Application of information management policies based on operation with a geographic entity

• US 9,633,216 B2
• Filed: 12/27/2012
• Issued: 04/25/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CommVault Systems Incorporated
• Original Assignee: CommVault Systems Incorporated
• Inventors: Gokhale, Parag, Vibhor, Anand
• Primary Examiner(s): Chbouki, Tarek
• Application Number:
  US13/728,386
• Publication Number:
  US 20140188804A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,580 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1448 Management of the data involved in backup or backup restore
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/125 characterised by the use of retention policies retention policies for HSM systems G06F16/185
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/27 Replication, distribution or synchronisation of data between databases or within a distributed database system; Distributed database system architectures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/62 Protecting access to data via a platform, e.g. using keys or access control rules
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database
• 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 2221/2111 Location-sensitive, e.g. geographical location, GPS

Abstract

Techniques for providing data retention services based on a geographic region are disclosed. In one aspect, a location of a computing device is determined. A geographic entity corresponding to the location of the computing device is then determined. A data retention policy is applied to production data of the computing device based on regulations of the geographic entity. Other aspects are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A method of providing data storage services for a first computing device, comprising:

determining, with a second computing device, a current location of the first computing device,

wherein the first computing device generates application data, and

wherein the second computing device is associated with providing the data storage services for the first computing device; and

wherein the first computing device is a mobile device;

determining, with the second computing device, a country or geographic region corresponding to the current location of the first computing device;

querying a data structure using the country or geographic region to determine which data storage rules apply to the determined country or geographic region corresponding to the current location of the first computing device,

wherein the data storage rules are based on data retention regulations for the determined country or geographic region; and

applying, with the second computing device, a data storage policy to the application data generated by the first computing device,

wherein the application data includes production copies of data created at the first computing device,

wherein the data storage policy includes creating at least one secondary copy of the application data,

wherein the data storage policy is applied based on the data storage rules determined by querying the data structure to apply to the determined country or geographic region corresponding to the current location of the first computing device,

wherein the applied data storage policy includes;

a frequency with which secondary copies of the production copies of the application data are made,

a location to which the secondary copies of the production copies of the application data are stored,

a type of secondary copy of the production copies of the application data to be made, and

security measures to be applied to at least some of the application data stored on the first computing device.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the first computing device is portable,

wherein determining the location of the first computing device includes:

receiving, from the first computing device, one or more of a network address of the first computing device, GPS coordinates of the first computing device, and wireless provider information for the first computing device.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein determining the country includes:

querying a database with an IP address of the first computing device; and

receiving an identification of the country from the database in response to the query.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the country is a first country,

wherein the data structure is an access control list that identifies countries into which some classifications of information are prohibited by a government of a second country,

wherein adjusting the security measures includes one or more of encrypting, password protecting, and deleting at least part of the application data stored on the computing device, in response to the second computing device determining that the location of the first computing device is within the first country,

wherein the method further includes, receiving instructions from a user that identify the at least part of the application data to be deleted,

wherein the instructions specify one or more of a file, a folder of files, files having a particular file extension, files containing a particular class of information, and files having a specified level of sensitivity to an organization.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the country is a first country, wherein the data structure is an access control list that identifies countries into which some classifications of information are prohibited by a government of a second country, wherein adjusting the security measures includes one or more of encrypting, password protecting, and deleting at least part of the application data stored on the computing device, in response to the second computing device determining that the location of the first computing device is within the first country.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein adjusting the security measures includes one or more of encrypting, password protecting, and deleting at least part of the application data stored on the computing device, in response to the second computing device determining that the location of the first computing device is within the country.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein adjusting the security measures includes one or more of encrypting, password protecting, and deleting at least part of the application data stored on the computing device, in response to the second computing device determining that the location of the first computing device is within the country,

wherein the method further includes, receiving instructions from a user that identify the at least part of the application data to be deleted,

wherein the instructions specify one or more of a file, a folder of files, files having a particular file extension, files containing a particular class of information, and files having a specified level of sensitivity to an organization.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein applying the data storage policy to the application data of the first computing device includes at least two of:

creating periodic full backup copies;

creating continuous incremental backup copies;

creating periodic incremental backup copies;

creating intermittent incremental backup copies; and

creating snapshot copies,

wherein at least one of the backup or snapshot copies is performed based on the data storage rules,

wherein applying the data storage policy to the application data includes varying the frequency of creating backup or snapshot copies.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein applying the data storage policy to the application data of the first computing device includes at least two of:

creating periodic full backup copies;

creating continuous incremental backup copies;

creating periodic incremental backup copies;

creating intermittent incremental backup copies; and

creating snapshot copies,

wherein at least one of the backup or snapshot copies is performed based on the data storage rules.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein applying the data storage policy includes:

determining which one of a number of secondary copy servers is closer to the country than the second computing device;

transferring control of secondary copy operations, associated with the first computing device, from the second computing device to the determined one of the number of secondary copy servers that is closer to the country; and

creating secondary copies of the application data of the first computing device with the determined one of the number of secondary copy servers that is closer to the country.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein applying the data storage policy includes:

