SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR CLASSIFYING AND TRANSFERRING INFORMATION IN A STORAGE NETWORK

• US 20070185915A1
• Filed: 11/28/2006
• Published: 08/09/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CommVault Systems Incorporated
• Original Assignee: CommVault Systems Incorporated
• Inventors: Brockway, Brian, Ngo, David, Prahlad, Anand, Muller, Marcus, Schwartz, Jeremy
• Granted Patent: US 7,937,393 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1435 using file system or storage system metadata
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1451 by selection of backup contents
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1461 Backup scheduling policy
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1464 for networked environments
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1466 to make the backup process non-disruptive
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1471 involving logging of persistent data for recovery
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/11 File system administration, e.g. details of archiving or snapshots file system backup G06F11/14
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/119 Details of migration of file systems migration mechanisms in storage systems G06F3/0647
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/122 using management policies backup systems G06F11/1446; file migration policies for HSM systems G06F16/185
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/134 Distributed indices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/14 Details of searching files based on file metadata
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/148 File search processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/16 File or folder operations, e.g. details of user interfaces specifically adapted to file systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/1727 Details of free space management performed by the file system saving storage space on storage systems G06F3/0608; management of blocks in storage devices G06F3/064
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/1734 Details of monitoring file system events, e.g. by the use of hooks, filter drivers, logs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/182 Distributed file systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/22 Indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2228 Indexing structures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/245 Query processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24575 using context
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/285 : Clustering or classification
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/80 : Database-specific techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0604 : Improving or facilitating administration, e.g. storage management
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 : Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99948 : Application of database or data structure, e.g. distributed, multimedia, or image
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99955 : Archiving or backup

Abstract

Systems and methods for data classification to facilitate and improve data management within an enterprise are described. The disclosed systems and methods evaluate and define data management operations based on data characteristics rather than data location, among other things. Also provided are methods for generating a data structure of metadata that describes system data and storage operations. This data structure may be consulted to determine changes in system data rather than scanning the data files themselves.

Claims

1. A method of accessing data stored on a first computing device using a second computing device, comprising:

receiving data associated with a first computing device and classifying the received data to create metadata including one or more classifications, wherein the classifications contain information describing characteristics of the received data wherein at least one characteristic is not stored with the identified data;

storing the metadata at the second computing device based on the classifications;

receiving a data management request, wherein the data management request comprises a request to identify data and then perform a data management operation on the identified data;

performing a query of the metadata stored at the second computing device without accessing the first computing device, wherein the query identifies at least part of the received data based on the data management request; and

performing the data management operation on the identified data wherein the data management operation is performed to reduce an impact of the data management request on the first computing device.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving data comprises determining if a copy of the data associated with the first computing device is accessible at a computing device other than the first computing device, and when the data is accessible at a computing device other than the first computing device, accessing the data at the computing device other than the first computing device.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein performing the data management operation comprises determining if a copy of the data associated with the first computing device is accessible at a computing device other than the first computing device, and when the data is accessible at a computing device other than the first computing device, performing the data management operation on the data at the computing device other than the first computing device.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein performing the data management operation comprises identifying characteristics of the received data including a purpose for the received data indicated by a user that created the received data.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein classifying comprises identifying characteristics of the received data including characteristics for finding the received data in response to a legal discovery request.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein classifying comprises identifying characteristics of the received data including characteristics related to a purpose for retrieving the received data.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the data is application-specific data, and wherein the metadata includes information identifying an application associated with the data.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

accessing other data stored at other computing devices;

classifying the accessed other data to create other metadata;

storing the other metadata at the second computing device wherein metadata that classifies data stored at multiple computing devices is centrally accessible at the second computing device; and

performing a storage operation based on the other metadata stored at the second computing device.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving data comprises intercepting an application request to store data at the first computing device.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving data associated with a first computing device comprises determining if data stored at the first computing device is available at an additional computing device, and when it is determined that the data is available at the additional computing device, accessing the data at the additional computing device without accessing the first computing device.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the metadata stored at the second computing device contains a reference to the data stored at the first computing device.

12. A system to perform a data management operation on data stored at a first computing device using a second computing device, comprising:

a data discovery component configured to discover data stored on the first computing device;

a data classification component configured to classify the discovered data to create metadata including one or more classifications that identify characteristics of the discovered data;

a metadata storing component configured to store the metadata on the second computing device; and

a data management operation component configured to perform a data management operation that first identifies data and then performs an action on the identified data wherein the data management operation component reduces a number of accesses of the first computing device by using the classifications stored within the metadata of the second computing device to identify data related to the data management operation without accessing the first computing device.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the data management operation component performs the data management operation at a computing device other than the first computing device.

14. The system of claim 12 wherein the data discovery component discovers data by traversing a file system of the first computing device.

15. The system of claim 12 wherein the data discovery component discovers data by intercepting requests to store data at the first computing device.

16. A computer-readable media encoded with instructions for accessing data stored at a first data processing system using a second data processing system, by a method comprising:

identifying data stored on the first data processing system;

categorizing the identified data to create descriptive data including one or more categorizations that specify information about the identified data for finding the data in response to a data management request;

storing the descriptive data on the second data processing system; and

analyzing the descriptive data at the second data processing system to find data in response to a data management request, wherein an analysis regarding the data at the first data processing system is performed without accessing the data at the first data processing system.

17. The computer-readable media of claim 16 wherein the data is application-specific data, and wherein the metadata includes information identifying an application associated with the data.

18. A first data storage system coupled to a second data storage system, comprising:

a processor for executing instructions;

an input/output device coupled to the processor, wherein the input/output device receives a block of data; and

,

a data storage device coupled to the processor,

wherein the processor is configured to;

analyze the block of data,

determine one or more of multiple categorizations for the block of data wherein the categorizations identify properties associated with the block of data that are not stored with the block of data, and

facilitate performance of a storage operation with respect to the block of data based on the one or more categorizations for the block of data, and not necessarily based on a storage location of the block of data.

19. The first data storage system of claim 18 wherein the processor facilitates performance of a storage operation by offloading a portion of the storage operation that identifies data related to the storage operation to the second data storage system, wherein the categorizations are accessed by the second data storage system to identify data stored at the first data storage system related to the storage operation without accessing the first data storage system.

20. The first data storage system of claim 18 wherein the first and second data storage systems are part of a network, and wherein the processor is coupled to the data storage device through the network.

21. The first data storage system of claim 18 wherein the input/output device is a port for receiving the block of data from a network.

22. The first data storage system of claim 18 wherein the processor executes an agent specialized for an application that is associated with the block of data and the block of data is a data file.