REQUEST-BASED DATA SYNCHRONIZATION MANAGEMENT

• US 20140201141A1
• Filed: 08/15/2013
• Published: 07/17/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/11/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CommVault Systems Incorporated
• Original Assignee: CommVault Systems Incorporated
• Inventors: Vibhor, Anand, Mehta, Bhavyan Bharatkumar, Karandikar, Amey Vijaykumar, Gokhale, Parag
• Granted Patent: US 9,430,491 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/622
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1451 by selection of backup contents
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1464 for networked environments
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/178 Techniques for file synchronisation in file systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/275 Synchronous replication
• 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 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal

Abstract

In general, a data synchronization management system is disclosed in which files (and/or other data) are synchronized among two or more client computing devices in connection with a backup of those files. Synchronization polices specify files to be synchronized based on selected criteria including file data, metadata, and location information. In general, files are initially copied from a primary client computing device to secondary storage. Thereafter, files to be synchronized are identified from the secondary storage, and copied to other client computing devices. Additionally, synchronized files may be viewed and accessed through a cloud and/or remote file access interface.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of providing access to files stored at one or more remote secondary storage devices, the computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving a listing of one or more files that are designated to be synchronized to a first client computing device from a second client computing device, each of the first client computing device and the second client computing device in communication with a secondary storage subsystem that stores secondary copies of data associated with the first client computing device and the second client computing device;

initiating, by a synchronization module executing on computer hardware comprising one or more computer processors, synchronization of the designated files to the first client computing device from the second client computing device; and

in response to a request for a particular file, wherein the request is from a user that is entered via interaction with the first client computing device, and where the request is received after said initiating synchronization of the designated files to the first client computing device and prior to completion of the synchronization of the particular file to the first client computing device;

determining, by the synchronization module, that the synchronization of the particular file to the first client computing device is not yet complete;

completing the synchronization of the particular file to the first client computing device by causing communication of a copy of the particular file from the secondary storage subsystem to the first client computing device, where the copy of the particular file was retrieved from a secondary copy associated with the second client computing device; and

providing the user access to the synchronized particular file at the first client computing device.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the designated files that are synchronized to the first client computing device from the second client computing device are accessed from the one or more secondary storage devices.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the identification of the designated file is performed in response to the secondary copy operation.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the particular file communicated to the first client computing device replaces a previous version of the particular file stored in the first primary storage device.

5. A computer-implemented method of providing access to files stored at one or more remote secondary storage devices, the computer-implemented method comprising:

accessing, by a synchronization module executing in computer hardware comprising one or more computer processors, user-defined synchronization criteria for identifying files to synchronize between a first primary storage device associated with a first client computing device and a second primary storage device associated with a second client computing device;

initiating a secondary copy operation in which one or more files stored in the first primary storage device are copied to one or more secondary storage devices to create a secondary copy including the one or more files;

after the initiation of the secondary copy operation, and based on the user-defined synchronization criteria, identifying, by the synchronization module, at least one file in the secondary copy to synchronize between the first primary storage device and the second primary storage device;

after communicating a listing of the at least one file to the second client computing device, initiating, by the synchronization module, synchronization of the at least one file to the second client computing device; and

in response to receiving a request from the second client computing device for a particular file, and where the request is received after said initiating synchronization of the at least one file to the second client computing device and prior to completion of the synchronization of a particular file to the second client computing device;

completing the synchronization of the particular file to the second client computing device by causing communication of a copy of the particular file from the secondary storage subsystem to the second client computing device, where the copy of the particular file was retrieved from a secondary copy associated with the first client computing device.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, wherein the at least one file that is synchronized to the second client computing device is accessed from the one or more secondary storage devices.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, wherein the identification of the at least one file is performed in response to the secondary copy operation.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, wherein the particular file communicated to the second client computing device replaces a previous version of the particular file stored in the second primary storage device.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, further comprising:

receiving the user-defined synchronization criteria at the synchronization module; and

storing the received user-defined synchronization criteria in an electronic data store accessible by the synchronization module.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein the user-defined synchronization criteria are received from a user of at least one of the first client computing device or the second client computing device.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein the electronic data store is associated with a storage manager module executing in the computer hardware comprising the one or more computer processors.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein at least one of said accessing, said initiating the secondary copy operation, said identifying, initiating synchronization, or said completing is performed by the storage manager module.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, wherein the user-defined synchronization criteria include at least one of:

file data, file contents, file metadata, file name, file location, or location information.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, wherein identifying at least one file in the secondary copy to synchronize between the first primary storage device and the second primary storage device comprises, for each specific file of the one or more files being copied to the one or more secondary storage devices:

determining whether the specific file is different from a previous version of the specific file stored in the one or more secondary storage devices; and

in response to determining that the specific file is different from the previous version of the specific file, identifying the specific file as a file to be synchronized.

15. A system for providing access to files stored at one or more remote secondary storage devices, the system comprising:

a data store; and

a synchronization module executing in computer hardware comprising one or more computer processors and configured to;

access user-defined synchronization criteria for identifying files to synchronize between a first primary storage device associated with a first client computing device and a second primary storage device associated with a second client computing device;

initiate a secondary copy operation in which one or more files stored in the first primary storage device are copied to one or more secondary storage devices to create a secondary copy including the one or more files;

after the initiation of the secondary copy operation, and based on the user-defined synchronization criteria, identify, by the synchronization module, at least one file in the secondary copy to synchronize between the first primary storage device and the second primary storage device;

after communicating a listing of the at least one file to the second client computing device, initiate, by the synchronization module, synchronization of the at least one file to the second client computing device; and

in response to receiving a request from the second client computing device for a particular file, and where the request is received after said initiating synchronization of the at least one file to the second client computing device and prior to completion of the synchronization of a particular file to the second client computing device;

complete the synchronization of the particular file to the second client computing device by causing communication of a copy of the particular file to the second client computing device.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the at least one file that is synchronized to the second client computing device is accessed from the one or more secondary storage devices.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the identification of the at least one file is performed in response to the secondary copy operation.

21. The system of claim 15, wherein the particular file communicated to the second client computing device replaces a previous version of the particular file stored in the second primary storage device.

22. The system of claim 15, wherein the synchronization module is further configured to:

receive the user-defined synchronization criteria; and

store the received user-defined synchronization criteria in an electronic data store accessible by the synchronization module.

23. The system of claim 15, wherein the synchronization module is further configured to, as part of the identification of the at least one file in the secondary copy to synchronize between the first primary storage device and the second primary storage device, for each specific file of the one or more files being copied to the one or more secondary storage devices:

determine whether the specific file is different from a previous version of the specific file stored in the one or more secondary storage devices; and

in response to determining that the specific file is different from the previous version of the specific file, identify the specific file as a file to be synchronized.

18. (canceled)

19. (canceled)

20. (canceled)