Systems and methods for storage modeling and costing

• US 9,111,220 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2014
• Issued: 08/18/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: CommVault Systems Incorporated
• Original Assignee: CommVault Systems Incorporated
• Inventors: Prahlad, Anand, Kavuri, Srinivas, Madeira, Andre Duque, Lunde, Norman R., Bunte, Alan G., May, Andreas, Schwartz, Jeremy Alan
• Primary Examiner(s): PORTKA, GARY J
• Application Number:
  US14/212,111
• Publication Number:
  US 20140310219A1
• Time in Patent Office: 522 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1446 Point-in-time backing up or restoration of persistent data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1458 Management of the backup or restore process
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1461 Backup scheduling policy
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1469 Backup restoration techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/10 File systems; File servers
• 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 2201/81 Threshold
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/84 Using snapshots, i.e. a logical point-in-time copy of the data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0604 Improving or facilitating administration, e.g. storage management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0605 by facilitating the interaction with a user or administrator
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/061 Improving I/O performance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0619 in relation to data integrity, e.g. data losses, bit errors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0631 by allocating resources to storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0644 Management of space entities, e.g. partitions, extents, pools
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0649 Lifecycle management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/065 Replication mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0653 Monitoring storage devices or systems
• 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 3/0683 : Plurality of storage devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0685 : Hybrid storage combining heterogeneous device types, e.g. hierarchical storage, hybrid arrays
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0686 : Libraries, e.g. tape libraries, jukebox
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 5/04 : Inference or reasoning models
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 : Price estimation or determination
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0284 : Time or distance, e.g. usage of parking meters or taximeters
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 : Recoverability
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99955 : Archiving or backup

Abstract

The present invention provides systems and methods for data storage. A hierarchical storage management architecture is presented to facilitate data management. The disclosed system provides methods for evaluating the state of stored data relative to enterprise needs by using weighted parameters that may be user defined. Also disclosed are systems and methods evaluating costing and risk management associated with stored data.

Claims

1. A method to predict storage use in a computer network, the method comprising:

directing with a first storage component comprising one or more computing devices comprising computer hardware, a second storage component to copy at least a portion of primary data stored on at least a first storage resource to secondary data stored on at least a second storage resource, wherein the first and second storage components are arranged in a hierarchy, and wherein the second storage component identifies the second storage resource with a first identifier;

sending from the second storage component to the first storage component at least the first identifier associated with the second storage resource;

directing with the first storage component, a third storage component to monitor usage associated with the second storage resource, wherein the first and third storage components are arranged in a hierarchy, and wherein the third storage component identifies the second storage resource with a second identifier;

sending from the third storage component to the first storage component, the second identifier associated with the second storage resource, and usage data derived at least in part from the monitoring of the usage associated with the second storage resource;

determining with the first storage component that the first identifier and the second identifier are associated with the second storage resource; and

predicting, based at least in part on the usage data and with a computing device comprising computer hardware, one or more of future storage media use, future media growth, future network bandwidth use, and future media agent use.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising calculating a storage cost for the second storage resource based on the usage data.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising apportioning a storage cost the second storage resource among a plurality of departments based on the usage data.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said predicting comprises calculating a moving average of a certain network operation during a time period.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said predicting comprises calculating a moving average.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said predicting comprises calculating a seasonal index.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said predicting comprises calculating an average index for each day in a monitored time period.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein said predicting comprises performing a linear interpolation on a moving average.

9. The method of claim 1 the second storage resource is identified with a first name by the second storage component, and identified with second name by the third storage component that is different than the first name.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein said determining that the first identifier and the second identifier are associated with the second storage resource is based on network identifiers.

11. A system configured to predict storage use in a computer network, the system comprising:

a first storage component comprising one or more computing devices comprising computer hardware, the first storage component configured to direct a second storage component to copy at least a portion of primary data stored on at least a first storage resource to secondary data stored on at least a second storage resource, wherein the first and second storage components are arranged in a hierarchy, and wherein the second storage component identifies the second storage resource with a first identifier;

wherein the second storage component is configured to send to the first storage component, at least the first identifier associated with the second storage resource;

wherein the first storage component is configured to direct a third storage component to monitor usage associated with the second storage resource, wherein the first and third storage components are arranged in a hierarchy, and wherein the third storage component identifies the second storage resource with a second identifier;

wherein the third storage component is configured to send to the first storage component, the second identifier associated with the second storage resource, and usage data derived at least in part from the monitoring of the usage associated with the second storage resource;

wherein the first storage component is further configured to determine that the first identifier and the second identifier are associated with the second storage resource; and

wherein the first storage component is further configured to, based at least in part on the usage data, predict one or more of future storage media use, future media growth, future network bandwidth use, and future media agent use.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the first storage component is further configured to calculate a storage cost for the second storage resource based on the usage data.

13. The system of claim 11 the first storage component is further configured to apportion a storage cost the second storage resource among a plurality of departments based on the usage data.

14. The system of claim 11 wherein the first storage component is configured to perform the prediction at least in part by calculating a moving average of a certain network operation during a time period.

15. The system of claim 11 wherein the first storage component is configured to perform the prediction based at least in part on the calculation of a moving average.

16. The system of claim 11 wherein the first storage component is configured to perform the prediction based at least in part on the calculation a seasonal index.

17. The system of claim 11 wherein the first storage component is further to perform the prediction based at least in part on the calculation of an average index for each day in a time period.

18. The system of claim 11 wherein the second storage component identifies the second storage resource with a first name, and the third storage component identifies the second storage resource with a second name that is different than the first name.

19. The system of claim 11 wherein the first storage component is further configured to determine that the first identifier and the second identifier are associated with the second storage resource based on network identifiers.