Comm Vault Systems, Inc.

Vimal Kumar Nallathambi

Manoj Kumar Vijayan

Unmil Vinay Tambe

Paramasivam Kumarasamy

Rajiv Kottomtharayil

Dmitriy Borisovich Zakharkin

Duncan Alden Littlefield

Girish Chanchlani

Brahmaiah Vallabhaneni

Prashanth Nagabhushana Bangalore

Prakash Varadharajan

Ketan Bansod

A data storage system according to certain aspects can share a single snapshot for multiple applications and/or agents. For example, the data storage system can receive snapshot commands from multiple applications and/or agents, and can group them for a single snapshot (e.g., based on time of receipt of the snapshot commands). Data associated with the multiple applications and/or agents may reside on a single LUN or volume. The data storage system can take a single snapshot of the LUN or volume, and generate metadata regarding which portion of the snapshot is related to which application. The single snapshot can be stored in one or more secondary storage devices. The single snapshot may be partitioned into portions relating to different applications and stored separately.

Single snapshot for multiple agents

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 approach to managing snapshots streamlines how and when snapshots are generated in a storage management system, such that fewer snapshots may be generated without diminishing the scope of data protection. A novel unified-snapshot storage policy may govern snapshots for any number of subclients. A unified-snapshot job based on the unified-snapshot storage policy enables the illustrative storage management system to automatically discover relevant components and generate at most one snapshot per target logical unit number ('LUN') in a storage array. Each snapshot may comprise the data of any number of subclients and/or clients in the storage management system. Accordingly, one unified-snapshot job may yield a minimum but sufficient number of snapshots comprising data of all subclients associated with the governing unified-snapshot storage policy. An enhanced storage manager may manage the unified-snapshot jobs. One or more enhanced media agents and/or data agents may participate in the unified-snapshot jobs and in subsequent cataloguing of the snapshots.

Unified snapshot storage management

A 'snapshot-control media agent' ('snap-MA') is configured on a secondary storage computing device that operates apart from client computing devices. A &#x201c;forwarder&#x201d; media agent operates on each client computing device that uses a storage array, yet lacks command channels to the storage array. The forwarder media agent forwards commands directed at the storage array to the snap-MA, which receives and processes commands directed at the storage array that were forwarded by the forwarder media agents. Responses from the storage array are transmitted to the respective forwarder media agent. The snap-MA pools storage-array-command devices to avoid capacity limitations in regard to communications channels at the storage array. The snap-MA operating in conjunction with the forwarder media agents enable the illustrative system to consolidate the communication of storage-array commands away from client computing devices and/or proxy media agent hosts and into the secondary storage computing device that hosts the snap-MA.

Consolidated processing of storage-array commands by a snapshot-control media agent

An information management system according to certain aspects may determine whether storage operations will work prior to executing them. The system may check various factors or parameters relating to a storage policy to verify whether the storage policy will work at runtime without actually executing the policy. Some examples of factors can include: availability of primary storage devices, availability of secondary storage devices, license availability for performing that operation, user credentials for connecting to primary and/or second storage devices, available storage capacity, connectivity to storage devices, etc. The system may also check whether a particular system configuration is supported in connection with storage operations. The result of the determination can be provided in the form of a report summarizing any problems found with the storage policy. The report can include recommended courses of action or solutions for resolving any identified issues.

Operation readiness checking and reporting

The illustrative systems and methods consolidate storage-array command channels into a media agent that executes outside the production environment. A 'snapshot-control media agent' ('snap-MA') is configured on a secondary storage computing device that operates apart from client computing devices. A &#x201c;forwarder&#x201d; media agent operates on each client computing device that uses the storage array, yet lacks command channels to the storage array. Likewise, a &#x201c;forwarder&#x201d; proxy media agent may operate without command channels to the storage array. No third-party libraries or storage-array-command devices are installed or needed on the host computing device. The forwarder media agent forwards any commands directed at the storage array to the snap-MA on the secondary storage computing device. The snap-MA receives and processes commands directed at the storage array that were forwarded by the forwarder media agents. Responses from the storage array are transmitted to the respective forwarder media agent. The snap-MA advantageously pools any number of storage-array-command devices so that capacity limitations in regard to communications channels at the storage array may be avoided. As a result, the snap-MA operating in conjunction with the forwarder media agents enable the illustrative system to consolidate the communication of storage-array commands away from client computing devices and/or proxy media agent hosts and into the secondary storage computing device that hosts the snap-MA.

Consolidated processing of storage-array commands using a forwarder media agent in conjunction with a snapshot-control media agent

Unified snapshot storage management, using an enhanced storage manager and enhanced media agents

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. For example, as described in greater detail herein, the systems and methods may 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.

An information management system according to certain aspects may determine whether snapshot operations will work prior to executing them. The system may check various factors or parameters relating to a snapshot storage policy to verify whether the storage policy will work at runtime without actually executing the policy. Some examples of factors can include: availability of primary storage devices for which a snapshot should be obtained, availability of secondary storage devices, license availability for snapshot software, user credentials for connecting to primary and/or second storage devices, available storage capacity, connectivity to storage devices, etc. The system may also check whether a particular system configuration is supported in connection with snapshot operations. The result of the determination can be provided in the form of a report summarizing any problems found with the snapshot storage policy. The report can include recommended courses of action or solutions for resolving any identified issues.

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Ocean Township, NJ, United States of America

Vimal Kumar Nallathambi