Using an enhanced data agent to restore backed up data across autonomous storage management systems

• US 10,073,650 B2
• Filed: 03/31/2017
• Issued: 09/11/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CommVault Systems Incorporated
• Original Assignee: CommVault Systems Incorporated
• Inventors: Nara, Prasad, Klose, Michael F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pearson, David J
• Application Number:
  US15/475,314
• Publication Number:
  US 20170206018A1
• Time in Patent Office: 529 Days
• Field of Search: 726 2
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/14 Error detection or correction of the data by redundancy in operation G06F11/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1402 Saving, restoring, recovering or retrying
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1451 by selection of backup contents
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1464 for networked environments
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2094 Redundant storage or storage space G06F11/2056 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3034 where the computing system component is a storage system, e.g. DASD based or network based digital input from or digital output to record carriers G06F3/06; digital recording or reproducing G11B20/18; for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS], H04L67/1097
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3433 for load management allocation of a server based on load conditions G06F9/505; load rebalancing G06F9/5083; redistributing the load in a network by a load balancer H04L67/1029
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0604 Improving or facilitating administration, e.g. storage management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0619 in relation to data integrity, e.g. data losses, bit errors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0622 in relation to access
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0637 Permissions
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0647 Migration mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0649 Lifecycle management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/065 Replication mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0659 Command handling arrangements, e.g. command buffers, queues, command scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/067 Distributed or networked storage systems, e.g. storage area networks [SAN], network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0823 using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 : Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/40 : for recovering from a failure of a protocol instance or entity, e.g. service redundancy protocols, protocol state redundancy or protocol service redirection management of faults, events, alarms or notifications in data switching networks H04L41/06

Abstract

An exemplary system preserves the autonomy of two or more distinct storage management systems all the while enabling backed up data to be restored from a first storage management system (the “local system”) to a specially-configured client in a second storage management system (the “remote system”). For example, backed up data in the local system (e.g., a secondary copy of production data) may be transferred, in a restore operation, from secondary storage in the local storage management system, which originated the data, to a client of the remote storage management system (the “remote client”). As a specially-configured “restore-only client,” the remote client is limited to receiving backed up data from the local storage management system, via restore operation(s) managed by the local storage manager. The remote client remains a full-fledged client in its home system, the remote storage management system.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a first storage manager for managing storage operations in a first storage management system;

a second storage manager for managing storage operations in a second storage management system, wherein the first storage management system and the second storage management system are autonomous from each other;

a secondary copy of data generated in the first storage management system;

a first computing device comprising a media agent that is a component of the first storage management system,

wherein the media agent is associated with the secondary copy of data;

a second computing device comprising a data agent and a registry key;

wherein the registry key is received from the second storage manager, and

wherein the registry key associates the data agent with the first storage manager for restore operations originating in the first storage management system;

wherein the data agent is configured to operate in both;

(a) a full-function client configuration in the second storage management system for participating in one or more storage operations for data generated by the second computing device which are managed by the second storage manager, and

(b) a restore-only client configuration in the first storage management system, based at least in part on the registry key that associates the data agent with the first storage manager,

wherein in the restore-only client configuration the data agent is configured to participate only in restore operations for secondary copies of data stored in the first storage management system which restore operations are managed by the first storage manager,

including a restore operation in which the media agent and the data agent restore the secondary copy of data from the first storage management system to at least one of the second computing device and a second data storage device in communication with the second computing device,

wherein the restored secondary copy of data is accessible to the second computing device as primary data.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the second computing device further comprises an authentication certificate issued by the first storage manager for restore operations originating in the first storage management system.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the first storage manager is configured to issue an authentication certificate to be used by the data agent in the restore-only client configuration in the first storage management system.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the second storage manager is configured to issue the registry key for the restore-only client configuration.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the media agent component of the first storage management system is configured to transmit an operational parameter needed for the restore operation to the data agent operating in the restore-only client configuration in the first storage management system.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the data agent is configured to process, during the restore operation, a representation of the secondary copy of data received from the media agent component of the first storage management system, and is further configured to store resulting processed data to the second data storage device from which the restored secondary copy is accessible to the second computing device.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the first storage manager is configured to administer the data agent on the second computing device as a restore-only client in the first storage management system.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein in the restore-only client configuration in the first storage management system, the second computing device is a destination for restored data from the first storage management system and is not a source of data for storage management operations in the first storage management system.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the data agent in the restore-only client configuration in the first storage management system is configured to receive from the first storage manager at least one instruction regarding the restore operation, based at least in part on an authentication certificate issued by the first storage manager.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the data agent in the restore-only client configuration is configured to communicate directly with the first storage manager regarding the restore operation, based at least in part on an authentication certificate issued by the first storage manager and further based on the registry key.

