SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PROVIDING A FILE SYSTEM VIEW OF A STORAGE ENVIRONMENT

• US 20110029972A1
• Filed: 08/02/2010
• Published: 02/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/03/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Quantum Corporation (Chi Ko Investment Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Quantum Corporation (Chi Ko Investment Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Haile, J. Mitchell, Wade, Gregory L.
• Granted Patent: US 9,959,131 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 718/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2009/45579 I/O management, e.g. providing access to device drivers or storage
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/45558 Hypervisor-specific management and integration aspects

Abstract

A data identification system and method for operating the data identification system are provided. The method comprises identifying processing elements contained within the storage environment, identifying virtual processing elements contained within the processing elements, identifying virtual storage elements contained within the virtual processing elements, identifying contents of the virtual storage elements, generating the file system view of the storage environment, wherein the file system view comprises the processing elements, the virtual processing elements, the virtual storage elements, and the contents of the virtual storage elements arranged in a hierarchical order. The file system view of the storage environment is then provided.

Claims

1. A method of operating a data identification system for providing a file system view of a storage environment, the method comprising:

identifying a plurality of processing elements contained within the storage environment;

identifying a plurality of virtual processing elements contained within the plurality of processing elements;

identifying a plurality of virtual storage elements contained within the plurality of virtual processing elements;

identifying contents of the plurality of virtual storage elements;

generating the file system view of the storage environment, wherein the file system view comprises the plurality of processing elements, the plurality of virtual processing elements, the plurality of virtual storage elements, and the contents of the plurality of virtual storage elements arranged in a hierarchical order; and

providing the file system view of the storage environment.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the processing elements comprise hypervisors, the virtual processing elements comprise virtual machines on the hypervisors, and the virtual storage elements comprise virtual drives on the virtual machines.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising interpreting names and attributes for the plurality of processing elements, the plurality of virtual processing elements, the plurality of virtual storage elements, and the contents of the plurality of virtual processing elements.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the contents of the plurality of virtual storage elements comprise a plurality of data items.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising:

receiving a request from a data utility for a first data item of the plurality of data items on a first virtual storage element of the plurality of virtual storage elements within a first virtual processing system of the plurality of virtual processing systems; and

providing a data item handle for the first data item of the plurality of files.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the request for the first data item of the plurality of data items comprises a file open request.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising directing the storage environment to generate a snapshot of the first virtual processing system in response to receiving the file open request.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising directing the storage environment to release the snapshot of the first virtual processing system responsive to receiving a file release request.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein a condensed file comprises the plurality of processing elements, the plurality of virtual processing elements, the plurality of virtual storage elements, and the contents of the plurality of virtual processing elements in a proprietary file format.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising interpreting names and attributes of the plurality of processing elements, the plurality of virtual processing elements, the plurality of virtual storage elements, and the contents of the plurality of virtual processing elements within the condensed file.

11. A data identification system for providing a file system view of a storage environment, the system comprising:

a processor configured to identify a plurality of processing elements contained within the storage environment, identify a plurality of virtual processing elements contained within the plurality of processing elements, identify a plurality of virtual storage elements contained within the plurality of virtual processing elements, identify contents of the plurality of virtual storage elements, and generate the file system view of the storage environment, wherein the file system view comprises the plurality of processing elements, the plurality of virtual processing elements, the plurality of virtual storage elements, and the contents of the plurality of virtual processing elements arranged in a hierarchical order; and

an interface configured to provide the file system view of the storage environment.

12. The data identification system of claim 11 wherein the processing elements comprise hypervisors, the virtual processing elements comprise virtual machines on the hypervisors, and the virtual storage elements comprise virtual drives on the virtual machines.

13. The data identification system of claim 11 wherein the processor is further configured to interpret names and attributes for the plurality of processing elements, the plurality of virtual processing elements, the plurality of virtual storage elements, and the contents of the plurality of virtual processing elements

14. The data identification system of claim 11 wherein the contents of the plurality of virtual storage elements comprise a plurality of data items.

15. The data identification system of claim 14 wherein the interface is further configured to receive a request from a data utility for a first data item of the plurality of data items on a first virtual storage element of the plurality of virtual storage elements within a first virtual processing system of the plurality of virtual processing systems, and provide a data item handle for the first data item of the plurality of files.

16. The data identification system of claim 15 wherein the first data item of the plurality of data items comprises a file open request.

17. The data identification system of claim 16 wherein the interface is further configured to direct the storage environment to generate a snapshot of the first virtual processing system in response to receiving the file open request.

18. The data identification system of claim 16 wherein the interface is further configured to direct the storage environment to release the snapshot of the virtual processing system responsive to receiving a file release request.

19. The data identification system of claim 12 wherein a condensed file comprises the plurality of processing elements, the plurality of virtual processing elements, the plurality of virtual storage elements, and the contents of the plurality of virtual processing elements in a proprietary file format.

20. The data identification system of claim 19 wherein the processor is further configured to interpret names and attributes of the plurality of processing elements, the plurality of virtual processing elements, the plurality of virtual storage elements, and the contents of the plurality of virtual processing elements within the condensed file.

21. A computer readable medium having programming instructions stored thereon for operating a data identification system that, when executed by the data identification system, direct the data identification system to:

identify a plurality of processing elements contained within a storage environment;

identify a plurality of virtual processing elements contained within the plurality of processing elements;

identify a plurality of virtual storage elements contained within the plurality of virtual processing elements;

identify contents of the plurality of virtual storage elements;

generate a file system view of the storage environment, wherein the file system view comprises the plurality of processing elements, the plurality of virtual processing elements, the plurality of virtual storage elements, and the contents of the plurality of virtual processing elements arranged in a hierarchical order; and

provide the file system view of the storage environment.