Offline messaging between a repository storage operation cell and remote storage operation cells via an intermediary media agent

• US 10,200,475 B2
• Filed: 10/10/2017
• Issued: 02/05/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CommVault Systems Incorporated
• Original Assignee: CommVault Systems Incorporated
• Inventors: Klose, Michael F., Haridas, Ganesh
• Primary Examiner(s): Algibhah, Hamza N
• Application Number:
  US15/729,229
• Publication Number:
  US 20180041581A1
• Time in Patent Office: 483 Days
• Field of Search: 709217
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/18 Commands or executable codes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1074 for supporting data block transmission mechanisms file transfer H04L67/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1097 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]

Abstract

Offline messaging between a repository storage operation cell and one or more mobile/remote storage operation cells is disclosed. The repository cell is managed by a repository storage manager that communicates to and from the remote cell via a specially-configured media agent. The illustrative intermediary media agent is configured to: queue messages directed to the remote cell, process them according to applicable parameters (e.g., time-to-live constraints, updates, cancellations, etc.), and transmit the processed messages to the remote cell when connectivity is available. The intermediary media agent also relays messages from the remote cell to the repository, including responses by the remote to the processed messages received from the repository via the intermediary media agent.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a media agent that executes on a first computing device comprising one or more processors and computer memory,

wherein the media agent is configured to communicate with a first storage manager and a second storage manager to enable the first storage manager and the second storage manager to communicate with each other via the media agent,

wherein the first storage manager manages a first storage operation cell for storage management operations, and

wherein the second storage manager manages a second storage operation cell that is distinct from the first storage operation cell, and further wherein the second storage manager is configured to store information about the storage management operations in the first storage operation cell as reported by the first storage manager; and

wherein the media agent is further configured to;

process one or more messages directed to the first storage manager, and received from the second storage manager when the media agent is out of communication with the first storage manager, into one or more processed messages prior to transmission to the first storage manager,

when in communication with the first storage manager, transmit the one or more processed messages to the first storage manager, and

transmit to the second storage manager at least one message received from the first storage manager comprising metadata about one or more of the storage management operations in the first storage operation cell.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one message received by the media agent from the first storage manager comprise a response by the first storage manager to the one or more processed messages transmitted to the first storage manager by the media agent.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the media agent is configured for offline processing of messages directed to the first storage manager and received when the media agent is out of communication with the first storage manager.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the media agent is further configured to communicate (i) with the first storage manager based on a first instance of media agent software that executes on the first computing device for inter-operating with the first storage manager, and (ii) with the second storage manager based on a second instance of the media agent software that executes on the first computing device for inter-operating with the second storage manager.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the one or more messages received from the second storage manager that are directed to the first storage manager comprise a response to a query for further instructions previously received from the first storage manager.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the one or more messages received from the second storage manager that are directed to the first storage manager comprise a status request relative to the first storage operation cell.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the one or more messages received from the second storage manager that are directed to the first storage manager comprise a query about an amount of storage available on a storage device component of the first storage operation cell.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the one or more messages received from the second storage manager that are directed to the first storage manager comprise a command that is to take effect at the first storage manager and which command is to persist whether or not the media agent is in communication with the first storage manager.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the one or more messages received from the second storage manager that are directed to the first storage manager comprise a status request configured to expire after a predefined condition is met while the media agent is out of communication with the first storage manager.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the one or more messages received from the second storage manager that are directed to the first storage manager comprise a dynamic mask that is to be processed by the media agent prior to transmission to the first storage manager to at least one of:

cancel, delete, replace, and update another message that was previously received from the second storage manager.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein the one or more messages received from the second storage manager that are directed to the first storage manager comprise a static mask that is to be processed by the media agent prior to transmission to the first storage manager to at least one of:

cancel, delete, replace, and update another message that was previously received from the second storage manager.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein the media agent is further configured to apply security functionality to protect the second storage manager from transmissions received from the first storage manager.

