Synchronizing selected portions of data in a storage management system
First Claim
1. A method for partially synchronizing primary data files based on using backup and restore operations of associated portions thereof in a storage management system, the method comprising:
- receiving, by a first data agent executing on a first client computing device in a storage management system, from a storage manager that manages storage operations in the storage management system, first metadata that identifies a first portion of a first primary data file, wherein the first primary data file comprises data generated by the first client computing device, and wherein the first primary data file is associated with the first data agent;
detecting, by the first data agent, at least one change in the first portion of the first primary data file;
transmitting, by the first data agent to the storage manager, notice of the detected at least one change in the first portion of the first primary data file;
executing, by the first data agent in conjunction with a media agent, as instructed by the storage manager, a backup operation of the first portion of the first primary data file, wherein the backup operation generates a secondary copy of the first portion of the first primary data file, wherein the secondary copy of the first portion is stored by the media agent to a secondary storage device in a backup format that is not directly accessible to the first client computing device;
executing, by a second data agent in conjunction with the media agent, as instructed by the storage manager, a restore operation of the secondary copy to a second portion of a second primary data file,based on an association for mutual synchronization between the first portion of the first primary data file and the second portion of the second primary data file maintained by the storage manager,wherein the second primary data file is associated with the second data agent, which executes on a second client computing device in the storage management system,wherein the restore operation transforms the secondary copy of the first portion from the backup format to a native format that is directly accessible as primary data to the second client computing device; and
wherein the first primary data file and the second primary data file are partially synchronized relative to the associated first portion and the second portion, respectively, based on the backup operation of the first portion and further based on the restore operation of the secondary copy of the first portion to the second portion of the second primary data file.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Disclosed methods and systems leverage resources in a storage management system to partially synchronize primary data files based on synchronizing selected portions thereof without regard to changes that may be occurring in other non-synchronized portions. Accordingly, a number of primary data files may be partially synchronized by synchronizing designated portions thereof via auto-restore operations from backup data. This approach relies on storage management resources to designate portions of source data that is to be kept synchronized across any number of targets; detect changes to the designated portions; back up changes to secondary storage; and distribute the changes from secondary storage to the associated targets, with minimal impact to the primary data environment. The approach may be mutually applied, so that changes in any one of an associated group of source data files may be likewise detected, backed up, and distributed to the other members of the group.
-
Citations
18 Claims
-
1. A method for partially synchronizing primary data files based on using backup and restore operations of associated portions thereof in a storage management system, the method comprising:
-
receiving, by a first data agent executing on a first client computing device in a storage management system, from a storage manager that manages storage operations in the storage management system, first metadata that identifies a first portion of a first primary data file, wherein the first primary data file comprises data generated by the first client computing device, and wherein the first primary data file is associated with the first data agent; detecting, by the first data agent, at least one change in the first portion of the first primary data file; transmitting, by the first data agent to the storage manager, notice of the detected at least one change in the first portion of the first primary data file; executing, by the first data agent in conjunction with a media agent, as instructed by the storage manager, a backup operation of the first portion of the first primary data file, wherein the backup operation generates a secondary copy of the first portion of the first primary data file, wherein the secondary copy of the first portion is stored by the media agent to a secondary storage device in a backup format that is not directly accessible to the first client computing device; executing, by a second data agent in conjunction with the media agent, as instructed by the storage manager, a restore operation of the secondary copy to a second portion of a second primary data file, based on an association for mutual synchronization between the first portion of the first primary data file and the second portion of the second primary data file maintained by the storage manager, wherein the second primary data file is associated with the second data agent, which executes on a second client computing device in the storage management system, wherein the restore operation transforms the secondary copy of the first portion from the backup format to a native format that is directly accessible as primary data to the second client computing device; and wherein the first primary data file and the second primary data file are partially synchronized relative to the associated first portion and the second portion, respectively, based on the backup operation of the first portion and further based on the restore operation of the secondary copy of the first portion to the second portion of the second primary data file. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
-
-
12. A method for partially synchronizing primary data files based on backup and restore operations of portions thereof in a storage management system, the method comprising:
-
receiving, by a first data agent executing on a first client computing device in the storage management system, from a storage manager that manages storage operations in the storage management system, first metadata that identifies a first portion of a first primary data file, wherein the first primary data file comprises data generated by the first client computing device, and wherein the first primary data file is associated with the first data agent; receiving, by a second data agent executing on a second client computing device in the storage management system, from the storage manager, second metadata that identifies a second portion of a second primary data file, wherein the second primary data file comprises data generated by the second client computing device, and wherein the second primary data file is associated with the second data agent; monitoring the first portion of the first primary data file, by the first data agent, based on the received first metadata, to detect whether one or more changes occur in the first portion; monitoring the second portion of the second primary data file, by the second data agent, based on the second received metadata, to detect whether one or more changes occur in the second portion; and when a change is detected in one of (a) the first portion of the first primary data file and (b) the second portion of the second primary data file, by a respective associated data agent, synchronizing the first portion and the second portion to include the detected change, thereby partially-synchronizing the first primary data file and the second primary data file, respectively, based on an association for mutual synchronization between the first portion of the first primary data file and the second portion of the second primary data file maintained by the storage manager; wherein the synchronizing of the first portion and the second portion comprises; (i) backing up by the detecting associated data agent in conjunction with a media agent, as instructed by the storage manager, the changed one of the first portion and the second portion to a secondary copy thereof in a backup format and stored to a secondary storage device associated with the media agent, and (ii) restoring the secondary copy, from the backup format in the secondary storage device, to the other one of the first portion and the second portion in a respective native format that is accessible as primary data to the respective client computing device, wherein the restoring is performed, as instructed by the storage manager, by the media agent in conjunction with the data agent executing on the respective client computing device accessing the restored primary data. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14)
-
-
15. A method for partially synchronizing primary data files based on backup and restore operations of portions thereof in a storage management system, the method comprising:
-
receiving, by a first data agent executing on a first client computing device in the storage management system, from a storage manager that manages storage operations in the storage management system, first metadata that identifies a first portion of a first primary data file, wherein the first primary data file comprises data generated by the first client computing device, and wherein the first primary data file is associated with the first data agent; detecting, by the first data agent, at least one change in the first portion of the first primary data file; backing up, by the first data agent in conjunction with a media agent, the first portion of the first primary data file to a secondary copy of the first portion of the first primary data file, wherein the secondary copy is stored in a backup format to a secondary storage device in communication with the media agent; restoring, by a second data agent in conjunction with the media agent, the secondary copy of the first portion of the first primary data file to a second portion of a second primary data file, based on an association for mutual synchronization between the first portion of the first primary data file and the second portion of the second primary data file maintained by the storage manager, wherein the second primary data file is associated with the second data agent, which executes on a second client computing device in the storage management system, thereby transforming the secondary copy of the first portion from the backup format to a native format that is accessible as primary data to the second client computing device; and wherein the first primary data file and the second primary data file are partially synchronized relative to the first portion and the second portion, respectively, based on the backing up of the first portion and further based on the restoring of the secondary copy of the first portion to the second portion of the second primary data file. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18)
-
Specification