Systems and methods for performing replication copy storage operations

• US 8,463,751 B2
• Filed: 09/16/2011
• Issued: 06/11/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CommVault Systems Incorporated
• Original Assignee: CommVault Systems Incorporated
• Inventors: Kottomtharayil, Rajiv
• Primary Examiner(s): Alam, Shahid
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bullock, Joshua
• Application Number:
  US13/235,292
• Publication Number:
  US 20120030171A1
• Time in Patent Office: 634 Days
• Field of Search: 707/640, 707/655, 711/162
• US Class Current: 707/655
• 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 16/184 implemented as replicated file system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/27 Replication, distribution or synchronisation of data between databases or within a distributed database system; Distributed database system architectures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0619 in relation to data integrity, e.g. data losses, bit errors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0647 Migration mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/065 Replication mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/067 Distributed or networked storage systems, e.g. storage area networks [SAN], network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99955 Archiving or backup

Abstract

A system and method are provided for performing storage operations relating to a first secondary copy of electronic data. A storage policy or storage preferences may dictate that a replication copy should be used in storage operations performed to a particular client, sub-client, data, media or other item. Based on the storage policy, when a new client, sub-client, data, media or other item is received, a media agent determines whether there is a replication copy of the item. In the absence of a replication copy, one may be created. Information regarding the replication copy and its corresponding first secondary copy may be stored in a database. To optimize use of system resources, storage operations relating to the first secondary copy may be performed using the replication copy instead of the first secondary copy.

Claims

1. A method for performing a storage operation using a replication copy, the method comprising:

receiving from a management module executing on computer hardware comprising at least one computer processor, an instruction to perform a storage operation on a first set of data stored on a first storage volume;

receiving a storage policy indicating that the storage operation should be performed, on the first set of data stored on the first storage volume;

determining that a replication copy is available on a second storage volume, wherein the replication copy is comprises a second set of data that is a copy of the first set of data;

calculating a priority metric based on at least a priority associated with the storage operation; and

performing the storage operation on the second set of data associated with the replication copy on the second storage volume rather than the first set of data on the first storage volume, based on the availability of the replication copy and based on the priority metric wherein the storage operation on the second set of data in the replication copy creates a third set of data that is a copy of at least a portion of the first and second sets of data.

2. The method of claim 1, additionally comprising updating an index to indicate completion of the storage operation.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said updating comprises modifying the index to indicate that the storage operation was performed on the first set of data after the storage operation was performed on the replication copy.

4. The method of claim 1, additionally comprising generating the first set of data by creating a copy of a set of production data of a particular software application.

5. The method of claim 4, additionally comprising additionally comprising monitoring changes to the production data with a filter driver.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said generating the first set of data comprises processing a log file containing a least a portion of the changes monitored by the filter driver.

7. The method of claim 1, additionally comprising generating the replication copy via a snapshot operation.

8. The method of claim 1, additionally comprising generating the replication copy via a mirroring operation.

9. The method of claim 1, additionally comprising performing a second storage operation on the first set of data, wherein the second storage operation at least partially overlaps the first storage operation.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining further comprises determining if the replication is online or offline.

11. A storage management system for performing a storage operation, the system comprising:

a media agent component executing on computer hardware comprising at least one computer processor, the media agent component configured to access a first copy of production data stored in a first storage volume and a second copy of the production data stored in a second storage volume;

a storage management component communicatively coupled to the media agent component and configured to,

receive a storage operation request relating to the first copy of the production data, and

determine that a the second copy of the production data is available on a second storage volume, wherein the replication copy is comprises a second set of data that is a copy of the first set of data;

calculate a priority metric based on at least a priority associated with the storage operation;

and wherein the media agent component is further configured to perform the storage operation using the second set of data associated with the second copy on the second storage volume rather than the first copy on the first storage volume based on the availability of the second volume and based on the priority metric wherein the storage operation on the second set of data in the replication copy creates a third set of data that is a copy of both the first and second sets of data.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the storage management component is configured to instruct the media agent component to perform the storage operation.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the storage management component is further configured to compare the priority metric with a predetermined threshold.

14. The system of claim 11, further comprising a replication agent configured to generate the second copy of the production data based on the first copy of the production data.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the storage management component is configured to access a database to identify the second copy of the production data in response to said receiving the storage operation request relating to the first copy of the production data.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the media agent is configured to access a storage operation schedule to determine the availability of the second copy of the production data.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the media agent is configured to access at least one of the first and second sets of data via a small computer system interface (SCSI) communications link.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the first storage volume comprises a faster access time than the second storage volume.