System and method for providing content based anticipative storage management

• US 20070033340A1
• Filed: 08/08/2005
• Published: 02/08/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Tulskie, William, Vutukuru, Vamsi
• Granted Patent: US 8,341,345 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 711/108
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1461 Backup scheduling policy
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0605 by facilitating the interaction with a user or administrator
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0649 Lifecycle management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0685 Hybrid storage combining heterogeneous device types, e.g. hierarchical storage, hybrid arrays

Abstract

A hierarchical storage management (HSM) system and method. A system is provided comprising: a data usage monitor for extracting data object information from data objects in a hierarchical storage complex that is managed by a content management system; a data relationship repository for storing data object information, wherein the data object information includes relationship data for data objects in the hierarchical storage complex; and a system that analyzes the relationship data and makes data management action recommendations for the hierarchical storage complex.

Claims

1. A hierarchical storage management (HSM) system, comprising:

a data usage monitor for extracting data object information from data objects in a hierarchical storage complex that is managed by a content management system;

a data relationship repository for storing data object information, wherein the data object information includes relationship data for data objects in the hierarchical storage complex; and

a system that analyzes the relationship data and makes data management action recommendations for the hierarchical storage complex.

2. The HSM system of claim 1, wherein the data object information comprises:

data object descriptors, data access descriptors, and data relationship descriptors.

3. The HSM system of claim 1, further comprising a content analysis processor that analyzes content attributes and metadata for data objects and generates content information that is stored with the data object information in the data relationship repository.

4. The HSM system of claim 1, further comprising a user interface that allows a user to input relationship data into the data relationship repository.

5. The HSM system of claim 1, further comprising a storage allocation system that prioritizes data management action recommendations for the content management system.

6. The HSM system of claim 5, wherein the storage allocation system prioritizes data management action recommendations based on storage usage rules and storage usage patterns.

7. The HSM system of claim 1, wherein the hierarchical storage complex includes a staging space for data objects being moved between hierarchical levels.

8. The HSM system of claim 1, wherein the relationship data includes sets of related objects, a relationship type for each set of related objects, a frequency at which each set of objects relate, and a content management action for each set of related objects.

9. The HSM system of claim 8, wherein the content management action is selected from the group consisting of:

migrate, archive and recall.

10. A program product stored on a computer readable medium for managing data object relationships in a storage management system, comprising:

program code configured for extracting data object information from data objects in a storage complex that is managed by a content management system;

a data relationship repository for storing data object information, wherein the data object information includes relationship data for data objects in the storage complex; and

program code configured for analyzing the relationship data and creating data management action recommendations for the storage complex.

11. The program product of claim 10, wherein the data object information comprises:

data object descriptors, data access descriptors, and data relationship descriptors.

12. The program product of claim 10, further comprising program code configured for analyzing content attributes and metadata for data objects and generating content information that is stored with the data object information in the data relationship repository.

13. The program product of claim 10, further comprising a user interface that allows a user to input relationship data into the data relationship repository.

14. The program product of claim 10, further comprising program code configured for prioritizing data management action recommendations for the content management system.

15. The program product of claim 14, wherein the data management action recommendations are prioritized based on storage usage rules and storage usage patterns.

16. The program product of claim 10, wherein the storage complex includes a staging space for data objects being moved between storage levels.

17. The program product of claim 10, wherein the relationship data includes sets of related objects, a relationship type for each set of related objects, a frequency at which each set of objects relate, and a content management action for each set of related objects.

18. The program product of claim 10, wherein the content management action is selected from the group consisting of:

migrate, archive and recall.

19. A method for providing anticipative storage management for data objects in a storage complex, comprising:

analyzing data objects to generate content information;

storing the content information in a relationship repository that identifies objects having similar content information; and

creating recommended storage management actions based on relationships identified in the relationship repository.

20. The method of claim 19, comprising the further step of prioritizing the recommended storage management actions.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the content information comprises content features and metadata.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein the recommended storage management actions include actions selected from the group consisting of:

migrate, archive, and recall.

23. A method for deploying an anticipative storage management application for managing data objects in a storage complex, comprising:

providing a computer infrastructure being operable to;

extract data object information from data objects in the storage complex;

store data object information, wherein the data object information includes relationship data for data objects in the storage complex; and

analyze the relationship data and create data management action recommendations for the storage complex.

24. Computer software embodied in a propagated signal for implementing an anticipative storage management application for managing data objects in a storage complex, the computer software comprising instructions to cause a computer to perform the following functions:

extract data object information from data objects in the storage complex;

store data object information, wherein the data object information includes relationship data for data objects in the storage complex; and

analyze the relationship data and create data management action recommendations for the storage complex.