System and method for allocation of organizational resources

• US 8,112,605 B2
• Filed: 07/05/2007
• Issued: 02/07/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CommVault Systems Incorporated
• Original Assignee: CommVault Systems Incorporated
• Inventors: Kavuri, Srinivas
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsai, Sheng-Jen
• Application Number:
  US11/825,283
• Publication Number:
  US 20080059704A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,678 Days
• Field of Search: 711/170
• US Class Current: 711/170
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3495 for systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/061 Improving I/O performance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0653 Monitoring storage devices or systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0685 Hybrid storage combining heterogeneous device types, e.g. hierarchical storage, hybrid arrays

Abstract

System and methods for storing electronic data is provided, where the system comprises a storage manager component and a management module associated with the storage manager component. The management module is configured to receive information related to storage activities associated with one or more storage operation components within the storage operation system under the direction of the storage manager component. The management module is adapted to predict storage operation resource allocations based on the received information related to the storage activities.

Claims

1. A method of load balancing components to in a hierarchical storage system, wherein the hierarchical storage system includes a master storage manager component and multiple storage operation cells hierarchically subordinate to the master storage manager component, and wherein the method is performed by a computing system having a processor and memory, the method comprising:

determining a number of job failures considered a fault occurrence;

accessing information relating to operation of the hierarchical storage system, wherein the hierarchical storage system includes

a master storage manager component;

a first storage operation cell hierarchically subordinate to the master storage manager component, wherein the first storage operation cell includes

a first plurality of data agent components configured to access a first set of data of one or more first computing devices, wherein different data agent components are configured to access and process different types of data in the first set of data;

a plurality of first storage devices, wherein different storage devices in the first storage devices store data in different formats;

a first plurality of media agent components configured to convey the first set of data from the plurality of data agent components to the first storage devices, wherein different media agent components are configured to store at least portions of the first set of data in different formats on the different storage devices; and

a first storage manager component configured to receive instructions from the master storage manager component and manage the first plurality of data agent components and the first plurality of media agent components according to the instructions; and

a second storage operation cell hierarchically subordinate to the master storage manager component, wherein the second storage operation cell is logically separate from the first storage operation cell and includes

a second plurality of data agent components configured to access a second set of data of one or more second computing devices wherein different data agent components are configured to access and process different types of data in the second set of data;

a plurality of second storage devices wherein different storage devices in the second storage devices store data in different formats;

a second plurality of media agent components in communication with the second plurality of data agent components, the second plurality of media agents components configured to convey the second set of data from the plurality of data agent components to the second storage devices, wherein different media agent components are configured to format at least portions of the second set of data into the different formats on the different storage devices; and

a second storage manager component configured to receive instructions from the master storage manager component and manage the second plurality of data agent components and the second plurality of media agent components according to the instructions; and

wherein the information relating to operation of the hierarchical storage system includes information relating to the operation of the first and second plurality of media agent components;

analyzing, by the computing system, the information relating to operation of the plurality of media agent components wherein the analyzing includes at least analyzing a trend in usage of the first and second plurality of media agent components;

based at least in part on the trend in usage of the first and second plurality of media agent components, automatically load balancing the different media agent components in the first and second plurality of media agent components.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein accessing information relating to operation of the hierarchical storage system comprises accessing information representing past operation of the hierarchical storage system.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein accessing information relating to operation of the hierarchical storage system comprises accessing information relating to operation of the hierarchical storage system during a specified time period of interest.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the specified time period of interest is specified by a user.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the specified time period of interest is determined by software.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising identifying new storage devices is based, at least in part, on a comparison of predicted growth in the hierarchical storage system, with operational requirements or preferences of the hierarchical storage system.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising identifying new storage system devices by:

determining a difference, if any, between a current state of storage system operation and storage system operational requirements or preferences;

determining at what point in the future, if any, based on the prediction of hierarchical growth, that storage system operation exceeds storage system operational requirements or preferences; and

identifying new storage devices such that storage system operational requirements or preferences are not exceeded.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein analyzing the information includes analyzing storage components specified by a user.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein analyzing the information includes analyzing clients or sub-clients.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein analyzing the information includes analyzing storage devices.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein analyzing the information includes analyzing data transfer paths.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein analyzing the information includes analyzing a growth of one or more of the storage components of the group consisting of:

clients or sub-clients, media agents, storage devices and storage media and data transfer paths.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein analyzing the information comprises analyzing a utilization of storage components.

14. A hierarchical storage system, comprising:

a processor;

a memory;

multiple storage operation cells, a storage operation cell comprising;

a plurality of data agent components for accessing data of one or more computing devices in the storage system, wherein different data agent components are configured to access and process different types of data in the first set of data;

a plurality of storage devices, wherein different storage devices in the plurality of storage devices store data in different formats;

a plurality of media agent components for communicating with one or more of the plurality of data agent components and storing the data of the one or more computing devices on the storage devices, wherein different media agent components are configured to store at least portions of the first set of data in different formats on the different storage devices; and

a storage manager component for managing the data agent component and the media agent component;

a master storage manager component that is hierarchically superior to the multiple storage operation cells, wherein the master storage manager component is configured to provide instructions to the storage manager components of the multiple storage operation cells for managing the data agent components and the media agent components;

an analysis and prediction module associated with the master storage manager component, the analysis and prediction module configured to;

receive information related to storage activities of the plurality of media agent components of the multiple storage operation cells that are hierarchically subordinate to the master storage manager component, wherein the information includes information relating to the usage of the media agent components; and

based at least in part on the trend in the usage of the plurality of media agent components, automatically load balancing the different media agents in the plurality of media agent components.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the reporting module generates performance reports based on components of the hierarchical storage system specified by a user.

16. The system of claim 14, further comprising a reporting module that generates performance reports based on pre-existing components of the hierarchical storage system specified by a user.

17. The system of claim 14, further comprising a reporting module generates one or more performance reports based on analysis of data relating to clients or sub-clients associated with one or more storage operation cells.

18. The system of claim 14, further comprising a reporting module that generates one or more performance reports based on analysis of data relating to storage devices associated with one or more storage operation cells.

19. The system of claim 14, further comprising a reporting module generates one or more performance reports based on analysis of data relating to data transfer paths associated with one or more storage operation cells.

20. The system of claim 14, wherein the computing system is further configured to forecast a need for total data storage capacity in the storage system at a specific time T1 that is after a time T₀.

21. The system of claim 14 wherein the computing system is further configured to access information regarding a usage rate of the total data storage capacity of the storage system resources, and predict total data storage capacity in the storage system based upon the usage rate.