Systems and methods for performing storage operations using network attached storage

• US 20060010154A1
• Filed: 11/15/2004
• Published: 01/12/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CommVault Systems Incorporated
• Original Assignee: CommVault Systems Incorporated
• Inventors: Prahlad, Anand, Schwartz, Jeremy
• Granted Patent: US 7,546,324 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/1824 implemented using Network-attached Storage [NAS] architecture distributed or networked storage systems G06F3/067; protocols for distributed storage of data in a network H04L67/1097
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/185 Hierarchical storage management [HSM] systems, e.g. file migration or policies thereof details of archiving G06F16/11
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0607 by facilitating the process of upgrading existing storage systems, e.g. for improving compatibility between host and storage device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0619 in relation to data integrity, e.g. data losses, bit errors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0649 Lifecycle management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/065 Replication mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/067 Distributed or networked storage systems, e.g. storage area networks [SAN], network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0685 Hybrid storage combining heterogeneous device types, e.g. hierarchical storage, hybrid arrays
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• 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: Y10S 707/99955 Archiving or backup

Abstract

Systems and methods for performing hierarchical storage operations on electronic data in a computer network are provided. In one embodiment, the present invention may store electronic data from a network device to a network attached storage (NAS) device pursuant to certain storage criteria. The data stored on the NAS may be migrated to a secondary storage and a stub file having a pointer pointing to the secondary storage may be put at the location the data was previously stored on the NAS. The stub file may redirect the network device to the secondary storage if a read request for the data is received from the network device.

Claims

1. A method for accessing electronic data archived on a network attached storage device, the method comprising:

storing electronic data that satisfies a first storage criteria to a first location in a first storage device, the first storage device comprising a network attached storage device;

copying, according to a second storage criteria, the electronic data from the first location to a second location in a second storage device;

replacing the electronic data stored in the first location with a stub file; and

retrieving, in response to a request to access the electronic data stored in the first location, the electronic data stored in the second location according to information contained in the stub file.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising moving the retrieved data from the second location to the first location prior to allowing access to the electronic data.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the copying further comprises compressing or otherwise encoding the electronic data.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising decompressing or otherwise decoding the retrieved data from the second location.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the decompressing results in the retrieved data returning to substantially the same format the electronic data was in prior to storage in the second storage device.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising replacing the stub file with the retrieved data.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the stub file includes a Windows file shortcut or a UNIX softlink.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising directly accessing the electronic data stored at the second location.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the stub file includes a pointer to the second location.

10. A method for accessing and editing electronic data stored on a network attached storage device, the method comprising:

storing electronic data that satisfies a first storage criteria to a first location in a first storage device, the first storage device comprising a network attached storage device;

copying, according to a second storage criteria, the electronic data from the first location to a second location in a second storage device;

replacing the electronic data stored in the first location with a stub file;

retrieving, in response to a request to access the electronic data stored in the first location, the electronic data stored in the second location according to information contained in the stub file; and

editing the retrieved electronic data.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising storing the edited electronic data in the first storage location.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the stub file is replaced by the edited data.

13. The method of claim 11 further comprising copying the edited data from the first location to either the second location or a third location and replacing the the edit electronic data with a stub file.

14. In a Unix based system, a method for accessing electronic data archived on a network attached storage device, the method comprising:

issuing a read request for the archived electronic data stored the network attached storage device;

intercepting the read request with a stackable loopback file system;

determining the location of the archived electronic data by reading information contained in a stub file;

invoking a restore daemon in the loopback file system to determine the directory in which the archived data file is stored; and

retrieving, in response to the read request, the archived electronic data from the appropriate directory.