File manager integration with virtualization in an information management system with an enhanced storage manager, including user control and storage management of virtual machines

Abstract

A storage manager that interoperates with a file manager application that integrates with virtualization substantially enables end-user control and storage management of virtual machines (VMs). The storage manager may manage information management operations relative to virtual machines based on and/or in response to messages and/or instructions received from the file manager application. The storage manager may further report results to the file manager application for presentation to the user. The file manager application, which may operate as a plug-in for a legacy file manager executing on a user's client computing device, may comprise: displaying the VMs associated with the user, including their respective properties; enabling viewing/browsing of information about storage management operations for a VM such as backups and/or archiving, including files associated with the VM and searching and filtering criteria; control features that enable the user to control existing VMs, such as shut down, restart/activate/power-on, suspend, and/or re-configure, and also perform storage management of a VM and/or its associated files, such as create snapshot, back up, archive, restore VM from secondary storage, restore and overwrite VM, restore file(s)/folder(s) to user's client computing device, restore file(s)/folder(s) to a production VM in primary storage, etc.; control features that enable the user to provision additional VMs, such as create a new VM, create a clone VM, configure a VM, etc.