Administering a shared, on-line pool of data storage resources for performing data storage operations
First Claim
1. A method of creating secondary copies of data associated with user computing devices in a shared storage pool, comprising:
- using one or more computing devices comprising computer hardware;
receiving instructions to create a secondary copy of first data stored in primary storage associated with a first computing device in a networked pool of computing devices;
in response to the instructions to create the secondary copy of the first data, accessing a data structure associated with the first computing device that identifies a first subset of computing devices in the pool that are designated for sharing storage resources with the first computing device, wherein the remaining computing devices in the pool that are not in the subset are not designated for sharing storage resources with the first computing device;
instructing, by a storage manager residing on first computer hardware, the first computing device to transmit the first data to a first media agent residing on second computer hardware and associated with at least one computing device in the pool and which creates the secondary copy of the first data in storage resources associated with a second computing device in the pool that is included in the first subset;
receiving instructions to create a secondary copy of second data stored in primary storage associated with a third computing device in the pool;
in response to the instructions to create the secondary copy of the second data, accessing a data structure associated with the third computing device that identifies a second subset of computing devices in the pool that are designated for sharing storage resources with the third computing device, the second subset including the first computing device; and
instructing, by the storage manager, the third computing device to transmit the second data to a second media agent residing on third computer hardware and associated with at least one computing device in the pool and which creates the secondary copy of the second data in storage resources associated with the first computing device.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A data storage system according to certain aspects manages and administers the sharing of storage resources among clients in the shared storage pool. The shared storage pool according to certain aspects can provide readily available remote storage to clients in the pool. A share list for each client may be used to determine where data is stored within the storage pool. The share list may include clients that are known to each client, and therefore, a user may feel more at ease storing the data on the clients in the storage pool. Management and administration of the storage pool and backup and restore jobs can be performed by an entity other than the client, making backup and restore more streamlined and simple for the clients in the pool.
103 Citations
22 Claims
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1. A method of creating secondary copies of data associated with user computing devices in a shared storage pool, comprising:
using one or more computing devices comprising computer hardware; receiving instructions to create a secondary copy of first data stored in primary storage associated with a first computing device in a networked pool of computing devices; in response to the instructions to create the secondary copy of the first data, accessing a data structure associated with the first computing device that identifies a first subset of computing devices in the pool that are designated for sharing storage resources with the first computing device, wherein the remaining computing devices in the pool that are not in the subset are not designated for sharing storage resources with the first computing device; instructing, by a storage manager residing on first computer hardware, the first computing device to transmit the first data to a first media agent residing on second computer hardware and associated with at least one computing device in the pool and which creates the secondary copy of the first data in storage resources associated with a second computing device in the pool that is included in the first subset; receiving instructions to create a secondary copy of second data stored in primary storage associated with a third computing device in the pool; in response to the instructions to create the secondary copy of the second data, accessing a data structure associated with the third computing device that identifies a second subset of computing devices in the pool that are designated for sharing storage resources with the third computing device, the second subset including the first computing device; and instructing, by the storage manager, the third computing device to transmit the second data to a second media agent residing on third computer hardware and associated with at least one computing device in the pool and which creates the secondary copy of the second data in storage resources associated with the first computing device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A system for creating secondary copies of data associated with user computing devices in a shared storage pool, the system comprising:
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a first data structure associated with a first computing device in a networked pool of computing devices and listing a first subset of computing devices in the pool that are designated for sharing storage resources with the first computing device; a second data structure associated with a third computing device in the pool and listing a second subset of computing devices in the pool that are designated for sharing storage resources with the third computing device, the second subset including the first computing device; and first computer hardware comprising a storage manager residing thereon, the storage manager configured to; receive instructions to create a secondary copy of first data stored in primary storage associated with the first computing device; in response to the instructions to create the secondary copy of the first data, access the first data structure to identify the first subset of computing devices in the pool, wherein the remaining computing devices in the pool that are not in the subset are not designated for sharing storage resources with the first computing device; instruct the first computing device to transmit the first data to a first media agent residing on second computer hardware and associated with at least one computing device in the pool which creates the secondary copy of the first data in storage resources associated with a second computing device; receive instructions to create a secondary copy of second data stored in primary storage associated with the third computing device; in response to the instructions to create the secondary copy of the second data, access the second data structure to identify the second subset of computing devices in the pool; and instruct the third computing device to transmit the second data to a second media agent residing on third computer hardware and associated with at least one computing device in the pool which creates the secondary copy of the second data in storage resources associated with the first computing device. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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Specification