Decoupled installation of data management systems

• US 8,943,183 B2
• Filed: 12/01/2009
• Issued: 01/27/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CommVault Systems Incorporated
• Original Assignee: CommVault Systems Incorporated
• Inventors: Prahlad, Anand, Gokhale, Parag, Alonzo, Christopher A., Kavuri, Srinivas
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu, Viet
• Assistant Examiner(s): BELCHER, HERMAN A
• Application Number:
  US12/628,890
• Publication Number:
  US 20100161773A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,883 Days
• Field of Search: 709/221, 717/174
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44505 Configuring for program initiating, e.g. using registry, configuration files

Abstract

Systems and methods for providing decoupled installation of data management systems used in conjunction with computer networks are disclosed. The method comprises installing data storage software in order to facilitate communication with a second computer in order to perform data storage operations. The software may be installed without knowledge of the second computer and/or the ability to communicate with the second computer. During the installation process, configuration parameters are obtained by the first computer and stored in a data structure. At least a portion of the configuration parameters recorded in the data structure is also provided to the second computer. The first and second computers subsequently communicate in order to register the first computer for use with the second computer.

Claims

1. A method of decoupled installation of data storage software, comprising:

monitoring, with a storage manager comprising computer hardware having one or more computer processors, primary data created by different software applications executing on at least first and second client computers, the primary data further comprising data types associated with native formats of the different software applications executing on the first and second client computers, the first and second client computers in communication with the storage manager via a network;

installing data storage software on a third client computer that is decoupled from the network,

wherein during installation of the data storage software on the third client computer, the third client computer does not have access to the storage manager,

wherein during installation of the data storage software on the third client computer, the third client computer does not communicate with the storage manager,

wherein during the installation of the data storage software on the third client computer, storage manager configuration parameters associated with the storage manager are unknown to the installer of the data storage software, and

wherein the installation stores a plurality of client computer configuration parameters associated with the third client computer on the third client computer while the third client computer is decoupled from the network, wherein the client computer configuration parameters comprise at least an index cache folder that stores index data associated with data storage operations, a client time zone, a client name and a hostname;

coupling the third client computer to the network and listening to network traffic on the network with the third client computer to determine whether the storage manager is available via the network;

sending a ping from the third client computer to the storage manager to verify that the storage manager is available via the network;

after the third client computer verifies that the storage manager is available, communicating from the third client computer to the storage manager at least a portion of the client computer configuration parameters comprising at least information about the index cache folder, the client time zone, the client name and the hostname;

comparing at the storage manager, the client computer configuration parameters stored by the third client computer with the storage manager configuration parameters associated with the storage manager, and when discrepancies exist, automatically resolving the discrepancies based on whether parameters are client dominant parameters or server dominant parameters, the client dominant parameters comprising at least the index cache folder and the client time zone, the server dominant parameters comprising at least the client name and the hostname, wherein automatically resolving the discrepancies comprises;

for the client dominant parameters;

automatically setting the index cache folder based on the client computer configuration parameters, and

automatically setting the client time zone based on the client computer configuration parameters,

for the server dominant parameters;

automatically setting the client name and the hostname based on the storage manager configuration parameters; and

using the computer name and the hostname to direct the data storage software on the third client computer to perform the data storage operations; and

