Method and apparatus for searching non-public data using a single search query

1. A method for facilitating real-time searching of non-public data using a single search query, the method comprising:

reporting an availability of a non-public companion application of a remote source unit to an auto discovery module to enable a client device to automatically discover the remote source unit and to enable the client device to search, in real-time, non-public data on the remote source unit using the single search query, wherein the companion application is a non-public application and the remote source unit is associated with a privacy hurdle;

receiving, at the remote source unit, an input for overcoming the privacy hurdle;

receiving, at the remote source unit, the single search query, wherein the single search query comprises a search term; and

in response to the single search query:

searching, in real-time, non-public data on the remote source unit using the search term;

identifying one or more files or folders stored on the remote source unit that match the search term in name, content, or metadata associated with the one or more files or folders;

identifying metadata associated with the one or more files or folders;

identifying metadata associated with the content of the one or more files or folders;

retrieving, in real-time, a non-public search result comprising:

one or more file names or folder names of the one or more files or folders stored on the remote source unit that match the search term and associated search ranking information; and

one or more metadata indicators indicating whether the metadata associated with the one or more files or folders or the metadata associated with the content of the one or more files or folders includes a particular type of metadata; and

transmitting the non-public search result in real-time;

wherein a secure remote session log-on between the remote source unit and the client device is not established, and

wherein the remote source unit is not mounted onto the client device.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the remote source unit is one of multiple remote source units, further wherein the single search query is directed to each of the multiple remote source units.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the auto discovery module is configured to enable the client computing device to simultaneously search non-public data on the multiple remote source units.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the single search query is initiated by the client device.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the privacy hurdle comprises one or more of: a firewall, a login information verification module, a certificate verification module, or a token verification module.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the input for overcoming the privacy hurdle comprises one or more of: login information, a username, a password, a certificate, or a token.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

reporting the availability of the non-public companion application comprises reporting, by a reporting module of the remote source unit, the availability of the non-public companion application;

receiving, at the remote source unit, the single search query comprises receiving by a search command handler of the remote source unit the single search query;

searching, in real-time, non-public data on the remote source unit comprises:

providing, by search command handler, the single search query to an indexer of the remote source unit;

creating, by the indexer, a word frequency distribution indicating how relevant the search term is to files in the remote source unit; and

providing the word frequency distribution by the indexer to the companion application;

retrieving, in real-time, the non-public search result comprises receiving, by a result handler of the remote source unit, the non-public search result, the non-public search result being associated with search ranking information comprising the word frequency distribution; and

transmitting the non-public search result in real-time comprises transmitting in real-time, by the result handler, the non-public search result.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more metadata indicators comprise one or more of:

an icon indicator indicating whether an icon associated with a file or folder of the one or more files or folders exists in the remote source unit;

a preview indicator indicating whether a preview associated with a file or folder exists in the remote source unit;

a thumbnail indicator indicating whether a thumbnail associated with a file or folder exists in the remote source unit;

a partial content indicator indicating whether a partial content associated with a file or folder exists in the remote source unit; and

a partial image indicator indicating whether a partial image associated with a file or folder exists in the remote source unit.

9. A non-transitory machine-readable medium for facilitating real-time searching of non-public data using a single search query, the machine-readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:

report availability of a non-public companion application of a remote source unit to an auto discovery module to enable a client device to automatically discover the remote source unit and to enable the client device to search, in real-time, non-public data on the remote source unit using the single search query, wherein the remote source unit is associated with a privacy hurdle;

receive, at the remote source unit, an input for overcoming the privacy hurdle;

receive, at the remote source unit, the single search query, wherein the single search query comprises a search term; and

in response to the single search query:

search, in real-time, non-public data on the remote source unit using the search term;

identify one or more files or folders stored on the remote source unit that match the search term in name, content, or metadata associated with the one or more files or folders;

identify metadata associated with the one or more files or folders;

identify metadata associated with the content of the one or more files or folders;

retrieve, in real-time, a non-public search result comprising:

one or more file names or folder names of the one or more files or folders stored on the remote source unit that match the search term and associated search ranking information; and

one or more metadata indicators indicating whether the metadata associated with the one or more files or folders or the metadata associated with the content of the one or more files or folders includes a particular type of metadata; and

transmit the non-public search result in real-time;

wherein a secure remote session log-on between the remote source unit and the client device is not established, and

wherein the remote source unit is not mounted onto the client device.

10. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the single search query is initiated by the client device.

11. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the remote source unit comprises one or more of: a remote computing device, a cloud-based source unit, an email account storing email messages, an online calendar account storing appointments, an online document management account, a social networking account storing social networking content.

12. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the instructions to enable automatic access to non-public data on the remote source unit comprise instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to automatically and selectively disable a firewall at the remote source unit for communications directed to the companion application.

13. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 12 , wherein the instructions to automatically and selectively disable the firewall comprise instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to automatically and selectively disable the firewall when the companion application is installed on the remote source unit for the first time, and the firewall remains selectively disabled while the companion application remains installed on the remote source unit.

14. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the one or more metadata indicators comprise one or more of:

an icon indicator indicating whether an icon associated with a file or folder of the one or more files or folders exists in the remote source unit;

a preview indicator indicating whether a preview associated with a file or folder exists in the remote source unit;

a thumbnail indicator indicating whether a thumbnail associated with a file or folder exists in the remote source unit;

a partial content indicator indicating whether a partial content associated with a file or folder exists in the remote source unit; and

a partial image indicator indicating whether a partial image associated with a file or folder exists in the remote source unit.

15. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 9 , further comprising instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:

receive, at the remote source unit after transmitting the non-public search result, a request for an icon associated with one or more files or folders of the one or more file names or folder names, based on the one or more associated metadata indicators; and

in response to the request for the icon, retrieve and facilitate transmission of the icon to the auto discovery module for forwarding to the client device in real-time, wherein the non-public search result does not contain the icon.

16. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 12 , further comprising instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:

receive, at the remote source unit after transmitting the non-public search result, a request for a preview, a thumbnail, a partial content or a partial image associated with the content of one or more files or folders of the one or more file names or folder names, based on the one or more associated metadata indicators; and

in response to the request for the preview, the thumbnail, the partial content or the partial image, retrieve and facilitate transmission of the preview, the thumbnail, the partial content or the partial image to the auto discovery module for forwarding to a portion of the client device in real-time,

wherein the non-public search result does not contain the preview, the thumbnail, the partial content or the partial image.

17. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 9 , further comprising instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:

receive, at the remote source unit after transmitting the non-public search result, a request for the content of one or more files of the one or more file names; and

in response to the request for the content, retrieve and facilitate transmission of the content to the auto discovery module for forwarding to a portion of the client device in real-time,

wherein the non-public search result does not contain the content.

18. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the instructions to search comprise instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:

identify the one or more file names or folder names of one or more files or folders that match the search term in name, content or metadata of the one or more files or folders in the remote source unit; and

compute the associated search ranking information based on word frequency distribution of the search term in the one or more files or folders in the remote source unit.

19. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 9 , further comprising instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to: filter the non-public search result based on a permission criteria of a user of the client device to allow transmission of the non-public search result only to the extent the non-public search result meets the permission criteria.

20. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 9 , further comprising instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to: group the non-public search result based on a clustering criteria.

21. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 9 , further comprising instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to: prior to transmitting the non-public search result, encrypt the non-public search result to enable secure transmission of the non-public search result.

22. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the remote source unit is one of multiple remote source units, further wherein the single search query is directed to each of the multiple remote source units, further wherein the auto discovery module is configured to enable the client computing device to simultaneously search non-public data on the multiple remote source units.

23. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 22 , further comprising instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:

report availability of a non-public companion application of a second remote source unit within the multiple remote source units to the auto discovery module to enable the client device to automatically discover the second remote source unit and to enable the client device to search, in real-time, non-public data simultaneously on the multiple remote source units using the single search query;

receive, at the second remote source unit, the single search query initiated by the client device, wherein the single search query comprises a search term; and

in response to the single search query,

search, in real-time, non-public data on the second remote source unit using the search term;

retrieve, in real-time, a second non-pubic search result comprising one or more file names or folder names, associated search ranking information, and one or more associated metadata indicators; and

transmit, in real-time, the second non-public search result to the auto discovery module for forwarding to the client device in real-time.