Dataflow alerts for an information management system

• US 9,535,776 B2
• Filed: 06/02/2014
• Issued: 01/03/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CommVault Systems Incorporated
• Original Assignee: CommVault Systems Incorporated
• Inventors: Klose, Michael F.
• Primary Examiner(s): McCarthy, Christopher
• Application Number:
  US14/293,546
• Publication Number:
  US 20150242263A1
• Time in Patent Office: 946 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0709 in a distributed system consisting of a plurality of standalone computer nodes, e.g. clusters, client-server systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0772 Means for error signaling, e.g. using interrupts, exception flags, dedicated error registers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0784 Routing of error reports, e.g. with a specific transmission path or data flow
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4881 Scheduling strategies for dispatcher, e.g. round robin, multi-level priority queues
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46

Abstract

Disclosed herein are systems and methods for managing information management operations. The system may be configured to employ a work flow queue to reduce network traffic and manage server processing resources. The system may also be configured to forecast or estimate information management operations based on estimations of throughput between computing devices scheduled to execute one or more jobs. The system may also be configured to escalate or automatically reassign notification of system alerts based on the availability of system alert recipients. Various other embodiments are also disclosed herein.

Claims

1. At least one non-transitory, computer-readable medium carrying instructions, which when executed by at least one data processing device, perform a method of notifying a user of a forecast for an information management system operation failure in an information management system, the method comprising:

obtaining or determining parameters of the information management system operation failure,

wherein obtaining or determining the parameters includes receiving—

a) a type of information management system operation to be performed between a first computing device and a second computing device,

b) a schedule time period for completion of the information management system operation, and

c) a throughput estimation;

wherein the throughput estimation is between the first computing device and the second computing device,

wherein the throughput estimation is a rate of transferring data per unit time between a non-volatile storage device for the first computing device and a storage device for the second computing device, and

wherein the throughput estimation is derived from a throughput estimation technique related to one or more information management system operations previously executed by the first computing device and the second computing device in the information management system;

determining whether an information management system operation is capable of being completed within the schedule time period, including;

estimating a size or amount of data to be transferred between the first computing device and the second computing device to execute the received type of information management system operation,

estimating a duration for the received type of information management system operation based on the estimated size or amount of data to be transferred and based on the estimated throughput between the first computing device and the second computing device, and

comparing a duration of the schedule time period with the estimated duration for the received type of information management system operation;

before or during execution of the received type of information management system operation, notifying the user of a failure forecast for the information management system operation if, based on the comparing, the estimated duration for the received type of information management system operation is greater than the duration of the schedule time period;

receiving an indication of an information management system failure,

wherein the information management system failure includes at least one of;

a computing device unexpectedly going offline,

a storage device failure,

processing resources for the computing device falling below a first threshold,

network bandwidth falling below a second threshold,

an estimated duration for an information management system operation exceeding a third threshold, and

a user-defined disruption within the information management system; and

repeatedly transmitting, until the information management system alert is acknowledged, an information management system alert to a point of contact, by;

determining whether the point of contact is available to address the information management system alert; and

if the point of contact is available, transmitting the information management system alert to the point of contact; and

if the point of contact does not acknowledge the information management system alert within a predetermined period of time, changing the point of contact for receiving the information management system alert to another person on one or more lists or hierarchies of points of contact;

otherwise, if the point of contact is unavailable, changing the point of contact for receiving the information management system alert to another person on one or more lists or hierarchies of points of contact.

2. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the throughput estimation includes averaging a throughput of one or more previous information management system operations that were executed on a same day of the week and at a same time of the day as the schedule time period,

wherein averaging the throughput includes dividing 1) a size of data accumulatively transferred during the one or more previous information management system operations by 2) an accumulative duration of the one or more previous information management system operations.

3. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the throughput estimation technique includes averaging a throughput of one or more previous information management system operations that were executed, by the first and the second computing devices, on a same day of the week and at a same time of the day as the schedule time period,

wherein the one or more previous information management system operation are limited to ones of a same operation type and the received type of information management system operation.

4. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 1, further comprising:

scheduling information management policy tasks for a client computing device,

wherein scheduling the information management policy tasks includes populating a first queue with information management policy tasks, based on an information management policy, to be performed by the client computing device using one or more information management system processes or operations,

wherein the information management policy defines a data storage policy related to creating secondary copies of data from primary copies of data; and

scheduling information management system tasks for the client computing device,

wherein scheduling the information management system includes populating a second queue with the information management system tasks,

wherein the information management system tasks are tasks to be performed by the client computing device that are not defined by the information management policy and that are not executed by the information management processes or operations.

