STORAGE MANAGEMENT OF DATA USING AN OPEN-ARCHIVE ARCHITECTURE, INCLUDING STREAMLINED ACCESS TO PRIMARY DATA ORIGINALLY STORED ON NETWORK-ATTACHED STORAGE AND ARCHIVED TO SECONDARY STORAGE
First Claim
1. A method for automatically archiving primary data from a storage device to secondary storage and restoring it to the storage device when accessed, the method comprising:
- executing a monitoring utility on a network-attached storage device in a storage management system,the network-attached storage device storing primary data that is accessible to a client computing device;
determining that a data set of primary data stored in the network-attached storage device satisfies an archiving criterion by analyzing, by a server component of the storage management system, at least some of the primary data stored in the network-attached storage device;
archiving the data set to a secondary storage device in the storage management system, wherein the archiving removes the archived data set from the network-attached storage device;
generating one or more stubs for the archived data set;
storing the one or more stubs to the network-attached storage device;
determining, by the server component, that a first access call from the client computing device is directed to first data in the archived data set, the access call including one or more of an open call, a read call, and a write call, and (a) restoring the first data to the network-attached storage device, and (b) removing one or more stubs corresponding to the restored first data; and
serving the first access call, from the restored first data on the network-attached storage device, to the client computing device, without intervention from a user.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An illustrative “open archive” architecture relieves the immediate need to add network-attached storage (NAS) devices to a storage management system. The open archive architecture provides streamlined access to live production data, which originally was stored on a NAS device but which is archived to secondary storage to free up NAS space. An open-archive server coordinates with an open-archive layer that operates on the NAS device. The open-archive server identifies data sets on the NAS that meet archiving criteria, which are then automatically moved to an open archive in secondary storage. The open archive layer intercepts data-access calls coming into the NAS device, e.g., open calls, read calls, write calls. The intercepted calls are reported to the open-archive server for analysis. If the open-archive server determines that the data referenced in an intercepted call is stored in the open archive, the open-archive server initiates a restore job that recovers the data from secondary storage and stores it back on the NAS device. The intercepted call may now be served from the NAS. These operations occur automatically and do not involve users or their computing devices, and the computing devices operate without data agents for the NAS-based data.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method for automatically archiving primary data from a storage device to secondary storage and restoring it to the storage device when accessed, the method comprising:
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executing a monitoring utility on a network-attached storage device in a storage management system, the network-attached storage device storing primary data that is accessible to a client computing device; determining that a data set of primary data stored in the network-attached storage device satisfies an archiving criterion by analyzing, by a server component of the storage management system, at least some of the primary data stored in the network-attached storage device; archiving the data set to a secondary storage device in the storage management system, wherein the archiving removes the archived data set from the network-attached storage device; generating one or more stubs for the archived data set; storing the one or more stubs to the network-attached storage device; determining, by the server component, that a first access call from the client computing device is directed to first data in the archived data set, the access call including one or more of an open call, a read call, and a write call, and (a) restoring the first data to the network-attached storage device, and (b) removing one or more stubs corresponding to the restored first data; and serving the first access call, from the restored first data on the network-attached storage device, to the client computing device, without intervention from a user. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A storage management system for automatically archiving primary data from a storage device to secondary storage and restoring it to the storage device when accessed, the system comprising:
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a client computing device for accessing primary data; a network-attached storage device that stores the primary data, and which network-attached storage device executes a monitoring utility; a secondary storage device that is distinct from the network-attached storage device; a secondary storage computing device in communication with the secondary storage device; a server in communication with the network-attached storage device and with the secondary storage computing device; wherein the server is configured to; analyze at least some of the primary data stored in the network-attached storage device, determine whether a data set in the analyzed primary data satisfies an archiving criterion, cause the data set to be archived to the secondary storage device, which removes the archived data set from the network-attached storage device without intervention from or communications with the client computing device, generate one or more stubs for the archived data set, and cause the one or more stubs to be stored to the network-attached storage device, receive a report from the monitoring utility on the network-attached storage indicating that a first access call has been received by the network-attached storage device from the client computing device, wherein the access call includes one or more of an open call, a read call, and a write call, determine that the first access call from the client computing device is directed to first data that is in the archived data set, and cause the first data to be restored from the secondary storage device to the network-attached storage device without intervention from or communications with the client computing device; and wherein, after the first data is restored, the network-attached storage device is configured to serve the first access call, from the restored first data on the network-attached storage device, to the client computing device in response to the first access call. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16)
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17. A tangible non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions, which when implemented by at least one server in a storage management system, perform a method for providing a client computing device with access to archived primary data that was originally stored on a network-attached storage device without configuring the client computing device with a data agent for restoring the archived primary data, the method comprising:
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establishing a communicative coupling between the client computing device and the network-attached storage device in the storage management system; determining that a first access call from the client computing device is directed to first data which was previously archived to a secondary storage device in the storage management system, wherein the access call includes at least one of;
an open call, a read call, and a write call, andwherein the secondary storage device is distinct from the network-attached storage device; restoring the first data to the network-attached storage device; and causing the network-attached storage device to serve the first access call, from the restored first data on the network-attached storage device, to the client computing device. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
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Specification