11. A method for restoring a secondary copy of data generated in a first storage management system to a client of a second storage management system, the method comprising:

executing on a first computing device a media agent component of a first storage management system, wherein a first storage manager that executes on a third computing device manages storage operations in the first storage management system;

executing a data agent on a second computing device in a full-function client configuration in the second storage management system, wherein the second computing device is a source of data for storage operations in the second storage management system, and wherein a second storage manager that executes on a fourth computing device manages the storage operations in the second storage management system which is mutually autonomous with the first storage management system;

further executing the data agent on the second computing device in a restore-only client configuration in the first storage management system based at least in part on a registry key, which is received from the second storage manager, wherein the registry key associates the data agent with the first storage manager for restore operations originating in the first storage management system, and wherein the second computing device is a destination for restored data from the first storage management system and is not a source of data for storage operations in the first storage management system; and

restoring a secondary copy of data from a first storage device in the first storage management system to at least one of the second computing device and a second data storage device in communication with the second computing device,

wherein the restored secondary copy of data is accessible to the second computing device as primary data, and

wherein, as managed by the first storage manager, the restoring of the secondary copy is performed by the media agent component in conjunction with the data agent in the restore-only client configuration.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

before initiating the restoring operation, issuing by the first storage manager an authentication certificate for the second computing device; and

wherein the authentication certificate is used for authenticating communications between the second computing device and the first storage manager when the restoring operation is initiated.

13. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

before initiating the restoring operation, issuing by the first storage manager an authentication certificate for the second computing device;

transmitting the authentication certificate by the first storage manager to the second storage manager;

transmitting the authentication certificate by the second storage manager to the second computing device; and

wherein the authentication certificate is used for authenticating communications between the second computing device and the first storage manager when the restoring operation is initiated.

14. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

before initiating the restoring operation, receiving by the first storage manager from the second storage manager, configuration information about at least one of the data agent and the second computing device;

issuing by the first storage manager an authentication certificate for the second computing device based on the configuration information received from the second storage manager; and

wherein the authentication certificate is used for authenticating communications between the second computing device and the first storage manager when the restoring operation is initiated, and wherein the restore-only client configuration is further based on the authentication certificate.

15. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

before initiating the restoring operation, receiving by the first storage manager from the second storage manager, configuration information about at least one of the data agent and the second computing device;

issuing by the first storage manager an authentication certificate for the second computing device based on the configuration information received from the second storage manager;

transmitting the authentication certificate by the first storage manager to the second storage manager;

transmitting the authentication certificate by the second storage manager to the second computing device; and

wherein the authentication certificate is used for authenticating communications between the second computing device and the first storage manager when the restoring operation is initiated, and wherein the restore-only client configuration is further based on the authentication certificate.

16. A method for restoring a secondary copy of data generated in a first storage management system to a client of a second storage management system, the method comprising:

on a first computing device, executing a data agent in a full-function client configuration in the second storage management system,

wherein in the full-function client configuration the first computing device is a source of data for storage operations in the second storage management system, and

wherein a second storage manager manages the storage operations in the second storage management system which is mutually autonomous with the first storage management system;

on the first computing device, further executing the data agent in a restore-only client configuration in the first storage management system,

using an authentication certificate for authenticating communications between the first computing device and a first storage manager for restore operations originating in the first storage management system,

wherein in the restore-only client configuration the first computing device is a destination for restored data from the first storage management system and is not a source of data for storage operations in the first storage management system; and

restoring, as managed by the first storage manager, the secondary copy of data from the first storage device in the first storage management system to at least one of the first computing device and a second data storage device in communication with the first computing device,

wherein the restored secondary copy of data is accessible to the first computing device as primary data, and

wherein the restoring operation is performed by the data agent operating in the restore-only client configuration on the first computing device, in conjunction with a media agent, which executes on a second computing device.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising:

before the restoring operation, issuing by the second storage manager a registry key that associates the data agent with the first storage manager for the restoring operations originating in the first storage management system;

transmitting the registry key by the second storage manager to the first computing device before the restoring operation is initiated; and

wherein the restore-only client configuration is further based on the registry key.

18. The method of claim 16 further comprising:

before initiating the restoring operation, receiving by the first storage manager from the second storage manager, configuration information about at least one of the data agent and the first computing device; and

issuing by the first storage manager the authentication certificate based on the configuration information received from the second storage manager, wherein the authentication certificate is used for authenticating communications between the first computing device and the first storage manager when the restoring operation is initiated.

19. The method of claim 16 further comprising:

before initiating the restoring operation, receiving by the first storage manager from the second storage manager, configuration information about at least one of the data agent and the first computing device;

issuing by the first storage manager the authentication certificate based on the configuration information received from the second storage manager;

transmitting the authentication certificate by the first storage manager to the second storage manager;

transmitting the authentication certificate by the second storage manager to the first computing device; and

wherein the authentication certificate is used for authenticating communications between the first computing device and the first storage manager when the restoring operation is initiated.

20. The method of claim 16 wherein the data agent in the restore-only client configuration communicates directly with the first storage manager regarding the restore operation, based at least in part on the authentication certificate and further based on a registry key issued by the second storage manager;

wherein the authentication certificate is used for authenticating communications between the first computing device and the first storage manager when the restoring operation is initiated; and

wherein the registry key associates the data agent with the first storage manager for restore operations originating in the first storage management system.