5. A computer-implemented method for notifying a user of an information management system operation failure in an information management system, the method comprising:

determining parameters of the information management system operation failure,

wherein determining the parameters includes receiving;

a type of information management system operation to be performed between a first computing device and a second computing device,

a schedule time window for completion of the information management system operation, and

a throughput estimation technique;

estimating throughput between the first computing device and the second computing device,

wherein throughput is a rate of transferring data per unit time between a storage device for the first computing device and a storage device for the second computing device,

wherein estimating throughput includes applying the received throughput estimation technique to one or more information management system operations previously executed by the first computing device and the second computing device in the information management system;

determining whether an information management system operation is completable within the schedule time window, including;

estimating a size of data to be transferred between the first computing device and the second computing device to execute the received type of information management system operation,

estimating a duration for the type of information management system operation based on the estimated size of data to be transferred and based on the estimated throughput between the first computing device and the second computing device, and

comparing a duration of the schedule time window with the estimated duration for the type of information management system operation;

notifying the user of a forecast for the information management system operation failure if the estimated duration for the type of information management system operation is greater than the duration of the schedule time window;

receiving an indication of an information management system failure,

wherein the information management system failure includes at least one of;

a computing device unexpectedly going offline,

a storage device failure,

processing resources for the computing device falling below a first threshold,

network bandwidth falling below a second threshold,

an estimated duration for an information management system operation exceeding a third threshold, and

a user-defined disruption within the information management system; and

repeatedly transmitting, until the information management system alert is acknowledged, an information management system alert to a point of contact, by;

determining whether the point of contact is available to address the information management system alert; and

if the point of contact is available, transmitting the information management system alert to the point of contact; and

if the point of contact does not acknowledge the information management system alert within a predetermined period of time, changing the point of contact for receiving the information management system alert to another person on one or more lists or hierarchies of points of contact;

otherwise, if the point of contact is unavailable, changing the point of contact for receiving the information management system alert to another person on one or more lists or hierarchies of points of contact.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the throughput estimation technique includes averaging a throughput of one or more previous information management system operations that were executed on a same day of the week and at a same time of the day as the schedule time window,

wherein averaging the throughput includes dividing 1) a size of data accumulatively transferred during the one or more previous information management system operations by 2) an accumulative duration of the one or more previous information management system operations.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the throughput estimation technique includes averaging a throughput of one or more previous information management system operations that were executed, by the first and the second computing devices, on a same day of the week and at a same time of the day as the schedule time window,

wherein the one or more previous information management system operation are limited to ones of a same operation type and the received type of information management system operation.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the received type of information management system operation is an auxiliary copy operation,

wherein the auxiliary copy operation includes creating an auxiliary copy of a secondary copy of data that is stored in a storage device for with the first computing device,

wherein the first computing device is a secondary storage computing device,

wherein auxiliary copy includes a format that differs from a format of the secondary copy of data,

wherein a storage device for the second computing device includes slower access times than the storage device for the first computing device.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein notifying the user of the forecast includes notifying the user of a percentage of the type of information management system operation that is completable within the schedule time window.

10. A system, comprising:

at least one processor;

means for determining parameters of an information management system operation failure in an information management system,

wherein the means for determining the parameters includes receiving;

a type of information management system operation to be performed between a first computing device and a second computing device,

a schedule time window for completion of the information management system operation, and

a throughput estimation technique;

means for estimating throughput between the first computing device and the second computing device,

wherein throughput is a rate of transferring data per unit time between a storage device for the first computing device and a storage device for the second computing device,

wherein the means for estimating throughput includes applying the received throughput estimation technique to one or more information management system operations previously executed by the first computing device and the second computing device in the information management system;

means for determining whether an information management system operation is completable within the schedule time window, including;

estimating a size of data to be transferred between the first computing device and the second computing device to execute the received type of information management system operation,

estimating a duration for the type of information management system operation based on the estimated size of data to be transferred and based on the estimated throughput between the first computing device and the second computing device, and

comparing a duration of the schedule time window with the estimated duration for the type of information management system operation;

means for notifying the user of a forecast for the information management system operation failure if the estimated duration for the type of information management system operation is greater than the duration of the schedule time window;

means for receiving an indication of an information management system failure,

wherein the information management system failure includes at least one of;

a computing device unexpectedly going offline,

a storage device failure,

processing resources for the computing device falling below a first threshold,

network bandwidth falling below a second threshold,

an estimated duration for an information management system operation exceeding a third threshold, and

a user-defined disruption within the information management system; and

means for repeatedly transmitting, until the information management system alert is acknowledged, an information management system alert to a point of contact, by;

determining whether the point of contact is available to address the information management system alert; and

if the point of contact is available, transmitting the information management system alert to the point of contact; and

if the point of contact does not acknowledge the information management system alert within a predetermined period of time, changing the point of contact for receiving the information management system alert to another person on one or more lists or hierarchies of points of contact;

otherwise, if the point of contact is unavailable, changing the point of contact for receiving the information management system alert to another person on one or more lists or hierarchies of points of contact.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the throughput estimation technique includes averaging a throughput of one or more previous information management system operations that were executed on a same day of the week and at a same time of the day as the schedule time window,

wherein averaging the throughput includes dividing 1) a size of data accumulatively transferred during the one or more previous information management system operations by 2) an accumulative duration of the one or more previous information management system operations.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the throughput estimation technique includes averaging a throughput of one or more previous information management system operations that were executed, by the first and the second computing devices, on a same day of the week and at a same time of the day as the schedule time window,

wherein the one or more previous information management system operation are limited to ones of a same operation type and the received type of information management system operation.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the received type of information management system operation is an auxiliary copy operation,

wherein the auxiliary copy operation includes creating an auxiliary copy of a secondary copy of data that is stored in a storage device for with the first computing device,

wherein the first computing device is a secondary storage computing device,

wherein auxiliary copy includes a format that differs from a format of the secondary copy of data,

wherein a storage device for the second computing device includes slower access times than the storage device for the first computing device.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the means for notifying the user of the forecast includes notifying the user of a percentage of the type of information management system operation that is completable within the schedule time window.