USER-CENTRIC INTERFACES FOR INFORMATION MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS

• US 20150199367A1
• Filed: 01/15/2015
• Published: 07/16/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CommVault Systems Incorporated
• Original Assignee: CommVault Systems Incorporated
• Inventors: Kottomtharayil, Rajiv, Mutha, Manas Bhikchand, Bedadala, Pavan Kumar Reddy, Hammer, N. Robert
• Granted Patent: US 10,949,382 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1448 Management of the data involved in backup or backup restore
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/113 Details of archiving lifecycle management in storage systems G06F3/0649; backup systems G06F11/1446
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/125 characterised by the use of retention policies retention policies for HSM systems G06F16/185
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/13 File access structures, e.g. distributed indices arrangements of input from, or output to, record carriers G06F3/06
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/156 Query results presentation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/1748 De-duplication implemented within the file system, e.g. based on file segments de-duplication techniques in storage systems for the management of data blocks G06F3/0641

Abstract

Disclosed are systems and methods for providing a user-centric interface into an information management system. The interface may enable a user to search for, view, and modify data objects in an information management system that are associated with the user or with the user'"'"'s username. The interface may also enable a user to apply administrator-like functions to the data objects associated with the user. The administrator-like functions may include content modification, deduplication operations, and storage policy adjustments, among others.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of providing access to secondary copies of data objects stored in an information management system, wherein the information management system manages data for multiple users within an organization, the method comprising:

receiving search criteria from a user through a user interface provided to a user via a user computing device,

wherein the user interface is hosted by a storage manager of the information management system,

wherein the storage manager includes a computing device configured to track and schedule data management operations for primary computing devices or secondary computing devices within the information management system,

wherein the primary computing devices and/or secondary computing devices are associated with the multiple users within the organization;

wherein scheduled data management operations include creating the secondary copies of data objects with the secondary computing devices, from primary copies of data objects generated by the primary computing devices,

wherein the data objects include personal data objects that include content that is of a personal nature with reference to the user, and include non-personal data objects that include content that is not of a personal nature with reference to the user;

searching the information management system, with the storage manager, for data objects that match the search criteria,

wherein searching for the data objects that match the search criteria includes searching metadata for the data objects, and

wherein the metadata is stored in one or more data structures of metadata;

displaying, via the user interface, metadata of the data objects that satisfy the criteria to enable the user to identify the data objects that satisfy the search criteria,

wherein displaying the metadata of the data objects includes displaying the metadata of the data objects in a hierarchical list for viewing by the user,

wherein the metadata of the data objects includes names of the data objects or titles of the data objects provided by a person;

retrieving content of one of the data objects, in response to the user having selected, via the user interface, the displayed metadata of the one data object; and

displaying at least part of the content of the one data object via the user interface.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein searching for the data objects that match the search criteria includes filtering out the non-personal data objects that match the search criteria and including the personal data objects that match the search criteria, and wherein the non-personal data objects relate to a business or an employer of the user.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the metadata of the data objects in a hierarchically flat list includes displaying the metadata of the data objects without reference to a file system hierarchy and without reference to storage media on which the each data object is presently stored.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the metadata of the data objects in a hierarchically flat list includes displaying the metadata of the data objects without regard for a file system hierarchy by which the data objects are organized within the information management system.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing a copy of the one of the data objects to the user for modification by the user with a client computing device; and

replacing a secondary copy of the one of the data objects stored in the information management system, with a modified version of the one of the data objects.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

caching copies of the data objects that satisfy the search criteria; and

deduplicating the data objects based on content of the data objects,

wherein displaying the metadata of the data objects includes displaying indications of multiple copies of deduplicated data objects.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying data management menus to the user with the user interface to enable the user to set or adjust data storage policies or data retention policies associated with one or more client devices assigned to the user within the information management system.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying data management menus to the user with the user interface to enable the user to set or adjust data storage policies or data retention policies associated with one or more categories of data objects that meet the search criteria,

wherein the one or more categories of data objects include documents, pictures, and multimedia.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein displaying the metadata of the data objects includes displaying the metadata of the data objects in a computing device-agnostic hierarchy.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying a client computing device navigator, in the user interface, to enable the user to navigate the retrieved metadata of data objects that satisfy the search criteria, with reference to client computing devices from which the secondary copies of the data objects were created,

wherein the client computing device explorer displays client computing devices that the user logged into to access, modify, or create one or more of the data objects that satisfy the search criteria.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying, on the user interface, representations of computing devices associated with the user,

wherein the representations of the computing devices associated with the user are labeled with user-provided names,

wherein displaying the metadata of the data objects includes displaying the metadata of multiple copies of data objects having the same or similar content,

wherein each of the multiple copies of data objects originate from corresponding primary copies data objects that were generated by or stored on different ones of the computing devices associated with the user.

12. A computer-readable storage medium whose contents cause a computing system to perform a method of operating a user interface for processing data objects stored in a storage system, the method comprising:

receiving a query from a user for data objects based on object types, wherein the object types include a primary data object or a backup data object, wherein a backup data object is copied from a primary data object;

displaying a representation of a folder associated with data objects that satisfy the query and a folder name that depends on the query and the user;

receiving a request from the user to set a storage policy for the folder related to archiving or retention of the data objects associated with the folder; and

receiving a request from the user to du-duplicate part or all of the folder.

13. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, further comprising receiving a query from the user for data objects based on device types characterizing locations of the data objects within the storage system, wherein the device types include a user device or a storage server.

14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, further comprising:

receiving a request to display information regarding one or more of the data objects associated with the folder; and

displaying metadata of each of the one or more data objects and of all duplicates of the one or more data object.

15. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the storage policy specifies a backup type, a backup frequency, an archive start date, or a retention period.

16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the de-duplication applies to the data objects associated with the folder and stored in the storage system.

17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, further comprising

initiating a caching operation of the data objects associated with the folder on the computer system,

wherein the storage policy or the de-duplication applies to cached versions of the data objects associated with the folder.

18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, further comprising:

initiating a caching operation of the data objects associated with the folder on the computer system, and

initializing a synchronization operation to synchronize part or all of the cache with the storage system.

19. A system for providing a unified view of a user'"'"'s documents or files, across multiple user devices, wherein the system accesses an information management system that manages data for multiple users within an organization, the system comprising:

at least one memory means for storing data;

at least one data input means for receiving data input;

at least one display for displaying data;

at least one processor, coupled to the memory means for storing data, the data input means for receiving data input, and to the display;

wherein the system is communicatively coupled to the information management system to access the user'"'"'s documents or files;

wherein the user'"'"'s documents or files are provided from multiple devices of the user, so that the system provides a unified view, via the display, of the user'"'"'s documents or files across the multiple devices of the user;

wherein the multiple devices are displayed to the user with user-friendly names rather than logical pathnames;

wherein the user'"'"'s documents or files are displayed with file and folder hierarchies flattened out so that the user'"'"'s documents or files are retrieved and displayed, regardless in which folders the user'"'"'s documents or files are stored;

wherein the system displays at least one secondary copy of data stored, not on one of the multiple devices, but stored remotely and accessible by the system; and

,

wherein the display of the user'"'"'s documents or files are de-duplicated so that only one copy is of each similar document or file displayed to the user.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein if the user selects the one copy, the system obtains a most readily accessible copy when multiple copies are available, and wherein the user'"'"'s documents or files are displayed regardless of which of the multiple devices the user'"'"'s documents or files are stored on.