Consolidated processing of storage-array commands by a snapshot-control media agent

• US 10,044,803 B2
• Filed: 08/15/2017
• Issued: 08/07/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CommVault Systems Incorporated
• Original Assignee: CommVault Systems Incorporated
• Inventors: Nallathambi, Vimal Kumar, Tambe, Unmil Vinay
• Primary Examiner(s): Mundur, Padma
• Application Number:
  US15/677,901
• Publication Number:
  US 20180063243A1
• Time in Patent Office: 357 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1446 Point-in-time backing up or restoration of persistent data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1451 by selection of backup contents
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1461 Backup scheduling policy
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/84 Using snapshots, i.e. a logical point-in-time copy of the data
• 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 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54

Abstract

A “snapshot-control media agent” (“snap-MA”) is configured on a secondary storage computing device that operates apart from client computing devices. A “forwarder” media agent operates on each client computing device that uses a storage array, yet lacks command channels to the storage array. The forwarder media agent forwards commands directed at the storage array to the snap-MA, which receives and processes commands directed at the storage array that were forwarded by the forwarder media agents. Responses from the storage array are transmitted to the respective forwarder media agent. The snap-MA pools storage-array-command devices to avoid capacity limitations in regard to communications channels at the storage array. The snap-MA operating in conjunction with the forwarder media agents enable the illustrative system to consolidate the communication of storage-array commands away from client computing devices and/or proxy media agent hosts and into the secondary storage computing device that hosts the snap-MA.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

executing a first media agent on a first computing device that comprises one or more processors and associated computer memory, wherein one or more applications and a respective associated data agent also execute thereon, and

wherein the one or more applications directly read and write primary data on a storage array;

executing a second media agent on a second computing device that comprises one or more processors and associated computer memory, wherein the second media agent is in communication with the first media agent,

wherein the second media agent is configured to directly communicate operational commands to the storage array using a plurality of command devices that are configured on the second computing device, and

wherein the first computing device is configured without command devices for directly communicating operational commands to the storage array;

providing, by the second media agent, indirect communications of operational commands between the first media agent and the storage array by;

(a) receiving a first operational command that is issued by the first media agent and is directed at the storage array,

(b) transmitting the first operational command to the storage array using a first command device from the plurality of command devices configured on the second computing device,

(c) receiving a response to the first operational command from the storage array, and

(d) transmitting the response to the first media agent on the first computing device; and

wherein the providing by the second media agent of indirect communications of operational commands between the first media agent and the storage array offloads the first computing device that executes the first media agent from providing direct communications of operational commands between the first media agent and the storage array.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first operational command directed at the storage array requests the storage array to take and store a snapshot of a volume on the storage array, which comprises at least part of the primary data that the one or more applications read or write.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein in addition to the plurality of command devices, the second computing device is further configured with third-party libraries that are required for directly communicating the operational commands to the storage array;

and

wherein the first computing device is configured without the third-party libraries.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the second media agent establishes a first command channel as part of the providing of the indirect communications of operational commands between the first media agent and the storage array.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first operational command is part of a storage management operation for protecting primary data used by a first one of the one or more applications executing on the first computing device, and wherein the storage management operation includes the first media agent and a respective first data agent that is associated with the first application.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first operational command is part of a storage management operation for protecting primary data used by a first one of the one or more applications executing on the first computing device, and wherein the storage management operation is managed by a third computing device executing a storage manager that communicates with the first media agent.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first operational command is part of a storage management operation for protecting primary data used by a first one of the one or more applications executing on the first computing device, and wherein the storage management operation is managed by a third computing device executing a storage manager that communicates instructions for the storage management operation to the first media agent.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first computing device is one of a plurality of first computing devices executing respective one or more applications, respective associated data agents, and a respective first media agent, and wherein the first computing device is configured with no command device for directly communicating operational commands to the storage array;

and

wherein the second media agent is configured to consolidate communications of operational commands originating from the first media agents and directed at the storage array.

