Systems and methods for cataloging metadata for a metabase

• US 20070185921A1
• 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 7,660,807 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 managing electronic data are disclosed. Various data management operations can be performed based on a metabase formed from metadata. Such metadata can be identified from an index of data interactions generated by a journaling module, and obtained from their associated data objects stored in one or more storage devices. In various embodiments, such processing of the index and storing of the metadata can facilitate, for example, enhanced data management operations, enhanced data identification operations, enhanced storage operations, data classification for organizing and storing the metadata, cataloging of metadata for the stored metadata, and/or user interfaces for managing data. In various embodiments, the metabase can be configured in different ways. For example, the metabase can be stored separately from the data objects so as to allow obtaining of information about the data objects without accessing the data objects or a data structure used by a file system.

Claims

1. A method for managing electronic data in a data storage network, the method comprising:

receiving a classification criteria that identifies at least one property associated with one or more data objects;

monitoring a plurality of data interactions involving at least one application and the one or more data objects;

determining, from the data interactions, select data interactions that satisfy the classification criteria, each select data interaction being indicative of changes to the properties associated with the one or more data objects; and

maintaining a metabase based at least in part on the select data interactions, the metabase storing at least the properties of the one or more data objects.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the classification criteria comprises a user-defined rule.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more properties comprise at least one of a file owner and a permission level.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the metabase stores a path of one or more of the data objects corresponding to the select data interactions.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the metabase stores a reference number of the data object corresponding to one of the data interactions.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said maintaining comprises periodically processing and updating the metabase based on modifications associated with the select data interactions.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising recording the data interactions in a journal index.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said recording further comprises recording metadata corresponding to the select data interactions.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the metabase stores the properties of the data objects without storing the entire contents of the data objects.

10. A system for cataloging electronic data associated with data objects stored on at least one storage device, the system comprising:

a journaling module configured to;

receive a classification criteria,

track a plurality of data interactions involving at least one application and one or more data objects stored on at least one storage device, and

identify, from the plurality of data interactions, select data interactions that satisfy the classification criteria; and

a classification module configured to maintain a data structure of metadata associated with the select data interactions with the one or more data objects.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein each of the select data interactions result in a change to metadata of a corresponding one of the data objects.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the journal module is further configured to record the select data interactions in a log.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the metabase comprises a plurality of metabases and the at least one storage device comprises a plurality of storage devices.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein each of the plurality of metabases is associated with one of the plurality of storage devices.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the entry is recorded in one or more of a plurality of logs, each log being associated with one of the plurality of metabases.

16. The system of claim 10, further comprising a second storage device for storing the log.

17. The system of claim 10, further comprising a user interface module configured to receive the classification criteria from a user.

18. The system of claim 10, wherein the journaling module is further configured to tag certain entries based on user-defined data object properties.

19. The system of claim 10, further comprising a processor configured to compare a selection criteria and the metadata in the metabase without accessing the plurality of data objects on the at least one storage device.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the selection criteria is associated with identifying which of the plurality of data objects satisfies a data migration policy.

21. A system for cataloging electronic data in a data storage network, the method comprising:

means for receiving classification criteria;

means for monitoring a plurality of data interactions between at least one application and one or more data objects stored on at least one storage device, said monitoring means being further configured to determine, from the plurality of data interactions, select data interactions that satisfy the classification criteria, and wherein said monitoring means is further configured to record an entry for each select data object interaction; and

means for maintaining a data structure of metadata associated with the select data interactions with the one or more data objects.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein each of the select data object interactions is indicative of a modification to metadata of a corresponding one of the of data objects.

23. The system of claim 21, further comprising means for processing a journal file and updating the metabase based on modifications to metadata resulting from select data interactions identified in the journal file.

24. The system of claim 21, further comprising means for performing data migration of a portion of the plurality of data objects based on the data structure of metadata.

25. The system of claim 24, further comprising means for comparing a selection criteria with the metabase without accessing the data objects on the at least one storage device to identify the portion of data objects that relate to the selection criteria.