Method and system for intelligent storage management

• US 7,937,420 B2
• Filed: 04/10/2007
• Issued: 05/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ServiceNow Incorporated
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Thomson, James, Dunning, John, Letourneau, Guy, Kay, Michael, Gagnon, Robert, Calde, Steven, Tabellion, Nicholas, Schoolcraft, Heidi, Pare, Martin
• Primary Examiner(s): MIZRAHI, DIANE D
• Application Number:
  US11/786,249
• Publication Number:
  US 20070288861A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,484 Days
• Field of Search: 707/792
• US Class Current: 707/822
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/11 File system administration, e.g. details of archiving or snapshots file system backup G06F11/14
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching

Abstract

A storage management system is provided. The storage management system may includes a data collector configured to receive storage management information for storage. The storage manager includes an agent configured to collect storage management information for a storage object and to communicate the storage management information to the data collector. The storage management system includes a user interface configured to display the storage management information for the storage objects.

Claims

1. A display for a storage management system, comprising:

a computer processor for generating and displaying a user interface on a display, wherein the user interface comprises;

a storage tab, an action sets tab, and a reports tab, wherein only one of the storage tab, the action sets tab, and the reports tab can be selected by a user at any given time in the user interface;

a storage pane for displaying, upon selection of the storage tab by the user, storage management information associated with at least one of a plurality of storage objects, wherein each of the plurality of storage objects comprises a file, a file system, or a server, and wherein the storage pane displays user interface elements that are configured to allow a user to view, filter, and sort the storage management information associated with the plurality of storage objects;

an alert pane for displaying, upon selection of the action sets tab by the user, a user notification when a predetermined condition occurs in the at least one of the plurality of storage objects, wherein the alert pane displays user interface elements that are configured to allow a user to create action sets or policies, test action sets or policies, and assign an action set or policy to one or more of the plurality of storage objects; and

an action pane for displaying, upon selection of the reports tab, information facilitating selection by the user of actions to be performed on the at least one of a plurality of storage objects, wherein the action pane displays a menu of predefined actions for selection by the user and a policy that associates an action, a target one of the plurality of storage objects, and a condition for triggering the associated action.

2. The display for a storage management system of claim 1, wherein, the storage pane further comprises a visualizer section and a detailer section separate from the visualizer section, and wherein the detailer section is further configured to display detailed storage management information for a first storage object of the plurality of storage objects in response to a selection in the visualizer section by the user of the first storage object.

3. The display for a storage management system of claim 1, wherein the storage pane further includes a freshness indicator configured to display information indicative of the time elapsed since the storage management information associated with the at least one of the plurality of storage objects has been updated.