MANAGING COPIES OF DATA

• US 20080243771A1
• Filed: 03/31/2008
• Published: 10/02/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CommVault Systems Incorporated
• Original Assignee: CommVault Systems Incorporated
• Inventors: Prahlad, Anand, Kottomtharayil, Rajiv, Kavuri, Srinivas, Amarendran, Arun Prasad
• Granted Patent: US 7,865,517 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/2
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1448 Management of the data involved in backup or backup restore
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1453 using de-duplication of the data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/134 Distributed indices
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99934 Query formulation, input preparation, or translation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99955 Archiving or backup

Abstract

A method in a computer system for retrieving data from one of multiple copies of the data is provided, referred to as the data management system. The data management system receives a request identifying at least one data object to be accessed. Then, the data management system queries a metabase to locate data copies that contain the identified at least one data object, wherein the data copies are created from similar source data, and wherein for each data copy the metabase contains an indication of the availability of the copy relative to other copies. Next, the data management system determines one of the located data copies to use to access the identified at least one data object, wherein the determination is made based on the indicated availability contained in the metabase for each of the located data copies. Then, the data management system accesses the identified at least one data object using the determined one of the located data copies.

Claims

1. A method in a computer system for accessing data available from each of multiple copies, the method comprising:

displaying a web-based user interface configured to communicate a request identifying at least one data object to be accessed;

receiving through the web-based user interface a request identifying at least one data object to be accessed;

querying an index to locate data copies that contain the identified at least one data object, wherein the data copies are created from source data; and

displaying a list of results comprising data copies located by the query that satisfy the request, wherein the list includes information regarding relative speed at accessing at least some of the data copies, and wherein a user can access one or more of the data copy results through the displayed list.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the displayed list of results provides a URL for accessing the identified at least one data object through each located data copy.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the web-based user interface is hosted by a web server with access to multiple data copies at least some of which are located on different physical data storage devices.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein querying an index comprises accessing a database that stores metadata describing each copy of the source data.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein querying an index comprises accessing a database that categorizes data and wherein the database provides a list of matching data objects organized according to categories of the matching data objects, and wherein the categories include type of data storage media, or slow or fast availability.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the displaying includes displaying at least one of the data objects without accessing an original application that generated the one data object, and via an operating system different from an operating system that generated the one data object.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the identified at least one data object can be accessed through the displayed list irrespective of an operating system on which the at least one data object is stored.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the identified at least one data object can be accessed through the displayed list irrespective of an operating system being used by a user that submitted the request.

9. The method of claim 1 including for each located data copy containing the identified at least one data object, converting the identified at least one data object to a format accessible by a web browser.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein displaying a list of results comprises displaying a list of results such that a user can view a data object identified by the results without installing or launching additional software.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein displaying a list of results comprises displaying information describing availability values of each data copy relative to other data copies.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein displaying a list of results comprises applying access control information to identify results to which a requesting user does not have access.

13. A computer-readable medium containing instructions for controlling a computer system to access multiple copies of data through a web server, by a method comprising:

submitting a web-based request identifying at least one data object stored in one or more data copies within a data management system;

receiving a web page containing one or more results responsive to the submitted web-based request, wherein each result contains a link through which a data object associated with the result can be accessed, and wherein the web page includes information regarding accessibility of at least some of the data copies;

submitting a request to access a data object associated with one or more of the received results; and

receiving a version of the data object formatted for display in a web browser.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 13 wherein receiving a version of the data object formatted for display in a web browser comprises converting a word processing document in an application-specific format into HTML.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 13 wherein receiving a version of the data object formatted for display in a web browser comprises converting an email message into HTML.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 13 wherein receiving a version of the data object formatted for display in a web browser comprises converting a data object that is proprietary to one operating system into a format accessible by any operating system.

17. A display page for identifying and retrieving data objects accessible through multiple copies of similar source data, comprising:

a criteria entry area configured to receive one or more criteria that identify at least one data object stored within a data management system;

a search activation indication configured to initiate a search for matching data objects based on the received criteria; and

a results display area configured to display one or more matching data objects, wherein the results display area provides a link to each data object through which a browser-compatible instance of the data object can be accessed, and wherein the list includes information regarding relative time for accessing at least some of the data objects.

18. The display page of claim 17 wherein the results display area displays the relative availability of each matching data object, such that a user can select a matching data object to access based on the availability of the data object.

19. The display page of claim 17 wherein the results display area displays a type associated with each matching data object such that a user can select a matching data object to access based on the type of the data object.