Systems and methods for using metadata to enhance data identification operations

• US 8,725,737 B2
• Filed: 09/11/2012
• Issued: 05/13/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CommVault Systems Incorporated
• Original Assignee: CommVault Systems Incorporated
• Inventors: Prahlad, Anand, Schwartz, Jeremy Alan, Ngo, David, Brockway, Brian, Muller, Marcus S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Moser, Bruce
• Application Number:
  US13/610,691
• Publication Number:
  US 20130007002A1
• Time in Patent Office: 609 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 707/739
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1435 using file system or storage system metadata
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1451 by selection of backup contents
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1461 Backup scheduling policy
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1464 for networked environments
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1466 to make the backup process non-disruptive
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1471 involving logging of persistent data for recovery
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/11 File system administration, e.g. details of archiving or snapshots file system backup G06F11/14
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/119 Details of migration of file systems migration mechanisms in storage systems G06F3/0647
• 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 16/134 Distributed indices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/14 Details of searching files based on file metadata
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/148 File search processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/16 File or folder operations, e.g. details of user interfaces specifically adapted to file systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/1727 Details of free space management performed by the file system saving storage space on storage systems G06F3/0608; management of blocks in storage devices G06F3/064
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/1734 Details of monitoring file system events, e.g. by the use of hooks, filter drivers, logs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/182 Distributed file systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/22 Indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2228 Indexing structures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/245 Query processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24575 using context
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/285 : Clustering or classification
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/80 : Database-specific techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0604 : Improving or facilitating administration, e.g. storage management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0605 : by facilitating the interaction with a user or administrator
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0649 : Lifecycle management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0685 : Hybrid storage combining heterogeneous device types, e.g. hierarchical storage, hybrid arrays
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 : Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99948 : Application of database or data structure, e.g. distributed, multimedia, or image
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99955 : Archiving or backup

Abstract

Systems and methods for managing electronic data are disclosed. Various data management operations can be performed based on a metabase formed from metadata. Such metadata can be identified from an index of data interactions generated by a journaling module, and obtained from their associated data objects stored in one or more storage devices. In various embodiments, such processing of the index and storing of the metadata can facilitate, for example, enhanced data management operations, enhanced data identification operations, enhanced storage operations, data classification for organizing and storing the metadata, cataloging of metadata for the stored metadata, and/or user interfaces for managing data. In various embodiments, the metabase can be configured in different ways. For example, the metabase can be stored separately from the data objects so as to allow obtaining of information about the data objects without accessing the data objects or a data structure used by a file system.

Claims

1. A method for performing data identification operations involving electronic data, the method comprising:

receiving an index generated by a journal application, the index identifying data interactions made by at least one other application to one or more data objects on a storage device;

updating, based on the index, metadata stored in a metabase, wherein the updating comprises accessing the one or more data objects to obtain first metadata about the data objects;

receiving selected criteria identifying one or more properties of at least one data object;

creating second metadata in the metabase that identifies one or more data objects which meet the selected criteria;

in response to a request for data objects that meet the selected criteria, accessing the metabase according to the selected criteria without accessing the one or more data objects on the storage device; and

identifying, based on the accessing, the at least one data object that satisfies the selected criteria.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the first and second metadata in the metabase is stored separately from the data objects.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising accessing at least one of the first or second metadata associated with the data objects one or more times to update the metabase.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein updating the metabase comprises:

determining whether a selected entry in the index of data interactions has an existing record in the metabase;

if no record exists corresponding to the selected entry, creating a new record in the metabase; and

updating the existing record or the new record with at least a part of the information obtained from the selected entry.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the selection criteria comprises a permission level.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the first metadata further comprises at least one of:

a last modified time, a last accessed time, a data object size and an application type.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the metadata is associated with email and the index of data interactions is generated by a journaling program.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the metadata comprises at least one of the group consisting of:

to/from information for email, creation date, last accessed time, and application type.

9. A system for performing data identification operations involving electronic data, the system comprising:

computer hardware comprising one or more computer processors, wherein the one or more computer processors are configured to receive an index generated by a journal application, the index identifying data interactions made by at least one other application to one or more data objects on a storage device;

the one or more computer processors further configured to update, based on the index, metadata electronically stored in a metabase, wherein the one or more computer processors are configured to access the one or more data objects to obtain first metadata about the data objects;

the one or more computer processors further configured to receive selected criteria identifying one or more properties of at least one data object;

the one or more computer processors further configured to create second metadata in the metabase that identifies one or more data objects which meet the selected criteria;

in response to a request for data objects that meet the selected criteria, the one or more computer processors configured to access the metabase without accessing the one or more data objects on the storage device; and

the one or more computer processors further configured to identify, based on the accessing, the at least one data object that satisfies the selected criteria.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the first and second metadata in the metabase is stored separately from the data objects.

11. The system of claim 9 further comprising accessing at least one of the first or second metadata associated with the data objects one or more times to update the metabase.

12. The system of claim 9 further comprising:

the one or more computer processors further configured to determine whether a selected entry in the index of data interactions has an existing record in the metabase;

if no record exists corresponding to the selected entry, the one or more computer processors further configured to create a new record in the metabase; and

the one or more computer processors further configured to update the existing record or the new record with at least a part of the information obtained from the selected entry.

13. The system of claim 9 wherein the selection criteria comprises a permission level.

14. The system of claim 9 wherein the first metadata further comprises at least one of:

a last modified time, a last accessed time, a data object size and an application type.

15. The system of claim 9 wherein the metadata is associated with email and the index of data interactions is generated by a journaling program.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the metadata comprises at least one of the group consisting of:

to/from information for email, creation date, last accessed time, and application type.