Storage management operations based on executable files served on demand to storage management components

• US 9,609,058 B2
• Filed: 10/13/2014
• Issued: 03/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CommVault Systems Incorporated
• Original Assignee: CommVault Systems Incorporated
• Inventors: Vallabhaneni, Brahmaiah, Kumarasamy, Paramasivam
• Primary Examiner(s): Srivastava, Vivek
• Assistant Examiner(s): CELANI, NICHOLAS P
• Application Number:
  US14/513,049
• Publication Number:
  US 20160105504A1
• Time in Patent Office: 897 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1097 for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/561 Adding application-functional data or data for application control, e.g. adding metadata

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed for speedily upgrading (e.g., via service packs) components of a storage management system, such as media agents and data agents, which may number in the thousands. The disclosed methods and systems provide a lightweight and flexible approach. Executable files such as service packs are deployed to a network-shared file system and are served on demand to each targeted host computing device to launch a data agent and/or media agent component. New service packs (e.g., upgrades) are installed on another shared drive and the connection thereto is refreshed by each targeted storage management component to begin executing the new version on demand. The resultant overall upgrade process across the storage management system may be substantially shortened, and the network burden greatly reduced.

Claims

1. A method for upgrading components of a storage management system, the method comprising:

receiving, by a storage manager that manages storage operations in the storage management system, files for upgrading a plurality of data agents that take part in performing at least some of the storage management operations,

wherein the upgrading is from a second version of a data agent to a first version of the data agent that is different from the second version;

processing the received files by the storage manager to;

(a) generate one or more executable files of the first version of the data agent, and

(b) extract metadata about the first version of the data agent;

storing by the storage manager the one or more executable files of the first version of the data agent to a first network-shared file system that is configured as unattached to a client computing device executing a second version of the data agent;

exporting, by the storage manager, the unattached first network-shared file system to the client computing device;

transmitting, by the storage manager to the second version of the data agent executing on the client computing device, one or more first messages comprising (A) the extracted metadata about the first version of the data agent, (B) instructions to release from an attached second network-shared file system and attach to the first network-shared file system, and (C) an indication that the second version of the data agent should complete ongoing storage management operations it is taking part in before stopping execution;

in response to the one or more first messages;

(i) saving, by the second version of the data agent, to a local storage device associated with the client computing device, the received metadata,

(ii) releasing, by the second version of the data agent, the second network-shared file system that is configured as attached thereto, after the ongoing storage management operations that the second version of the data agent took part in are completed,

(iii) attaching, by the second version of the data agent, to the first network-shared file system, and

(iv) stopping execution of the second version of the data agent on the client computing device;

upgrading the data agent from the second version to the first version by executing, by the client computing device, based at least in part on the saved metadata, the one or more executable files of the first version of the data agent,

which executable files are served to the client computing device from the attached first network-shared file system; and

taking part by the upgraded data agent executing on the client computing device in performing at least one further storage management operation managed by the storage manager.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

configuring on the client computing device a designation for a connection to a file-sharing server;

wherein the releasing and attaching operations result from an instruction received from the storage manager for the client computing device to refresh the designated connection.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

targeting by the storage manager one or more data agents from the plurality of data agents for upgrading from the second version to the first version;

wherein the storage manager transmits the one or more first messages only to the targeted one or more data agents.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the

one or more first messages from the storage manager comprise a notification to the second version of the data agent that a different version is available for upgrading.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the

processing of the received files by the storage manager to generate the one or more executable files of the first version of the data agent comprises one or more of decompressing the files and decrypting the files.

6. A storage management system comprising:

a computing device that hosts a second version of a storage management agent for participating in storage management operations in the storage management system, wherein the storage management agent is one of a data agent and a media agent;

a local storage device associated with the computing device;

a first network-shared file system configured as unattached from the computing device;

a second network-shared file system configured as attached to the computing device using a connection identifier;

a storage manager for managing the storage management operations in the storage management system, wherein the storage manager is in communication with the computing device, the first network-shared file system, and the second network-shared file system;

wherein the storage manager is configured to generate one or more executable files of the first version of the storage management agent and to extract metadata therefrom about the first version of the storage management agent;

wherein the storage manager is further configured to upgrade the storage management agent from the second version to the first version, wherein the first version is different from the second version, and wherein to perform the upgrade the storage manager is configured to;

store the one or more executable files of the first storage management agent to the first network-shared file system,

export the unattached first network-shared file system to the computing device,

transmit one or more first messages to the second version of the storage management agent that instruct the second storage management agent to;

(i) save the extracted metadata to the local storage device, (ii) refresh the connection using the connection identifier thereby causing a release of the second network-shared file system, and further causing the first network-shared file system to attach to the computing device, and (iii) stop executing on the computing device after the storage management agent completes ongoing storage management operations it is taking part in, and

transmit to the computing device one or more second messages that instruct the computing device to activate the first version of the storage management agent by executing the one or more executable files served from the first network-shared file system;

wherein the computing device is configured to, in response to the one or more second messages received from the storage manager, execute the one or more executable files served from the attached first network-shared file system, thereby completing the upgrade of the storage management agent from the second version to the first version; and

wherein the storage manager is further configured to instruct the upgraded storage management agent to resume storage management operations managed by the storage manager.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein

the storage manager is further configured to target one or more storage management agents, from a plurality of storage management agents operating in the storage management system, for upgrading from the second version to the first version;

and

wherein the one or more first messages from the storage manager are transmitted only to the targeted one or more storage management agents.

8. The system of claim 6 wherein the

one or more first messages from the storage manager comprise a notification to the second version of the storage management agent that a different version is available for an upgrade.

9. The system of claim 6 wherein

to generate the one or more executable files of the first version of the storage management agent the storage manager is further configured to one or more of decompress received files and decrypt the received files.