Consolidated processing of storage-array commands by a snapshot-control media agent

• US 10,419,536 B2
• Filed: 06/28/2018
• Issued: 09/17/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CommVault Systems Incorporated
• Original Assignee: CommVault Systems Incorporated
• Inventors: Nallathambi, Vimal Kumar, Tambe, Unmil Vinay
• Primary Examiner(s): Mundur, Padma
• Application Number:
  US16/022,401
• Publication Number:
  US 20180324248A1
• Time in Patent Office: 446 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1446 Point-in-time backing up or restoration of persistent data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1451 by selection of backup contents
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1461 Backup scheduling policy
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/84 Using snapshots, i.e. a logical point-in-time copy of the data
• 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 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]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54

Abstract

A “snapshot-control media agent” (“snap-MA”) is configured on a secondary storage computing device that operates apart from client computing devices. A “forwarder” media agent operates on each client computing device that uses a storage array, yet lacks command channels to the storage array. The forwarder media agent forwards commands directed at the storage array to the snap-MA, which receives and processes commands directed at the storage array that were forwarded by the forwarder media agents. Responses from the storage array are transmitted to the respective forwarder media agent. The snap-MA pools storage-array-command devices to avoid capacity limitations in regard to communications channels at the storage array. The snap-MA operating in conjunction with the forwarder media agents enable the illustrative system to consolidate the communication of storage-array commands away from client computing devices and/or proxy media agent hosts and into the secondary storage computing device that hosts the snap-MA.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

on a first computing device that comprises one or more processors and associated computer memory, executing a first media agent, an application that reads and writes primary data residing on a storage array, and a data agent associated with the application;

on a second computing device that comprises one or more processors and associated computer memory, executing a second media agent that is in communication with the first media agent,

wherein the second media agent is configured with a plurality of command devices for directly communicating operational commands to the storage array from the second media agent;

wherein the first computing device and the first media agent are configured without command devices for directly communicating operational commands to the storage array; and

based at least in part on a first command device from the plurality of command devices configured on the second media agent,

providing by the second media agent indirect communications of operational commands between the first media agent and the storage array by;

(a) transmitting a first operational command, received by the second media agent from the first media agent, to the storage array using the first command device, and

(b) transmitting a response to the first operational command, received by the second media agent from the storage array, to the first media agent on the first computing device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the providing by the second media agent of indirect communications of operational commands between the first media agent and the storage array offloads the first computing device that executes the first media agent from providing direct communications of operational commands between the first media agent and the storage array.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first operational command is directed at the storage array and requests the storage array to take a snapshot of a volume on the storage array, which comprises at least part of the primary data that the application reads and writes.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the second computing device is configured with third-party libraries for directly communicating operational commands to the storage array;

and

wherein the first computing device is configured without third-party libraries for directly communicating operational commands to the storage array.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein as part of the providing of the indirect communications of operational commands between the first media agent and the storage array the second media agent establishes a first command channel using the first command device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first operational command is part of a storage management operation for protecting the primary data that the application reads and writes, and wherein the first media agent and the data agent that is associated with the application perform the storage management operation.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first operational command is part of a storage management operation for protecting the primary data that the application reads and writes, and wherein the storage management operation is managed by a third computing device executing a storage manager that communicates with the data agent and with the first media agent.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first operational command is part of a storage management operation for protecting the primary data that the application reads and writes, and wherein the storage management operation is managed by a third computing device executing a storage manager that communicates instructions for performing the storage management operation to the first media agent and to the data agent.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first computing device is one of a plurality of first computing devices each executing a respective application, a data agent associated with the respective application, and a respective first media agent, and further wherein each first computing device is configured with no command devices for directly communicating operational commands to the storage array;

and

wherein the second media agent is configured to consolidate communications of operational commands originating from the first media agents and directed at the storage array.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a computing device that comprises one or more processors and associated computer memory, cause the computing device to perform operations comprising:

executing a second media agent, which is in communication with a first media agent that executes on a first computing device comprising one or more processors and associated computer memory,

wherein an application and a data agent associated with the application also execute on the first computing device, and

wherein the application reads and writes primary data residing on a storage array;

providing by the second media agent indirect communications of operational commands between the first media agent and the storage array by;

(a) transmitting a first operational command, received by the second media agent from the first media agent, to the storage array using a first command device that is configured on the second media agent, and

(b) transmitting a response to the first operational command, received by the second media agent from the storage array, to the first media agent executing on the first computing device; and

wherein the second media agent is configured with a plurality of command devices, including the first command device, for directly communicating operational commands to the storage array and further for consolidating at the second media agent communications of operational commands originating from the first media agent and directed at the storage array.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the computing device executing the second media agent is configured with third-party libraries for directly communicating operational commands to the storage array;

and

wherein the first computing device executing the first media agent is configured without third-party libraries for directly communicating operational commands to the storage array.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the second media agent establishes a first command channel to the storage array using the first command device as part of the providing of the indirect communications of operational commands between the first media agent and the storage array.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the first operational command directed at the storage array requests the storage array to take a snapshot of a volume on the storage array, which comprises at least part of the primary data that the application reads and writes.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the first operational command is part of a storage management operation for protecting the primary data that the first application reads and writes, and

wherein the first media agent and the data agent that is associated with the application perform the storage management operation.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the first operational command is part of a storage management operation for protecting the primary data that the first application reads and writes, and

wherein the storage management operation is managed by a third computing device executing a storage manager that communicates with the first media agent and with the data agent associated with the application.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the providing by the second media agent of indirect communications of operational commands between the first media agent and the storage array offloads the first computing device, which executes the first media agent and is configured with no command devices for directly communicating operational commands to the storage array, from providing direct communications of operational commands between the first media agent and the storage array.

17. A method comprising:

on a first computing device that comprises one or more processors and associated computer memory, executing a first media agent, an application that reads and writes primary data residing on a storage array, and a data agent associated with the application;

on a second computing device that comprises one or more processors and associated computer memory, executing a second media agent that is in communication with the first media agent;

based at least in part on a first command device configured on the second media agent, providing by the second media agent indirect communications of operational commands between the first media agent and the storage array by;

(a) transmitting a first operational command, received by the second media agent from the first media agent, to the storage array using the first command device, and

(b) transmitting a response to the first operational command, received by the second media agent from the storage array, to the first media agent on the first computing device;

wherein the first computing device is one of a plurality of first computing devices each executing a respective application, a data agent associated with the respective application, and a respective first media agent, and

further wherein each first computing device is configured with no command devices for directly communicating operational commands to the storage array; and

wherein the second media agent is configured with a plurality of command devices, including the first command device, for directly communicating operational commands to the storage array and further for consolidating at the second media agent communications of operational commands originating from the first media agents and directed at the storage array.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the second computing device executing the second media agent is configured with third-party libraries for directly communicating operational commands to the storage array;

and

wherein the first computing device executing the first media agent is configured without third-party libraries for directly communicating operational commands to the storage array.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the second media agent establishes a first command channel to the storage array using the first command device as part of the providing of the indirect communications of operational commands between the first media agent and the storage array.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the first operational command directed at the storage array requests the storage array to take a snapshot of a volume on the storage array, which comprises at least part of the primary data that the application reads and writes.