Systems and methods of hierarchical storage management, such as global management of storage operations

• US 7,917,473 B2
• Filed: 03/31/2008
• Issued: 03/29/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CommVault Systems Incorporated
• Original Assignee: CommVault Systems Incorporated
• Inventors: Kottomtharayil, Rajiv, Kavuri, Srinivas
• Primary Examiner(s): Breene; John
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hershley; Mark E.
• Application Number:
  US12/060,186
• Publication Number:
  US 20080250204A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,093 Days
• Field of Search: 707/651, 707/654, 707/665, 707/694
• US Class Current: 707/651
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/10 File systems; File servers

Abstract

A system and method for setting global actions in a data storage system is described. In some examples, the system determines a policy based on information from the system, and implements that policy to the system. In some examples, the system adds or modifies global filters based on information from the system.

Claims

1. A system for performing data storage operations that transfer data from a source to a destination, the system comprising:

a server connected in a hierarchy to two or more storage cells actively transferring data from the source to the destination, wherein the server comprises a processor, and

wherein the first storage cell is connected to and is subordinate to the server and wherein the second storage cell is connected to and is subordinate to the first storage cell; and

wherein each of the two or more storage cells comprises;

a secondary storage database configured to store secondary copies of data generated by a data storage operation;

a media agent configured to convey data produced at a client computer in order to create a secondary copy of data during a data storage operation; and

,

a storage manager configured to control the media agent during a data storage operation, wherein the storage manager controls the media agent in accordance with a filter or rule applicable to the storage cell;

and wherein the server;

generates a report related to performance of data storage operations within the two or more storage cells, wherein the report indicates results of a quantitative comparison of performances between the two or more storage cells; and

determines a filter or rule to assign based on the generated report, wherein the filter or rule is assigned to at least one of the two or more storage cells; and

,

a data transfer modification component, wherein the data transfer modification component modifies the active transfer of data from the source to the destination based in part on the assigned filter or rule.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the report comprises results of a quantitative comparison of job usage between the two or more storage cells.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the report comprises results of a quantitative comparison of job delay between the two or more storage cells.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the quantitative comparison compares a mean or peak waiting time for a job at a storage resource to an average service time.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the quantitative comparison compares the arrival and queuing of jobs at different storage resources and wherein the arrival and queuing is modeled using an M/M/1 model.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the quantitative comparison of performances between the two or more storage cells compares a number of jobs at each storage cell with a number of storage cells.

7. A system for defining a filter policy for performing data storage operations in a hierarchical data storage system, the system comprising:

two or more data storage cells, wherein the two or more data storage cells comprise;

a first storage cell that performs a first number of data storage jobs during a data storage operation, wherein a storage cell is configured to transfer data from a source to a destination; and

a second storage cell, different from the first storage cell, that performs a second number of data storage jobs during the data storage operation; and

a server configured to assign a filter policy to the first storage cell and the second storage cell, wherein the server comprises;

a comparison component that generates a report that quantitatively compares the performed first number of jobs to the performed second number of jobs; and

a filter assignment component that determines and assigns the filter policy to the first storage cell and the second storage cell based on the quantitative comparison of the generated report;

wherein the server comprises a processor and is connected in a hierarchy to the two or more data storage cells,

wherein the first storage cell is connected to and is subordinate to the server;

wherein the second storage cell is connected to and is subordinate to the first storage cell;

wherein each of the two or more storage cells comprises;

a secondary storage database configured to store secondary copies of data generated by a data storage operation;

a media agent configured to convey data produced at a client computer in order to create a secondary copy of data during a data storage operation; and

,

a storage manager configured to control the media agent during a data storage operation, wherein the storage manager controls the media agent in accordance with a filter or rule applicable to the storage cell; and

,

wherein at least one of the first and second storage cells modifies a data storage operation in accordance with the assigned filter policy.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein assigning the filter policy includes assigning a global filter policy that applies to all storage cells within the hierarchical data storage system.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein assigning the filter policy includes assigning a first filter policy that applies to the first storage cell and assigning a second filter policy at least partially different than the first filter policy to the second storage cell.

10. The system of claim 7, further comprising:

an interface component, wherein the interface component presents the assigned filter policy to an administrator of the hierarchical data storage system.