13. A computer-readable medium, excluding transitory propagating signals, storing instructions that, when executed by at a computing device comprising one or more processors and computer memory, cause the computing device to perform operations comprising:

executing a media agent for enabling a first storage manager and a second storage manager to communicate with each other via the media agent,

wherein, whether or not the first storage manager is in communication with the media agent, the first storage manager is configured to manage storage management operations in a first storage operation cell, and

wherein the second storage manager is configured to store information reported by the first storage manager about the storage management operations in the first storage operation cell;

receiving by the media agent messages from the second storage manager directed to the first storage manager;

processing by the media agent one or more of the received messages, at least in part when the media agent is out of communication with the first storage manager, into one or more processed messages prior to transmission thereof to the first storage manager; and

queuing by the media agent the one or more processed messages until the media agent is in communication with the first storage manager for transmission thereto.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the operations further comprise:

transmitting by the media agent to the second storage manager one or more messages received from the first storage manager,

wherein the one or more messages received from the first storage manager comprise metadata about one or more of the storage management operations that occurred under management of the first storage manager in the first storage operation cell.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the one or more processed messages queued for the first storage manager comprise at least one command relative to a storage management operation that is to be executed in the first storage operation cell under management of the first storage manager.

16. A computer-readable medium, excluding transitory propagating signals, storing instructions that, when executed by a computing device comprising one or more processors and computer memory, cause the computing device to perform operations comprising:

executing a media agent for enabling a first storage manager and a second storage manager to communicate with each other via the media agent,

wherein, whether or not the first storage manager is in communication with the media agent, the first storage manager is configured to manage storage management operations in a first storage operation cell, and

wherein the second storage manager is configured to store information reported by the first storage manager about the storage management operations in the first storage operation cell;

in response to a first message directed to the first storage manager and received by the media agent from the second storage manager, when the media agent is out of communication with the first storage manager, transmitting by the media agent to the second storage manager an indication of a communications failure to the first storage manager;

processing, by the media agent, a first plurality of messages directed to the first storage manager that are received from the second storage manager resulting in a second plurality of processed messages to be transmitted to the first storage manager when the media agent is in communication therewith;

queuing, by the media agent, the second plurality of processed messages;

receiving, by the media agent, a third plurality of messages from the first storage manager that are directed to the second storage manager; and

applying, by the media agent, one or more security measures to the third plurality of messages, resulting in one or more secure messages to be transmitted to the second storage manager when the media agent is in communication therewith.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 16 wherein the processing of the first plurality of messages by the media agent comprises at least one of:

(i) canceling a message based on a time-to-live parameter,

(ii) canceling a previously-received message based on a cancellation message received in the first plurality of messages,

(iii) overriding a previously-received message based on a static mask;

(iv) overriding a previously-received message based on a dynamic mask received in one of the messages in the first plurality of messages,

(v) replacing a previously-received message with one of the messages in the first plurality of messages,

(vi) combining one or more messages, based on a message in the first plurality of messages,

(vii) updating a message based on a message in the first plurality of messages, and

(viii) generating a new message to be transmitted to the first storage manager, based on one or more messages in the first plurality of messages.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 16 wherein the third plurality of messages received from the first storage manager, which are directed to the second storage manager, comprises one or more of:

(i) metadata about one or more storage management operations that occurred under management of the first storage manager in the first storage operation cell,

(ii) a request for the second storage manager,

(iii) an alert in reference to the first storage operation cell;

(iv) a response to a previously-received message, and

(v) a status in reference to the first storage operation cell.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 16 wherein the second plurality of processed messages to be transmitted to the first storage manager comprises at least one command relative to a storage management operation that is to be executed in the first storage operation cell under management of the first storage manager.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 16 wherein the first plurality of messages to be transmitted to the first storage manager comprises at least one message that is to be transmitted to the first storage manager only if the media agent is currently in communication with the first storage manager.