Active storage and retrieval systems and methods

• US 7,831,563 B2
• Filed: 10/09/2006
• Issued: 11/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: LinkedIn Corporation (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Brown, Albert C., Kreuch, Robert M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jalil; Neveen Abel
• Assistant Examiner(s): MINCEY, JERMAINE A
• Application Number:
  US11/544,872
• Publication Number:
  US 20070271306A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,492 Days
• Field of Search: 707/200
• US Class Current: 707/648
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2477 Temporal data queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling

Abstract

A data storage management system comprises a workflow engine, a lifecycle module, and a storage application. The workflow engine is configured to manage a plurality of defined business processes and to execute at least one process step associated with at least one data item. The lifecycle module is configured to detect a change in lifecycle of the at least one data item. The storage application is configured to perform at least one storage action on the data item as a result of the data item reaching a step in a business process, the data item having a change in lifecycle, the data item having a change in metadata, or an event occurring to the data item. Application layer information about data derived from operation of the system allows the system to make more accurate determinations of business value of data and to determine appropriate storage actions to perform on data.

Claims

1. A method of managing storage of a data item, the method comprising:

at an active storage and retrieval system executed by a computer and coupled to storage tiers;

storing storage policies that each are associated with a class of content, define at least an initial storage tier for storing a data item, and that specify, for each of multiple circumstances, a storage action to be performed on the data item when the circumstance occurs;

associating a data item with a storage policy from the stored storage policies based on a class of content of the data item that matches the class of content of the storage policy;

detecting, by an event listener, that a circumstance specified in the storage policy has occurred;

in response to detecting that the circumstance specified in the storage policy has occurred, making a storage decision about the data item using the storage policy and based on a business value of the data item that is based on application layer factors of an event that has occurred on the data item, performance of a process step, a change in lifecycle of the data item, and a change in metadata about the data item; and

in response to making the storage decision, performing a storage action on the data item.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein performing the storage action comprises moving the data item from the initial storage tier to a second storage tier.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein performing the storage action comprises encrypting the data item.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein performing the storage action comprises electronically shredding the storage action.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein performing the storage action comprises changing a security level of the data item.

6. A method of managing storage of a data item, the method comprising:

at an active storage and retrieval system executed by a computer and coupled to storage tiers;

storing storage policies that each are associated with a class of content, define at least an initial storage tier for storing a data item and that specify, for each of multiple circumstances, a storage action to be performed on the data item when the circumstance occurs;

creating at least one data item associated with at least one defined workflow process, wherein the workflow process provides a number of steps that define how the data item is to be processed;

associating the data item with a storage policy from the stored storage policies based on a class of content of the data item that matches the class of content of the storage policy;

performing a step in the defined workflow process;

detecting, by an event listener, the performance of the step in the defined workflow process;

in response to detecting that the step contains an embedded command that determines a storage action to perform, performing a storage action associated with the step; and

in response to performance of the step causing a change in lifecycle of the data item, a change in metadata of the data item, or an event, performing a storage action based on the change using the storage policy.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein performing the storage action comprises moving the data item from the initial storage tier to a second storage tier.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising invoking at least one storage application configured to perform the determined storage action.

9. The method of claim 6, further comprising invoking, by at least one workflow engine, at least one storage application configured to perform the determined storage action.

10. A data storage management system comprising:

storage tiers; and

an active storage and retrieval system coupled to the storage tiers, comprising;

storage policies that each are associated with a class of content, define at least an initial storage tier for storing a data item, and that specify for each of multiple circumstances, a storage action to be performed on the data item when the circumstance occurs;

at least one workflow engine configured to manage a plurality of defined business processes and to execute at least one process step associated with at least one data item;

at least one lifecycle module configured to detect a change in lifecycle of the at least one data item;

at least one content manager to store metadata about the at least one data item; and

at least one storage application configured to;

detect, by an event listener, that a circumstance specified in a storage policy has occurred by detecting that at least one of an event has occurred on the data item, performance of a process step, a change in lifecycle of the data item, and a change in metadata about the data item;

in response to detecting that the circumstance specified in the storage policy has occurred with reference to a data item, make a storage decision about the data item using the storage policy and based on a business value of the data item that is based on application layer factors of an event that has occurred on the data item, performance of a process step, a change in lifecycle of the data item, and a change in metadata about the data item; and

in response to making the storage decision, perform a storage action on the data item.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the storage action comprises moving the data item from a first storage tier to a second storage tier.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the storage action comprises replicating the data item.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the storage action comprises encrypting the data item.

14. The system of claim 10, further comprising

in response to detecting that an event has occurred to the data item, performing the at least one storage action associated with the event using the storage policy.

15. A system managing data storage, comprising:

an active storage and retrieval system coupled to storage tiers, wherein the active storage and retrieval system comprises a workflow engine, a lifecycle module, and a content manager, and wherein the active storage and retrieval system is configured to;

store storage policies that each are associated with a class of content, define at least an initial storage tier for storing a data item, and that specify, for each of multiple circumstances, a storage action to be performed on the data item when the circumstance occurs;

associate a data item with a storage policy from the stored storage policies based on a class of content of the data item that matches the class of content of the storage policy;

detect, by an event listener, that a circumstance specified in the storage policy has occurred;

in response to detecting that the circumstance specified in the storage policy has occurred, make a storage decision about the data item using the storage policy and based on a business value of the data item that is based on application layer factors of an event that has occurred on the data item, performance of a process step, a change in lifecycle of the data item, and a change in metadata about the data item; and

in response to making the storage decision, performing a storage action on the data item.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the system is configured to make the decision based on a combination of information about the data that is available at the application layer and information about the data that is available at the storage layer.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the information about the data available at the application layer comprises information derived at least in part from operation of the workflow engine.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the information about the data available at the application layer further comprises information derived at least in part from operation of the lifecycle module.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the information about the data available at the application layer further comprises information derived at least in part from operation of the content manager.