Data searching system, method of synchronizing metadata and data searching apparatus

1. A data searching system comprising a data providing apparatus having a first data storage unit which stores actual data as a searching target and metadata related to the actual data, performing searching of data from said first data storage unit according to a data searching request, and providing a data search result to a requester, and a data searching apparatus,

wherein said data searching apparatus comprises:

a second data storage unit which stores a copied metadata copied from the metadata stored in said first data storage unit;

a data searching unit which searches the copied metadata from said second data storage unit based on a given search condition, and transmits the data searching request to said data providing apparatus based on the searched copied metadata; and

a data matching unit which compares a time of updating of the actual data or the metadata included in the data search result with the copied metadata to judge matching of the both, and when non-matching is judged, judges that the metadata owned by the data providing apparatus is updated, and updates the copied metadata in said second data storage unit with the data search result provided from said data providing apparatus.

2. The data searching system as set forth in claim 1 ,

wherein said data providing apparatus comprises:

a notification unit which transmits an update notice to said data searching apparatus as triggered by updating of the metadata in said first data storage unit; and

a providing unit which provides the updated metadata from said first data storage unit based on request from said data searching apparatus, and

wherein said data searching apparatus comprises:

a requesting unit which transmits, upon reception of the update notice from said data providing apparatus, an obtaining request of the updated metadata in said first data storage unit to said data providing apparatus; and

an updating unit which updates the copied metadata in said second data storage unit with the updated metadata provided from said data providing apparatus by the obtaining request.

3. The data searching system as set forth in claim 1 ,

wherein said data searching apparatus requests a data reference to said data providing apparatus, judges matching of a metadata list as a response to the data reference request with the copied metadata in said second data storage unit, requests metadata judged to be non-matching to said data providing apparatus, and updates the copied metadata in said second data storage unit with the metadata obtained from said data providing apparatus.

4. The data searching system as set forth in claim 1 ,

wherein said data searching apparatus requests a data reference to said data providing apparatus, judges matching of a metadata list as a response to the data reference request with the copied metadata in said second data storage unit, and deletes from said second data storage unit metadata deleted in said data providing apparatus.

5. The data searching system as set forth in claim 1 ,

wherein said data searching apparatus requests the metadata stored in said first data storage unit to said data providing apparatus at predetermined periodic timing, judges matching of the metadata periodically collected from said data providing apparatus with the copied metadata stored in said second data storage unit, requests a data reference to said data providing apparatus when non-matching is judged, judges matching of a metadata list as a response to the data reference request with the copied metadata in said second data storage unit, requests metadata judged to be non-matching to said data providing apparatus, and updates the copied metadata in said second data storage unit with the metadata obtained from said data providing apparatus by the request.

6. The data searching system as set forth in claim 1 ,

wherein said data searching apparatus requests the metadata stored in said first data storage unit to said data providing apparatus at predetermined periodic timing, judges matching of the metadata periodically collected from said data providing apparatus with the copied metadata stored in said second data storage unit, requests a data reference to said data providing apparatus when non-matching is judged, judges matching of a metadata list as a response to the data reference request with the copied metadata in said second data storage unit, and deletes from said second data storage unit metadata deleted in said data providing apparatus.

7. A method of synchronizing metadata by a data searching system which comprises a data providing apparatus having a first data storage unit which stores actual data as a searching target and metadata related to the actual data, performing searching of data from the first data storage unit according to a data searching request, and providing a data search result to a requester, and a data searching apparatus having a second data storage unit which stores a copied metadata of the metadata stored in the first data storage unit, the method comprising:

searching, by the data searching apparatus, the copied metadata from the second data storage unit based on a given search condition, and transmitting a data searching request to the data providing apparatus based on the searched copied metadata; and

comparing, by the data searching apparatus, a time of updating of the actual data or the metadata included in the data search result with the copied metadata to judge matching of the both, and when non-matching is judged, judging that the metadata owned by the data providing apparatus is updated, and updating the copied metadata in the second data storage unit with the data search result provided from the data providing apparatus.

8. The method of synchronizing metadata as set forth in claim 7 , further comprising:

transmitting, by the data providing apparatus, an update notice to the data searching apparatus as triggered by updating of the metadata in the first data storage unit;

transmitting, by the data searching apparatus, upon reception of the update notice from the data providing apparatus, an obtaining request of the updated metadata to the data providing apparatus;

providing, by the data providing apparatus, the updated metadata from the first data storage unit based on request from the data searching apparatus; and

updating, by the data searching apparatus, the copied metadata in the second data storage unit with the updated metadata provided from the data providing apparatus.

9. The method of synchronizing metadata as set forth in claim 7 , further comprising:

requesting, by the data searching apparatus, a data reference to the data providing apparatus;

judging, by the data searching apparatus, matching of a metadata list as a response to the data reference request with the copied metadata in the second data storage unit, and requesting metadata judged to be non-matching to the data providing apparatus; and

updating, by the data searching apparatus, the copied metadata in the second data storage unit with the metadata obtained from the data providing apparatus.

10. The method of synchronizing metadata as set forth in claim 7 , further comprising:

requesting, by the data searching apparatus, a data reference to the data providing apparatus; and

judging, by the data searching apparatus, matching of a metadata list as a response to the data reference request with the copied metadata in the second data storage unit and deleting from the second data storage unit metadata deleted in the data providing apparatus.

11. The method of synchronizing metadata as set forth in claim 7 , further comprising:

requesting, by the data searching apparatus, the metadata stored in the first data storage unit to the data providing apparatus at predetermined periodic timing;

judging, by the data searching apparatus, matching of the metadata periodically collected from the data providing apparatus with the copied metadata stored in the second data storage unit and requesting a data reference to the data providing apparatus when non-matching is judged;

judging, by the data searching apparatus, matching of a metadata list as a response to the data reference request with the copied metadata in the second data storage unit and requesting metadata judged to be non-matching to the data providing apparatus; and

updating, by the data searching apparatus, the copied metadata in the second data storage unit with the metadata obtained from the data providing apparatus by the request.

12. The method of synchronizing metadata as set forth in claim 7 , further comprising:

requesting, by the data searching apparatus, collection of the metadata stored in the first data storage unit to the data providing apparatus at predetermined periodic timing;

judging, by the data searching apparatus, matching of the metadata periodically collected from the data providing apparatus with the copied metadata stored in the second data storage unit and requesting a data reference to the data providing apparatus when non-matching is judged; and

judging, by the data searching apparatus, matching of a metadata list as a response to the data reference request with the copied metadata in the second data storage unit and deleting from the second data storage unit metadata deleted in the data providing apparatus.

13. A data searching apparatus connectable to a data providing apparatus having a first data storage unit which stores actual data as a searching target and metadata related to the actual data, performing searching of data from the first data storage unit according to a data searching request, and providing a data search result to a requester, the data searching apparatus comprising:

a second data storage unit which stores a copied metadata copied from the metadata stored in the first data storage unit;

a data searching unit which searches the copied metadata from said second data storage unit based on a given search condition, and transmits the data searching request to the data providing apparatus based on the searched copied metadata; and

a data matching unit which compares a time of updating of the actual data or the metadata included in the data search result with the copied metadata to judge matching of the both, and when non-matching is judged, judges that the metadata owned by the data providing apparatus is updated, and updates the copied metadata in said second data storage unit with the data search result provided from the data providing apparatus.