Comm Vault Systems, Inc.

Duncan Alden Littlefield

Rajiv Kottomtharayil

Sowdambiga Karthikeyan

Ho-Chi Chen

Vimal Kumar Nallathambi

Girish Chanchlani

Parag Gokhale

Jun H Ahn

Sri Karthik Bhagi

Kuldeep Kumar

Suhas T Lande

Manoj Kumar Vijayan

Sudha Krishnan Iyer

Pawan Natwarlal Rathi

Chiranjeevi Marella

Certain embodiments described herein relate to an improved synthetic full backup image generation system. In some embodiments, one or more components in an information management system can identify a file-server-created backup copy in a particular backup format of a plurality of backup formats, determine structure information associated with the particular backup format, and generate a synthetic full backup copy according to the structure information, where the synthetic full backup copy is also in the particular backup format identical to that of the file-server-created backup copy.

Synthesizing format-specific full backup images

An illustrative media agent (MA) in a data storage management system instructs a NAS file server (filer) to restore an MA-created synthesized-copy instead of larger filer-created backup copies. The synthesized-copy is designed only for the particular files to be restored and mimics, and is typically much smaller than, a filer-created backup copy. The synthesized-copy is fed to the filer on restore as a 'restore data image.' When receiving a restore request for certain backed-up data files, the MA synthesizes the synthesized-copy on the fly. The MA generates a header mimicking a filer-created backup header; extracts files from filer-created backup copies arranging them within the synthesized-copy as if in filer-created backups; and instructs filer to perform a full-volume restore from the synthesized-copy. The MA serves the synthesized-copy piecemeal as available, rather than waiting to synthesize the entire synthesized-copy. The synthesized-copy is not stored at the MA.

Synthesizing a restore image from one or more secondary copies to facilitate data restore operations to a file server

The present inventors devised techniques and technologies that streamline the protection of data stored on shared file storage e.g., on file servers, network-attached storage (NAS), share drives, network shares, etc., in a data storage management system. Some embodiments feature a proxy-less backup configuration in which backup services hosts are assigned to perform a secondary copy job, at job runtime, based on host attributes relative to the data source. Some embodiments are configured to, at job runtime, automatically resolve data paths to the source data, and automatically mount the data paths, rather than requiring data paths to be expressly pre-administered on all possible candidate backup machines. Some embodiments automatically protect data from shared file storage that was not expressly given a backup plan ('undefined' data) by applying default preferences for protecting undefined data.

Streamlined secondary copy operations for data stored on shared file storage

Certain embodiments described herein relate to an improved selective data backup system. In some embodiments, one or more components in an information management system can determine that a portion of the primary data scheduled for backup was previously backed up or is scheduled to be backed up as part of another backup operation. For example, a data agent performing a cluster-level backup operation for an entire cluster of storage servers may check whether any part of the primary data was previously backed up by a prior server-level backup operation for one of the storage servers in the cluster. If so, the data agent may skip, in the cluster-level backup operation, any portion of the primary data stored in the storage server previously backed up as part of the prior server-level backup operation.

Skipping data backed up in prior backup operations

The systems and methods herein permit storage systems to correctly perform data recovery, such as direct access recovery, of Network Data Management Protocol ('NDMP') backup data that was modified prior to being stored in secondary storage media, such as tape. The systems and methods permit NDMP backup data to be encrypted, compressed, deduplicated, and/or otherwise modified prior to storage. The systems and methods herein also permit a user to perform a precautionary snapshot of the current state of data (e.g., primary data) prior to reverting data to a previous state using point-in-time data.

Data recovery operations, such as recovery from modified network data management protocol data

An illustrative data storage management system is aware that certain data storage resources for storing/serving primary data operate in a partnered configuration. Illustrative components of the data storage management system analyze the failover status of the partnered primary data storage resources to determine which is currently serving/storing primary data and/or snapshots targeted for backup. When detecting that a first partnered primary data storage resource has failed over to a second primary data storage resource, the example storage manager changes the assignment of backup resources that are pre-administered for the targeted data. Accordingly, the example storage manager assigns backup resources, including at least one media agent, that are associated with the second primary data storage resource, and which are 'closer' thereto from a geography and/or network topology perspective, even if the pre-administered backup resources are available for backup.

Assigning backup resources in a data storage management system based on failover of partnered data storage resources

Multiple substantially concurrent data streams with NDMP protocol improve robustness, performance, and granularity of backup and restore operations from/to a filer. NDMP data streams are initially allocated based on inventorying the root level of each filer volume. A best effort to balance the multiple NDMP data streams allocates them based on data amounts used in each volume. Orphaned files are also collected and backed up. Subsequent full backup jobs leverage a proprietary index generated in preceding full backup jobs to obtain better performance and to better balance the NDMP data streams by creating substantially co-equal groupings of source data. The index comprises granular information which is not available from querying the filer. The size of each individual backup copy from a preceding full backup job and/or the size of subtending subdirectories or individual backed up files therein is used by later backup jobs to fine tune NDMP data stream allocation.

Using multiple streams with network data management protocol to improve performance and granularity of backup and restore operations from/to a file server

A data storage management system comprises enhanced capabilities for automatically discovering operational characteristics of data storage devices installed in the system. A user interface enables end-users to submit requests for storage resources ranging from a simple request for a certain amount of storage space to more complex requests that specify the type of storage technology, the manufacturer, the I/O speed of the storage device, etc. The end-user also may include an expiration timeframe for the requested storage space. The system identifies storage devices that are suitable to the end-user's request, automatically provisions the storage space (e.g., LUN), and assigns it to the requestor. The assigned storage space may automatically expire, based on user-requested or system-provided expiration timeframes. Expired storage space is returned to a logical pool of available resources so that it may be assigned in response to other requests. The system comprises special-purpose policies that govern which data storage devices may be used for users submitting requests and further specify other administrative constraints.

Growing community of inventors

Millstone Township, NJ, United States of America

Duncan Alden Littlefield