9. A computer-readable medium, excluding transitory propagating signals, storing instructions that, when executed by a secondary storage computing device that comprises one or more processors and associated computer memory, cause the secondary storage computing device to perform operations comprising:

executing a second media agent, which is in communication with a first media agent that executes on a first computing device comprising one or more processors and associated computer memory,

wherein one or more applications and a respective associated data agent also execute on the first computing device, and

wherein the one or more applications directly read and write primary data on a storage array; and

providing, by the second media agent, indirect communications of operational commands between the first media agent and the storage array by;

(a) receiving a first operational command that is issued by the first media agent and is directed at the storage array,

(b) transmitting the first operational command to the storage array using one of a plurality of command devices configured on the secondary computing device for directly communicating operational commands to the storage array, and

(c) transmitting to the first media agent on the first computing device a response to the first operational command that is received from the storage array; and

wherein the providing by the second media agent of indirect communications of operational commands between the first media agent and the storage array offloads the first computing device, which is configured with no command devices and which executes the first media agent, from providing direct communications of operational commands between the first media agent and the storage array.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the first operational command directed at the storage array requests the storage array to take and store a snapshot of a volume on the storage array, which comprises at least part of the primary data that the one or more applications read and write.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the secondary storage computing device is further configured with third-party libraries that are required in addition to the plurality of command devices for directly communicating operational commands to the storage array;

and

wherein the first computing device is configured without the third-party libraries.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the second media agent establishes a first command channel to the storage array using the one of the plurality of command devices as part of the providing of the indirect communications of operational commands between the first media agent and the storage array.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the first operational command is part of a storage management operation for protecting primary data used by a first one of the one or more applications executing on the first computing device, and wherein the storage management operation includes the first media agent and a respective first data agent that is associated with the first application.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the first operational command is part of a storage management operation for protecting primary data used by a first one of the one or more applications executing on the first computing device, and wherein the storage management operation is managed by a third computing device executing a storage manager that communicates with the first media agent.

15. A computer-readable medium, excluding transitory propagating signals, storing instructions that, when executed by a secondary storage computing device that comprises one or more processors and associated computer memory, cause the secondary storage computing device to perform operations comprising:

receiving by a second media agent that executes on the secondary storage computing device an operational command issued by a first media agent and directed to a storage array,

wherein the first media agent executes on a client computing device distinct from the secondary storage computing device,

wherein at least one application executing on the client computing device reads and writes directly from and to the storage array, respectively, and

wherein the first media agent lacks resources for direct communications with the storage array;

transmitting the operational command to the storage array, by the second media agent via a first command channel that uses one of a plurality of command devices configured in the secondary storage computing device and controlled by the second media agent for directly communicating operational commands to and from the storage array;

receiving, by the second media agent, an operational status from the storage array based on an operation executed by the storage array in response to the operational command transmitted by the second media agent;

transmitting, by the second media agent to the first media agent, the operational status; and

wherein through the receiving and transmitting operations the second media agent provides indirect communications of operational commands between the first media agent and the storage array.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein through the receiving and transmitting operations performed by the second media agent, the secondary storage computing device offloads the client computing device from directly communicating operational commands to and from the storage array.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the second computing device is further configured with third-party libraries that are required in addition to the plurality of command devices for directly communicating operational commands to the storage array.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the second computing device is further configured with third-party libraries that are required in addition to the plurality of command devices for directly communicating operational commands to the storage array;

and

wherein the client computing device lacks the third-party libraries and the plurality of command devices for directly communicating operational commands to the storage array.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the operational command is part of a storage management operation for protecting primary data used by one of the one or more applications executing on the client computing device, and wherein the storage management operation includes the first media agent and a respective data agent that is associated with the one application.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the operational command is part of a storage management operation for protecting primary data used by one of the one or more applications executing on the client computing device, and wherein the storage management operation is managed by a third computing device executing a storage manager that communicates with the first media agent.