Data classification and management using tap network architecture

• US 8,612,570 B1
• Filed: 06/30/2007
• Issued: 12/17/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Emc IP Holding Company LLC (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: EMC Corporation (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Nair, Manoj, Perrin, Stephen R.
• Primary Examiner(s): CHRISTENSEN, SCOTT B
• Application Number:
  US11/772,192
• Time in Patent Office: 2,362 Days
• Field of Search: 709/223, 709/224
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/16 File or folder operations, e.g. details of user interfaces specifically adapted to file systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5003 Managing SLA; Interaction between SLA and QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/028 by filtering
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/04 Processing captured monitoring data, e.g. for logfile generation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/12 Network monitoring probes

Abstract

In a networked computer system, a method and system for classifying and managing the data objects in a data signal in a computer system comprising using a network tap to tap the data signal transmitted between two devices in the system, collecting information about the data objects in the data signal, classifying the data objects to assign categories based on the collected information about the data object, and storing the results of the classification.

Claims

1. In a networked computer system where data objects are transferred in the networked computer system in data signals over network infrastructure, a method for classifying and managing the data objects stored in the computer system, the method comprising:

tapping a data signal in the computer system using a tapping device connected to the network, the tapping device connected with an information management server configured to provide information management in the networked computer system, wherein the data signals in the computer system, including the data signal, transmit the data objects between devices in the computer system during operation of the computer network;

collecting information about the data objects transmitted in the data signal with the tapping device without disrupting operation of the computer system during routine transmission of the data objects in the computer system by the data signals, wherein the collected information is collected by the information management server using the tapping device;

storing the collected information, by the information management server, in a repository associated with the information management server;

classifying, by the information management server, the data objects stored in the computer system to assign categories to the data objects based on the collected information about the data objects, wherein the categories are stored by the information management server wherein the information management system differentiates between data objects that require services and data objects that do not require services based on the categories assigned to the data objects;

storing, by the information management server, the results of the classification in the repository, wherein the information management server identifies services for each of the data objects stored in the computer system using the results of the classification including the categories assigned to the data objects; and

orchestrating, by the information management server, the services for each of the data objects stored in the computer system according to the results of the classification.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein collecting information about the data objects included in the data signal comprises collecting information about the content and/or the metadata of the data objects.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein classifying the data objects to assign categories to the data objects further comprises applying rules to each data object, wherein the rules use the content of the data object and/or metadata associated with the data object.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising generating additional metadata regarding each data object such that the additional metadata is used during classification of the data object.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein generating additional metadata includes indexing each relevant data object.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising mapping the categories assigned to each object to service level objectives to select service levels that include one or more services and orchestrating the one or more services.

7. The method of claim 3, further comprising applying rules that include an analysis of the content of the data object or the metadata associated with the data object to assign the categories to the data object.

8. The method of claim 3, wherein the rules include one or more of hash rules, content analyzer rules, and classifier rules.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein tapping a data signal further comprises at least one of:

tapping a data signal to a backup server;

tapping a data signal to an archive server;

tapping a data signal to a file server;

tapping a signal to a database;

or

tapping a signal to a storage system.

10. An information management system including an information management server for classifying and managing data objects stored in a networked computer system, the system comprising:

a tapping device capable of tapping a data signal in the networked computer system, wherein the data signal is transmitted between two devices in a networked computer system, wherein the data signal includes data objects being transmitted between the two devices and wherein the data objects transmitted in the data signal are stored in the networked computer system;

a tap adapter that communicates with the tapping device; and

wherein the information management server is capable of collecting information about the data objects transmitted in the tapped data signal and classifying the data objects to assign categories to each of the data objects based on the collected information about the data object,

wherein the information management server collects the information by tapping the data signal during transmission of the data objects within the computer network in the data signal,

wherein the collected information is stored in a repository associated with the information management server and the data objects are stored in the networked computer system,

wherein the information management server identifies services for each of the data objects stored in the networked computer system according to the categories assigned to the data objects,

wherein the information management provided by the information management server differentiates between data objects that require services and data objects that do not requires the services based on the assigned categories,

wherein the information management server differentiates between the services provided to the data objects stored in the networked computer system such that data objects stored in the networked computer system receive services according to their corresponding assigned categories.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the repository is capable of storing the results of the data classification, wherein the repository is connected to either the tapping device or the information management server.

12. The system of claim 10, further comprising a plurality of tapping devices that act as a federation to perform information management functions on data objects included in data signals transmitted in the networked computer system.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the information management server delegates intelligence to the tapping device and an associated repository such that the tapping device performs at least one of discovery of data objects, classification of data objects, and service level mapping, wherein result generated by the tapping device are transmitted to the information management server.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the plurality of repositories connected to the tapping devices are connected to the information management server and form a federated repository of stored classification results.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the information management server generates and responds to queries by communicating with the federated repository of stored classification results.

14. In a networked computer system, a method for classifying and managing data objects stored in the networked computer system, the method comprising:

using a plurality of tapping devices to tap a plurality of data signals in the computer system, the plurality of tapping devices connected with an information management server configured to provide information management for the data objects in the networked computer system, the plurality of tapping devices connected to the networked computer system in a manner to tap the data signals transmitted in the networked computer system, wherein the data objects transmitted in the data signals are stored in storage in the networked computer system;

collecting information about the data objects included in the plurality of data signals using the plurality of tapping devices without disrupting transmission of the data signals in the networked computer system;

storing the collected information in a plurality of repositories associated with the information management server such that the collected information is independent of the data objects;

classifying the data objects to assign categories to the data objects based on the collected information, the categories stored by the information management server in the plurality of repositories; and

storing the results of the classification in the plurality of repositories connected to the plurality of tapping devices,

wherein the information management server identifies services for each of the data objects stored in the networked computer system using the results of the classification including the categories assigned to the data objects,

wherein the information management provided by the information management server differentiates between data objects that require services and data objects that do not requires the services based on the results of the classification including the assigned categories,

wherein the information management server differentiates between services provided to the data objects stored in the networked computer system such that data objects receive services according to their corresponding assigned categories.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein collecting information about the data objects in the data signals comprises collecting information about the content or the metadata of the data objects.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein classifying the object to assign categories to each object further comprises:

applying rules to each data object, wherein the rules use the content of the data object or the metadata associated with the data object;

generating additional metadata regarding each data object such that the additional metadata is used during classification of the data object; and

applying rules that include an analysis of the content or metadata of the data object, wherein the rules include one or more of hash rules, content analyzer rules, and classifier rules; and

assigning one or more categories to each data object.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising delegating a portion of information management classification to at least one of the plurality of tapping devices, wherein the delegated portion of information management includes at least one of discovery, classification, and service level mapping, wherein results of the portion of information management are returned to an information management server.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising mapping the categories assigned to each object to service level objectives to select service levels that include one or more services and orchestrating the one or more services.