Method and apparatus for managing information related to storage activities of data storage systems

• US 20080133624A1
• Filed: 01/10/2008
• Published: 06/05/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Emc IP Holding Company LLC (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: EMC Corporation (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Phillips, Jeffrey, Allen, David, Bouchard, Peter, Serkez, Brett
• Granted Patent: US 8,321,378 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/204
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1458 Management of the backup or restore process
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1464 for networked environments
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99939 Privileged access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99955 Archiving or backup

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for managing information related to backup storage activities of data storage systems. In a computer system having one or more independent backup data storage systems coupled to each other and each serving one or more clients, a user may obtain information related to backup activities of any of the backup storage systems from a single location. Through a user interface associated with any of the backup storage systems, or through a stand alone user interface, a user may manage (e.g., organize, display, print) information related to backup activities of any or all of the backup storage systems. System administrators can design and store a variety of report formats that may be utilized by any user to display or print various parameters associated with backup activities in a particular manner. Report formats may be edited by users, and displayed parameters may be dynamically updated to provide for active monitoring of one or more backup storage systems. Additionally, periodic backup activity reports can be generated and automatically sent to designated locations, for example to one or more printers and/or to one or more designated recipients via E-mail.

Claims

1. In a computer system having at least first and second backup storage systems to each store backup data from at least one client, a method comprising an act of:

receiving information related to backup activities of the second backup storage system at the first backup storage system, the information related to backup activities comprising at least information relating to at least one backup operation;

wherein at least some of the backup data which is stored on the second backup storage system is not stored on the first backup storage system.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising an act of:

transmitting the information related to the backup activities of the second backup storage system from the second backup storage system to the first backup storage system.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the computer system includes:

a third backup storage system to store backup data from at least one client; and

at least one domain that includes at least the first and second backup storage systems and excludes the third backup storage system,

and wherein the act of receiving information includes an act of receiving, at the first backup storage system, only information related to backup activities of backup storage systems included in the at least one domain, so that the first backup storage system does not receive information related to backup activities of the third backup storage system.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the act of transmitting the information includes an act of transmitting the information relating to the backup activities of the second backup storage system only within the at least one domain, so that the second backup storage system does not transmit the information related to the backup activities of the second backup storage system to the third backup storage system.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the information received at the first backup storage system is transmitted from the second backup storage system.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the information received at the first backup storage system identifies the second backup storage system as the backup storage system to which the information relates.

5. A first backup storage system to store backup data from at least one first client, the first backup storage system for use in a computer system having a second backup storage system to store backup data from at least one second client, the first backup storage system comprising:

a first controller, coupled to the second backup storage system, to receive information related to backup activities of the second backup storage system, the information related to backup activities comprising at least information relating to at least one backup operation;

wherein at least some of the backup data which is stored on the second backup storage system is not stored on the first backup storage system.

6. The first backup storage system of claim 5, wherein the computer system includes a third backup storage system to store backup data from at least one client and at least one domain that includes at least the first and second backup storage systems and excludes the third backup storage system;

and

wherein the first controller receives only information related to backup activities of backup storage systems included in the at least one domain, so that the first backup storage system does not receive information related to backup activities of the third backup storage system.

7. The first backup storage system of claim 6, wherein the first backup storage system is a domain master which stores at least one first identifier to identify each backup storage system in the at least one domain.

8. The first backup storage system of claim 7, wherein the domain master stores at least one second identifier to identify at least one user authorized to access the information related to backup activities of the backup storage systems in the at least one domain.

9. The first backup storage system of claim 7, in combination with the second backup storage system.

10. The combination of claim 9, wherein the second backup storage system includes a second controller to transmit the information related to the backup activities of the second backup storage system only within the at least one domain.

11. The combination of claim 10, wherein the domain master authorizes the second controller to transmit the information relating to backup activities only within the at least one domain.

12. A computer readable medium encoded with a program for execution on a computer system that includes first and second backup storage systems coupled together, the first and second backup storage systems each storing backup data from at least one client, the program, when executed on the computer system, performing a method comprising an act of:

transferring information related to backup activities of the second backup storage system between the second backup storage system and the first backup storage system, the information related to backup activities comprising at least information relating to at least one backup operation;

wherein at least some of the backup data which is stored on the second backup storage system is not stored on the first backup storage system.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 12 wherein the computer system further includes a third backup storage system to store backup data from at least one client, and at least one domain that includes at least the first and second backup storage systems and excludes the third backup storage system;

and

wherein the act of transferring information includes an act of receiving, at the first backup storage system, only information related to backup activities of backup storage systems included in the at least one domain, so that the first backup storage system does not receive information related to backup activities of the third backup storage system.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein the act of transferring the information includes an act of transmitting, from the second backup storage system, the information relating to the backup activities of the second backup storage system only within the at least one domain, so that the second backup storage system does not transmit the information related to the backup activities of the second backup storage system to the third backup storage system.