determining which one of a number of secondary copy servers is closer to the country than the second computing device; and

creating secondary copies of the application data of the first computing device with the determined one of the number of secondary copy servers that is closer to the country.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein applying the information management policy includes:

determining which one of a number of secondary copy servers is closer to the country than the second computing device; and

transferring secondary copies of the application data for the first computing device from the second computing device to the one of a number of secondary copy servers to decrease the duration of a data restoration operation for the first computing device while the first computing device is located within the country.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions to, if executed by a processor of a computing system, cause the computing system to perform a method of providing data storage services for a first computing device, the method comprising:

determining, with a second computing device, a current location of the first computing device,

wherein the first computing device generates application data, and

wherein the second computing device is associated with providing the data storage services for the first computing device; and

wherein the first computing device is a mobile device;

determining, with the second computing device, a country or geographic region corresponding to the current location of the first computing device;

querying a data structure using the country or geographic region to determine which data storage rules apply to the determined country or geographic region corresponding to the current location of the first computing device,

wherein the data storage rules are based on data retention regulations for the determined country or geographic region; and

applying, with the second computing device, a data storage policy to the application data generated by the first computing device,

wherein the application data includes production copies of data created at the first computing device,

wherein the data storage policy includes creating at least one secondary copy of the application data,

wherein the data storage policy is applied based on the data storage rules determined by querying the data structure to apply to the determined country or geographic region corresponding to the current location of the first computing device,

wherein the applied data storage policy includes;

a frequency with which secondary copies of the production copies of the application data are made,

a location to which the secondary copies of the production copies of the application data are stored,

a type of secondary copy of the production copies of the application data to be made, and

security measures to be applied to at least some of the application data stored on the first computing device.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the first computing device is portable,

wherein determining the location of the first computing device includes:

receiving, from the first computing device, one or more of a network address of the first computing device, GPS coordinates of the first computing device, and wireless provider information for the first computing device.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein determining the country includes:

querying a database with an IP address of the first computing device; and

receiving an identification of the country from the database in response to the query.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the country is a first country,

wherein the data structure is an access control list that identifies countries into which some classifications of information are prohibited by a government of a second country,

wherein adjusting the security measures includes one or more of encrypting, password protecting, and deleting at least part of the application data stored on the computing device, in response to the second computing device determining that the location of the first computing device is within the first country,

wherein the method further includes, receiving instructions from a user that identify the at least part of the application data to be deleted,

wherein the instructions specify one or more of a file, a folder of files, files having a particular file extension, files containing a particular class of information, and files having a specified level of sensitivity to an organization.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the country is a first country, wherein the data structure is an access control list that identifies countries into which some classifications of information are prohibited by a government of a second country, wherein adjusting the security measures includes one of more of encrypting, password protecting, and deleting at least part of the application data stored on the computing device, in response to the second computing device determining that the location of the first computing device is within the first country.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein adjusting the security measures includes one or more of encrypting, password protecting, and deleting at least part of the application data stored on the computing device, in response to the second computing device determining that the location of the first computing device is within the country.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein adjusting the security measures includes one or more of encrypting, password protecting, and deleting at least part of the application data stored on the computing device, in response to the second computing device determining that the location of the first computing device is within the country,

wherein the method further includes, receiving instructions from a user that identify the at least part of the application data to be deleted,

wherein the instructions specify one or more of a file, a folder of files, files having a particular file extension, files containing a particular class of information, and files having a specified level of sensitivity to an organization.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein applying the data storage policy to the application data of the first computing device includes at least two of:

creating periodic full backup copies;

creating continuous incremental backup copies;

creating periodic incremental backup copies;

creating intermittent incremental backup copies; and

creating snapshot copies,

wherein at least one of the backup or snapshot copies is performed based on the data storage rules,

wherein applying the data storage policy to the application data includes varying the frequency of creating backup or snapshot copies.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein applying the data storage policy to the application data of the first computing device includes at least two of:

creating periodic full backup copies;

creating continuous incremental backup copies;

creating periodic incremental backup copies;

creating intermittent incremental backup copies; and

creating snapshot copies,

wherein at least one of the backup or snapshot copies is performed based on the data storage rules.

22. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein applying the data storage policy includes:

determining which one of a number of secondary copy servers is closer to the country than the second computing device;

transferring control of secondary copy operations, associated with the first computing device, from the second computing device to the determined one of the number of secondary copy servers that is closer to the country; and

creating secondary copies of the application data of the first computing device with the determined one of the number of secondary copy servers that is closer to the country.

23. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein applying the data storage policy includes:

determining which one of a number of secondary copy servers is closer to the country than the second computing device; and

creating secondary copies of the application data of the first computing device with the determined one of the number of secondary copy servers that is closer to the country.

24. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein applying the information management policy includes:

determining which one of a number of secondary copy servers is closer to the country than the second computing device; and

transferring secondary copies of the application data for the first computing device from the second computing device to the one of a number of secondary copy servers to decrease the duration of a data restoration operation for the first computing device while the first computing device is located within the country.