Offline messaging between a repository storage operation cell and remote storage operation cells via an intermediary media agent

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10601923-B2
Application number	US-201816215380-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 10, 2018
Priority date	May 27, 2014
Publication date	Mar 24, 2020
Grant date	Mar 24, 2020

Abstract

Offline messaging between a repository storage operation cell and one or more mobile/remote storage operation cells is disclosed. The repository cell is managed by a repository storage manager that communicates to and from the remote cell via a specially-configured media agent. The illustrative intermediary media agent is configured to: queue messages directed to the remote cell, process them according to applicable parameters (e.g., time-to-live constraints, updates, cancellations, etc.), and transmit the processed messages to the remote cell when connectivity is available. The intermediary media agent also relays messages from the remote cell to the repository, including responses by the remote to the processed messages received from the repository via the intermediary media agent.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
executing a media agent on a first computing device comprising one or more processors and computer memory,
wherein a first storage manager and a second storage manager are configured to communicate with each other via the media agent,
wherein the first storage manager executes on a computing device comprising one or more processors and computer memory and manages storage management operations in a first storage operation cell,
wherein the second storage manager executes on a computing device comprising one or more processors and computer memory and manages a second storage operation cell that is distinct from the first storage operation cell, and
further wherein the second storage manager is configured to store information about the storage management operations in the first storage operation cell as reported by the first storage manager;

by the media agent when out of communication with the first storage manager, receiving from the second storage manager messages that are directed to the first storage manager, and
processing the messages into processed messages that the media agent queues for transmission to the first storage manager;

by the media agent when in communication with the first storage manager, transmitting the processed messages to the first storage manager; and
by the media agent, transmitting to the second storage manager at least one message received from the first storage manager comprising metadata about storage management operations in the first storage operation cell.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second storage manager stores the metadata about storage management operations in the first storage operation cell to a database associated with the second storage manager.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second storage manager is designated a repository storage manager that stores the metadata about storage management operations in the first storage operation cell to a database associated with the second storage manager, and further stores information about storage management operations at other storage operation cells.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first computing device comprises (i) a first instance of media agent software for inter-operating with the first storage manager, and (ii) a second instance of the media agent software for inter-operating with the second storage manager.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the media agent is configured for offline processing of messages that are directed to the first storage manager and are received when the media agent is out of communication with the first storage manager.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one message received by the media agent from the first storage manager is responsive to the processed messages transmitted to the first storage manager by the media agent.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the messages received from the second storage manager that are directed to the first storage manager is responsive to a query for further instructions previously received from the first storage manager.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the messages received from the second storage manager that are directed to the first storage manager requests a status about the first storage operation cell.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the messages received from the second storage manager that are directed to the first storage manager queries about an amount of storage available on a storage device in the first storage operation cell.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the messages received from the second storage manager that are directed to the first storage manager comprises a command for the first storage manager and which command is to persist whether or not the media agent is in communication with the first storage manager.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the messages received from the second storage manager that are directed to the first storage manager comprises a status request set to expire after a predefined condition is met while the media agent is out of communication with the first storage manager.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one of the messages received from the second storage manager that are directed to the first storage manager comprises a dynamic mask that is to be processed by the media agent prior to transmission to the first storage manager, resulting in at least one of: canceling, deleting, replacing, and updating another message that was previously received from the second storage manager.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the messages received from the second storage manager that are directed to the first storage manager comprises a static mask that is to be processed by the media agent prior to transmission to the first storage manager, resulting in at least one of: canceling, deleting, replacing, and updating another message that was previously received from the second storage manager.

14. A method comprising:
by a computing device comprising one or more processors and computer memory, executing a media agent that enables a first storage manager and a second storage manager to communicate with each other via the media agent,
wherein the first storage manager executes on a computing device comprising one or more processors and computer memory, and is configured to manage storage management operations in a first storage operation cell whether or not the media agent is in communication with the first storage manager, and
wherein the second storage manager executes on a computing device comprising one or more processors and computer memory;

by the media agent, receiving messages from the second storage manager directed to the first storage manager;
by the media agent at least in part when out of communication with the first storage manager, processing the messages into one or more processed messages prior to transmission thereof to the first storage manager;
by the media agent, queuing the one or more processed messages until the media agent is in communication with the first storage manager for transmission thereto;
by the media agent, transmitting to the second storage manager messages received from the first storage manager that comprise metadata about one or more of the storage management operations that occurred under management of the first storage manager in the first storage operation cell; and
wherein the second storage manager is configured to store information reported by the first storage manager about the storage management operations in the first storage operation cell.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the one or more processed messages queued for the first storage manager comprise at least one command relative to a storage management operation that is to be executed in the first storage operation cell under management of the first storage manager.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the messages received from the second storage manager that are directed to the first storage manager comprise one or more of:
(i) a first message that is responsive to a query for further instructions previously received from the first storage manager,
(ii) a second message that requests a status about the first storage operation cell,
(iii) a third message that queries about an amount of storage available on a storage device in the first storage operation cell,
(iv) a fourth message that comprises a command for the first storage manager and which command is to persist whether or not the media agent is in

Assignees

• Commvault Systems Inc

Inventors

• Klose Michael F
• Haridas Ganesh

Classifications

• H04L67/1074

  for supporting data block transmission mechanisms (file transfer H04L67/06) · CPC title

• H04L67/1097 Primary

  for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS] · CPC title

• H04L51/18

  Commands or executable codes · CPC title