Systems and methods for performing storage operations using network attached storage

• US 9,104,340 B2
• Filed: 09/26/2013
• Issued: 08/11/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CommVault Systems Incorporated
• Original Assignee: CommVault Systems Incorporated
• Inventors: Prahlad, Anand, Schwartz, Jeremy Alan
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu, Yicun
• Application Number:
  US14/038,614
• Publication Number:
  US 20140025914A1
• Time in Patent Office: 684 Days
• Field of Search: 707/651, 707/640, 707/610, 707661-666, 711/112, 711/154, 711/166
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/1824 implemented using Network-attached Storage [NAS] architecture distributed or networked storage systems G06F3/067; protocols for distributed storage of data in a network H04L67/1097
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/185 Hierarchical storage management [HSM] systems, e.g. file migration or policies thereof details of archiving G06F16/11
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0607 by facilitating the process of upgrading existing storage systems, e.g. for improving compatibility between host and storage device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0619 in relation to data integrity, e.g. data losses, bit errors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0649 Lifecycle management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/065 Replication mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/067 Distributed or networked storage systems, e.g. storage area networks [SAN], network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0685 Hybrid storage combining heterogeneous device types, e.g. hierarchical storage, hybrid arrays
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• 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: Y10S 707/99955 Archiving or backup

Abstract

Systems and methods for performing hierarchical storage operations on electronic data in a computer network are provided. In one embodiment, the present invention may store electronic data from a network device to a network attached storage (NAS) device pursuant to certain storage criteria. The data stored on the NAS may be migrated to a secondary storage and a stub file having a pointer pointing to the secondary storage may be put at the location the data was previously stored on the NAS. The stub file may redirect the network device to the secondary storage if a read request for the data is received from the network device.

Claims

1. A method for managing the storage of electronic data, the method comprising:

storing a first copy of one or more files at a first storage location within a first storage device, the first storage device in communication with other devices via a network and comprising first computer hardware, an internal operating system, and an internal file management system;

tracking the first copy of the one or more files stored in the first storage device with a data migrator that is external to the first storage device, wherein the data migrator executes on second computer hardware that is externally located from the first storage device;

processing at least one storage policy with the data migrator to determine when to migrate the first copy of the files on the first storage device to one or more secondary storage devices;

accessing index data stored in a location external to the first storage device, the index data comprising information about the first storage location within the first storage device;

subsequent to said accessing, using the index data to identify that the first copy of the files is stored in the first storage location within the first storage device; and

migrating, with the data migrator, the first copy of the one or more files stored in the first storage location within the first storage device to a second storage location in one or more secondary storage devices externally located from the first storage device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said migrating the first copy comprises performing an archiving operation.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising, in response to a request to access data stored in the first storage location, directly retrieving data stored in the one or more secondary storage devices to obtain retrieved data.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising decompressing or otherwise decoding the retrieved data.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said decompressing or otherwise decoding the retrieved data places the retrieved data in substantially the same format the retrieved data was in prior to storage in the second storage location.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising automatically replacing, with the data migrator, the first copy of the one or more files stored in the first storage device with at stub that identifies the second storage location.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising storing edited versions of the one or more files in the first storage device in place of the at least one stub.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising storing edited versions of the one or more files in the one or more secondary storage devices and updating the stub to reflect the edited versions.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the index data indicates a logical association between the second storage location and a media agent configured to transfer data to the second storage location.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the data migrator has a different file management system than the first storage device.

11. A system for managing the storage of electronic data, the system comprising:

a first storage device in communication with other devices via a network, the first storage device comprising first computer hardware, an internal operating system, and an internal file management system, the first storage device storing a first copy of one or more files at a first storage location within the first storage device;

index data stored in a location external to the first storage device, the index data including information about the first storage location; and

second computer hardware externally located with respect to the first storage device and implementing a data migrator configured to;

track the first copy of the files stored in the first storage location associated with the first storage device;

process at least one storage policy to determine when to migrate the first copy of the files in the first storage location within the first storage device to a second storage location in one or more secondary storage devices externally located from the first storage device;

use the index data to determine that the first copy of the files is stored in the first storage location within the first storage device; and

migrate the first copy of the files from the first storage location to the second storage location.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the data migrator is further configured to automatically replace the first copy of the files stored in the first storage device with a stub that identifies the second storage location.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the data migrator is further configured to store edits to the files in the first storage location by replacing the stub with data representing the edits.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the data migrator is further configured to store edits made to the files in the second storage location without transferring the edits to the first storage location, while leaving the stub file intact.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the migration performed by the data migrator comprises an archive operation.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the data migrator has a different file management system than the first storage device.

17. Non-transitory computer-readable storage comprising computer-readable instructions that, when executed cause computer hardware to perform operations defined by the computer-readable instructions, the operations comprising:

storing a first copy of one or more files at a first storage location within a first storage device, the first storage device in communication with other devices via a network and comprising first computer hardware, an internal operating system, and an internal file management system;

tracking the first copy of the one or more files stored in the first storage device with a data migrator that is external to the first storage device, wherein the data migrator executes on second computer hardware that is externally located from the first storage device;

processing at least one storage policy with the data migrator to determine when to migrate the first copy of the files on the first storage device to one or more secondary storage devices;

accessing index data stored in a location external to the first storage device, the index data comprising information about the first storage location within the first storage device;

subsequent to said accessing, using the index data to identify that the first copy of the files is stored in the first storage location within the first storage device; and

migrating, with the data migrator, the first copy of the one or more files stored in the first storage location within the first storage device to a second storage location in one or more secondary storage devices externally located from the first storage device.