identifying the data objects having characteristics that satisfy the at least one search parameter included in the search configuration file;
• and
• write to a results file the encrypted information identifying the data objects having characteristics that satisfy the at least one search parameter specified in the search configuration file;
• and
• provide the search agent process and the encrypted search configuration file to the remote computer system.