Systems and methods for cataloging metadata for a metabase

• US 7,660,807 B2
• Filed: 11/28/2006
• Issued: 02/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: CommVault Systems Incorporated
• Original Assignee: CommVault Systems Incorporated
• Inventors: Brockway, Brian, Ngo, David, Schwartz, Jeremy Alan, Prahlad, Anand, Muller, Marcus S.
• Primary Examiner(s): MIZRAHI, DIANE D
• Application Number:
  US11/605,944
• Publication Number:
  US 20070185921A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,169 Days
• Field of Search: 707 1- 10, 707100-1041, 711/112, 711/162, 710/19
• 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:

monitoring with a journaling module executing in one or more processors that monitors a plurality of data interactions with one or more data objects processed by a file system manager, wherein the journaling module is a first application that monitors the data interactions in the file system manager made by at least one or more second applications, and wherein the journaling module generates a list of the data interactions;

receiving via a user interface, a classification criteria that identifies select data interactions associated with at least one user;

processing the data interactions to identify the select data interactions made by the user that satisfy the classification criteria; and

storing in a metabase information about the select data interactions separately from the file system, the metabase storing at least the properties of the one or more data objects and the identity of the user making the select data interactions; and

tracking the data interactions by the user by accessing the metabase to obtain information about the data interactions performed by the user without accessing the file system associated with 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.