monitoring with the storage manager, primary data created by the different software applications executing on the third client computer, the primary data further comprising data types associated with the native formats of the different software applications executing on the third client computer.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the storage manager communicates with a secondary data storage system capable of performing data storage operations.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the data storage operations comprise at least one of storage resource management operations and hierarchical storage management operations.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the third client computer comprises at least one of a client and a management component which provides instructions to transmit data to or from a client and a plurality of storage devices.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the client computer configuration parameters installed while the third client computer is decoupled from the network comprise at least one of a client computer display name, an operating system of the client computer, a plurality of hardware identifiers, a plurality of software information management (SIM) parameters, a plurality of platforms installed on the client computer, a plurality of selected folders, a client computer time zone, a designation of physical or virtual machine status, an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) identifier, a globally unique identifier (GUID), a server hostname, and a clock skew.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the client computer configuration parameters installed while the third client computer is decoupled from the network are supplied by a software installation application.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein substantially all of the client computer configuration parameters are discovered by the third client computer during software installation.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein during the comparison of the client computer configuration parameters with the storage manager configuration parameters, a discrepancy between the client computer configuration parameters and the storage manager configuration parameters causes the installation of the data storage software to fail so as to inhibit communication between the third client computer and the storage manager.

9. A system for decoupled installation of data storage software, comprising:

a storage manager comprising computer hardware having one or more computer processors, the storage manager configured to monitor primary data created by different software applications executing on at least first and second client computers, the primary data further comprising data types associated with native formats of the different software applications executing on the first and second client computers, the first and second client computers in communication with the storage manager via a network;

a third client computer possessing installed data storage software,

wherein during installation of the data storage software on the third client, the third client computer is decoupled from the network,

wherein during installation of the data storage software on the third client, the third client computer does not communicate with the storage manager,

wherein during the installation of the data storage software on the third client computer, storage manager configuration parameters associated with the storage manager are unknown to the installer of the data storage software,

wherein the installation stores a plurality of client computer configuration parameters associated with the third client computer on the third client computer while the third client computer is decoupled from the network, wherein the client computer configuration parameters comprise at least an index cache folder that stores index data associated with data storage operations, a client time zone, a client name and a hostname;

wherein after the third client computer is coupled to the network, the third client computer is configured to listen to network traffic on the network to determine whether the storage manager is available via the network;

wherein the third client computer is configured to send a ping from the third client computer to the storage manager to verify that the storage manager is available via the network;

wherein after the third client computer verifies that the storage manager is available, the third client computer is configured to send to the storage manager, at least a portion of the client computer configuration parameters comprising at least information about the index cache folder, the client time zone, the client name and the hostname,

wherein the storage manager is configured to compare the client computer configuration parameters from the third client computer with the storage manager configuration parameters, and when discrepancies exist, automatically resolving the discrepancies based on whether parameters are client dominant parameters or server dominant parameters, the client dominant parameters comprising at least the index cache folder and the client time zone, the server dominant parameters comprising at least the client name and the hostname, wherein automatically resolving the discrepancies comprises;

for the client dominant parameters;

automatically setting the index cache folder based on the client computer configuration parameters, and

automatically setting the client time zone based on the client computer configuration parameters,

for the server dominant parameters;

automatically setting the client name and the hostname based on the storage manager configuration parameters; and

wherein the storage manager is configured to use the computer name and the hostname to direct the data storage software on the third client computer to perform the data storage operations; and

wherein the storage manager is configured to monitor primary data created by the different software applications executing on the third client computer, the primary data further comprising data types associated with the native formats of the different software applications executing on the third client computer.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the storage manager communicates with a secondary data storage system capable of performing data storage operations.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the third client computer comprises at least one of a client and a management component which provides instructions to transmit data to or from a client and a plurality of storage devices.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the client computer configuration parameters installed while the third client computer is decoupled from the network comprise at least one of a client computer display name, an operating system of the client computer, a plurality of hardware identifiers, a plurality of software information management (SIM) parameters, a plurality of platforms installed on the client computer, a plurality of selected folders, a client computer time zone, a designation of physical or virtual machine status, an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) identifier, a globally unique identifier (GUID), a server hostname, and a clock skew.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein at least a portion of the client configuration parameters installed while the third client computer is decoupled from the network are provided to the third client computer from a third computer.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein registration comprises comparison of the client computer configuration parameters with the storage manager configuration parameters, and wherein:

a discrepancy between the client configuration parameters and the storage manager configuration parameters causes the installation to fail.