Modular backup and retrieval system used in conjunction with a storage area network

• US 8,930,319 B2
• Filed: 09/13/2012
• Issued: 01/06/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: CommVault Systems Incorporated
• Original Assignee: CommVault Systems Incorporated
• Inventors: Crescenti, John, Kavuri, Srinivas, Oshinsky, David Alan, Prahlad, Anand
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuddus, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US13/615,010
• Publication Number:
  US 20130007391A1
• Time in Patent Office: 845 Days
• Field of Search: 707/652, 707/654, 707/999.203
• US Class Current: 707/652
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1464 for networked environments
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99955 Archiving or backup

Abstract

A modular computer storage system and method is provided for managing and directing data archiving functions, which is scalable and comprehends various storage media as well as diverse operating systems on a plurality of client devices. A client component is associated with one or more client devices for generating archival request. A file processor directs one or more storage devices, through one or more media components, which control the actual physical level backup on various storage devices. Each media component creates a library indexing system for locating stored data. A management component coordinates the archival functions between the various client components and the file processor, including setting scheduling policies, aging policies, index pruning policies, drive cleaning policies, configuration information, and keeping track of running and waiting jobs.

Claims

1. A system for directing storage of data in a computer network, the system comprising:

at least a first client computing device configured to communicate with a first network comprising a local area network wherein first file-based backup data is transferred as files in a first file-based format on the local area network to at least a first storage device with a first protocol;

at least a second client computing device configured to communicate with a second network comprising a storage area network, wherein second block-based backup data is transferred at least as block writes in a second block-based format on the storage area network to at least a second storage device, wherein the second block-based format is not file based with a second protocol that is different than the first protocol;

a file processor comprising computer hardware, the file processor configured to communicate with the first client computing device with the first network comprising the local area network, and the second client computing device with the second network comprising the storage area network,

wherein the file processor is configured to maintain a file-based network file system for the first file-based backup data transferred as files in the first file-based format from the first client computing to the first storage device through the first network with the first protocol;

wherein the file processor is further configured to maintain the file-based network file system for the second block-based backup data transferred as block writes in the second block-based format from the second client computing device to the second storage device through the second network with the second protocol,

wherein the file processor determines files associated with the second block-based backup data based at least in part on the first file-based backup data to generate a centralized file-based network file system that includes both the files in the first file-based backup data and the files associated with the second block-based backup data to present a centralized file-based view of both the first file-based backup data and the second block-based backup data to both the first and second client computers wherein actions comprising at least one of opening, closing reading and writing by the file processor is transparent to both the first and second client computing devices; and

a media component executing in one or more computer processors configured to communicate with the first client computing device with the first network comprising the local area network and the second client computing device with the second network comprising the storage area network, the media component further configured to communicate with the network file system associated with the file processor,

wherein the media component in response to storage operations is configured to maintain an index of the first file-based backup data transferred as the files by the first network and further maintains the index for the second block-based backup data transferred as the block writes with the second network, wherein the index comprises the first file-based backup data and the second block-based backup data;

wherein the media component uses the index to process requests for the first file-based backup data; and

wherein the media component uses the index to process requests for the second block-based backup data.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a management computing device that is configured to instruct one of the first and second client computing devices to initiate a storage operation request.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the second client computing device is part of a storage area network (SAN).

4. The system of claim 1, wherein a media module executes on the file processor.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the file processor writes the data based on instructions received from a management computing device.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising an archive library, wherein the archive library comprises different types of storage media.

7. A system for directing storage of data in a computer network, the system comprising:

a file processor comprising computer hardware,

wherein the file processor communicates with at least a first computing device with a first network comprising a local area network that transmits first file-based backup data in a first file-based format from the first computing device to at least a first storage device with a first protocol,

wherein file processor further communicates with at least a second computing device with a second network comprising a storage area network that transmits second block-based backup data as block writes in a second block-based format from the second computing device to at least a second storage device with a second protocol that is different than the first protocol, wherein the second block-based format is not file based,

the file processor configured to maintain a network file system for the first file-based backup data transferred as files in the first file-based format from the first client computing device to the first storage device through the first network with the first protocol,

wherein the file processor is further configured to maintain the network file system for the second block-based backup data transferred as block writes in the second block-based format from the second client computing device to the second storage device through the second network with the second protocol,

wherein the file processor determines files associated with the second block-based backup data based at least in part on the first file-based backup data to generate a centralized network file system that includes both the files in the first file-based backup up data and the files associated with the second block-based backup data to present a centralized file-based view of the first file-based backup data and the second block-based backup data to both the first and second client computers wherein actions comprising at least one of opening, closing reading and writing by the file processor is transparent to both the first and second client computing devices;

a management computing device comprising computer hardware, the management computing device in communication with the first and second client computing devices and the file processor, the management computing device directs storage operations between the first and second client computing devices, the local area network, the storage area network, the file processor, and the first and second storage devices, wherein the management computing device is further configured to instruct one of the of the first and second client computing devices to initiate a storage operation request; and

an archive library, wherein the archive library comprises different types of storage media.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the second client computing device is part of a storage area network (SAN).

9. The system of claim 7, wherein a media module executes on the file processor.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the media module maintains an index of the data stored on the first and second storage devices.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the file processor writes the first and second backup data based on instructions received from the management computing device.

12. A method for directing storage of data in a computer network, the method comprising:

tracking first file-based backup data transferred from at least a first client computing device to at least a first storage device with a first network comprising a local area network that transmits files in a first file-based format with a first protocol with to a file processor executing in one or more computer processors;

maintaining, with the file processor, a network file system for the first backup file-based data transferred as files in the first file-based format from the first client computing device to the first storage device through the first network with the first protocol;

tracking, with the file processor, second block-based backup data transferred from at least a second client computing device to at least a second storage device with a second network comprising a storage area network that transmits block writes in a second block-based format with a second protocol that is different than the first protocol, and wherein the second block-based format is not file based;

maintaining, with the file processor, the second block-based backup data transferred as block writes in the second block-based format from the second client computing device to the second storage device through the second network with the second protocol,

determining, with the file processor, files associated with the second block-based backup data based at least in part on the first file-based backup data to generate a centralized network file system network file system that includes both the files in the first file-based backup up data and the files associated with the second block-based backup data to present a centralized file-based view of the first file-based backup data and the second block-based backup data to both the first and second client computers wherein actions comprising at least one of opening, closing reading and writing by the file processor is transparent to both the first and second client computing devices; and

coordinating with a management computing device comprising computer hardware, storage operations between the first and second client computing devices, the local area network, the storage area network, the file processor, and the first and second storage devices.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising writing, with the file processor, at least a portion of the first file-based backup data and second block-based backup data to an archive library in response to an instruction received from the management computing device.

14. The method of claim 13, additionally comprising sending the instruction based on a data aging policy maintained by the management computing device.

15. The method of claim 13, additionally comprising sending the instruction by bypassing the storage area network.

16. The method of claim 12, additionally comprising initiating with the management computing device a backup of the network file system.

17. The method of claim 12, further comprising instructing one of the first and second client computing devices to initiate a storage operation.

18. The system of claim 12, further comprising indexing data stored on the first and second storage devices.