Scalable auxiliary copy processing using media agent resources
First Claim
1. A method for processing auxiliary-copy jobs in a storage management system using media agent resources to offload a storage manager that centrally manages the storage management system, the method comprising:
- coordinating, by a first media agent, the execution of a plurality of auxiliary-copy jobs in the storage management system,wherein each auxiliary-copy job in the plurality of auxiliary-copy jobs comprises generating a second copy of a first copy of data generated in the storage management system, wherein the second copy is designated an auxiliary copy;
requesting, by the first media agent, from the storage manager, one or more reservations for respective one or more data streams to be used for data transfer in at least a first auxiliary-copy job in the plurality of auxiliary-copy jobs;
assigning, by the first media agent, the first auxiliary-copy job to a second media agent to execute, based at least in part on one or more data streams reserved for the first auxiliary-job by the storage manager;
executing the first auxiliary-copy job, by the second media agent, based on job-specific metadata fetched by the second media agent from the storage manager after the assigning of the first auxiliary-copy job by the first media agent to the second media agent; and
wherein the coordinating of the execution of the plurality of auxiliary-copy jobs is performed by the first media agent instead of the storage manager, andfurther wherein the coordinating is based on (a) the first media agent obtaining data stream reservations from the storage manager via the requesting operation, and (b) the first media agent assigning at least one of the plurality of auxiliary-copy jobs, including the first auxiliary-copy job, to the second media agent.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A scalable approach is disclosed for processing auxiliary-copy jobs in a storage management system by using distributed media agent resources instead of a centralized storage manager. Enhanced media agents coordinate and control auxiliary-copy jobs and tap the storage manager to reserve data streams and provide job-specific metadata on demand. An enhanced storage manager may initially select a media agent as “coordinator” to coordinate auxiliary-copy jobs with any number of other media agents, which act as “controllers.” A coordinator media agent is generally responsible for obtaining data stream reservation information from the storage manager and assigning auxiliary-copy jobs to respective controller media agents, based on the components involved in the respective reserved data streams.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method for processing auxiliary-copy jobs in a storage management system using media agent resources to offload a storage manager that centrally manages the storage management system, the method comprising:
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coordinating, by a first media agent, the execution of a plurality of auxiliary-copy jobs in the storage management system, wherein each auxiliary-copy job in the plurality of auxiliary-copy jobs comprises generating a second copy of a first copy of data generated in the storage management system, wherein the second copy is designated an auxiliary copy; requesting, by the first media agent, from the storage manager, one or more reservations for respective one or more data streams to be used for data transfer in at least a first auxiliary-copy job in the plurality of auxiliary-copy jobs; assigning, by the first media agent, the first auxiliary-copy job to a second media agent to execute, based at least in part on one or more data streams reserved for the first auxiliary-job by the storage manager; executing the first auxiliary-copy job, by the second media agent, based on job-specific metadata fetched by the second media agent from the storage manager after the assigning of the first auxiliary-copy job by the first media agent to the second media agent; and wherein the coordinating of the execution of the plurality of auxiliary-copy jobs is performed by the first media agent instead of the storage manager, and further wherein the coordinating is based on (a) the first media agent obtaining data stream reservations from the storage manager via the requesting operation, and (b) the first media agent assigning at least one of the plurality of auxiliary-copy jobs, including the first auxiliary-copy job, to the second media agent. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method for processing auxiliary-copy jobs in a storage management system using media agent resources to offload a storage manager that manages the storage management system, the method comprising:
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coordinating, by a first media agent instead of the storage manager, the execution of a plurality of auxiliary-copy jobs in the storage management system, wherein each auxiliary-copy job in the plurality of auxiliary-copy jobs comprises generating a second copy of a first copy of data generated in the storage management system, wherein the second copy is designated an auxiliary copy; wherein the coordinating comprises the first media agent assigning each of the plurality of auxiliary-copy jobs to a respective one of one or more other media agents in the storage management system, wherein the assigning is based at least in part on data stream reservations made by the storage manager in response to one or more requests made thereto by the first media agent, and wherein the assigning is further based on components involved in each respective reserved data stream, and wherein the coordinating comprises assigning, by the first media agent, the first auxiliary-copy job to a second media agent among the one or more other media agents; and executing the first auxiliary-copy job, by the second media agent, based on job-specific metadata fetched by the second media agent from the storage manager after the assigning of the first auxiliary-copy job by the first media agent to the second media agent. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A method for processing auxiliary-copy jobs in a storage management system using media agent resources to offload a storage manager that manages the storage management system, the method comprising:
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coordinating, by a first media agent, the execution of a plurality of auxiliary-copy jobs in the storage management system, wherein each auxiliary-copy job in the plurality of auxiliary-copy jobs generates a second copy of a first copy of data generated in the storage management system, wherein the second copy is designated an auxiliary copy; wherein the coordinating comprises the first media agent assigning each auxiliary-copy job in the plurality of auxiliary-copy jobs to a respective one of one or more other media agents in the storage management system including, assigning the first auxiliary-copy job, by the first media agent to a second media agent among the one or more other media agents, and wherein the coordinating further comprises requesting, by the first media agent from the storage manager, one or more reservations for respective one or more data streams to be used for data transfer in at least the first auxiliary-copy job, and wherein the assigning of the first auxiliary-copy job by the first media agent to the second media agent is based on resources for reserved one or more data streams for the first auxiliary-copy job; fetching, by the second media agent, job-specific metadata about the first auxiliary-copy job from the storage manager in the storage management system; and executing the first auxiliary-copy job, by the second media agent, based on the job-specific metadata fetched from the storage manager. - View Dependent Claims (20)
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Specification