Reporting using data obtained during backup of primary storage

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9747169-B2
Application number	US-201313924217-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 21, 2013
Priority date	Dec 21, 2012
Publication date	Aug 29, 2017
Grant date	Aug 29, 2017

Abstract

A data storage system can scan one or more information stores of primary storage and analyze the metadata of files stored in the one or more information stores of primary storage to identify multiple, possibly relevant, secondary copy operations that can be performed on the files. The storage system can also identify primary storage usage information of each file during the scan and use that information to generate reports regarding the usage of the primary storage.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A method, comprising:
during a backup of a plurality of files stored in one or more information stores of primary storage, copying metadata of the plurality of files to an index, the metadata copied to the index including at least modification date data of each file of the plurality of files, wherein the backup of the plurality of files comprises:
identifying a first set of one or more files for a backup operation based at least in part on a determination that the first set of one or more files were modified since a previous backup date, and
performing the backup operation on the first set of one or more files of the plurality of files that were identified as having been modified since the previous backup date, wherein the previous backup date indicates a date when modifications to files in the one or more information stores were most recently copied to the secondary storage;

following the backup operation of the first set of one or more files, reviewing the metadata copied to the index during the backup, wherein reviewing the metadata comprises analyzing metadata of a first file of the plurality of files prior to analyzing metadata of a second file of the plurality of files, and wherein analyzing the metadata of the first file prior to analyzing the metadata of the second file comprises:
determining whether the first file was last modified prior to a system archival date, and based at least in part on a determination that the first file was last modified prior to the system archival date, verifying that a copy of the first file is stored in the secondary storage, and
identifying primary storage usage data of the first file, wherein primary storage usage data of each file of the plurality of files comprises at least the file size data, disk type data, and volume type data;

performing an archive operation on a second set of one or more files of the plurality of files that were identified as having been last modified prior to the system archival date, wherein the archive operation includes replacing each of the second set of one or more files with an identifier indicating a location of one or more copies of each of the second set of one or more files in the secondary storage; and
generating a report of the primary storage based at least in part on said identifying primary storage usage data of the first file.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the report comprises usage trending of the primary storage, fault trending in the primary storage, number of mount points, number of volumes, types of disks in primary storage, and disk trending.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the system archival date is based at least in part on at least one of a creation date, last access date, and last modify date of each file.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the system archival date is based at least in part on an identity of at least one of a user of the file and a creator of each file.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the system archival date is based at least in part on a rating of each file.

6. A method, comprising:
during a backup of a plurality of files stored in one or more information stores of primary storage, copying metadata associated with the plurality of files to an index the metadata copied to the index including at least modification date data of each file of the plurality of files, wherein the backup of the plurality of files comprises:
determining whether a first set of one or more files of the plurality of files were modified since a previous backup date, and based at least in part on a determination that the first set of one or more files were modified since the previous backup date, identifying the first set of one or more files for a backup operation, and
performing the backup operation for the first set of one or more files, wherein the backup operation includes copying at least a portion of each of the first set of one or more files from the plurality of files from primary storage to secondary storage;

following the backup operation of the first set one or more of files, reviewing the metadata copied to the index during the backup, wherein reviewing the metadata comprises analyzing metadata of a first file of the plurality of files prior to analyzing metadata of a second file of the plurality of files and wherein anal zing the metadata of the first file prior to analyzing the metadata of the second file comprises:
determining whether the first file was last modified prior to a system archival date, and based at least in part on a determination that the first file was last modified prior to the system archival date, verifying that a copy of the first file is stored in the secondary storage, and
identifying primary storage usage data of the first file, wherein primary storage usage data of each file of the plurality of files comprises at least the file size data, disk type data, and volume type data;

replacing a second set of one or more files identified for archive operations with an identifier indicating a location of one or more copies of each of the second set of one or more files in the secondary storage; and
generating a report of the primary storage based at least in part on the primary storage usage data of the first file.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the report comprises usage trending of the primary storage, fault trending in the primary storage, number of mount points, number of volumes, types of disks in primary storage, and disk trending.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the system archival date is based at least in part on at least one of a creation date, last access date, and last modify date of each file.

9. The method of claim 6 , wherein the system archival date is based at least in part on an identity of at least one of a user of the file and a creator of the file.

10. The method of claim 6 , wherein the system archival date is based at least in part on a rating of the file.

11. A system, comprising:
a primary storage system comprising at least a first information store, wherein a plurality of files are stored on the first information store and the plurality of files include metadata;
a data agent executing on one or more processors and configured to:
copy the metadata of the plurality of files to an index during a backup of the plurality of files, the metadata copied to the index including at least modification date data of each file of the plurality of files, wherein to backup the plurality of files the data agent is configured to:
identify a first set of one or more files for a backup operation based at least in part on a determination that the first set of one or more files were modified since a previous backup date, and
perform the backup operation on a first set of one or more files, wherein the previous backup date indicates a date when modifications to files in the first information store were most recently copied to the secondary storage;

following the backup of the plurality of files, review the metadata copied to the index during the backup, wherein to review the metadata, the data agent is configured to analyze metadata of a first file of the plurality of files prior to analyzing metadata of a second file of the plurality of files, and wherein to analyze the metadata of the first file prior to the metadata of the second file the data agent is configured to:
determine whether the first file was last modified prior to a system archival date, and based at least in part on a determination that the first file was last modified prior to the system archival date, verify that a copy of the first file is stored in the secondary storage, and
identify primary storage usage data of the first file;

perform an archive operatio

Assignees

• Commvault Systems Inc

Inventors

• Kottomtharayil Rajiv
• Kumarasamy Paramasivam

Classifications

• G06F11/2058

  using more than 2 mirrored copies · CPC title

• G06F3/0649

  Lifecycle management · CPC title

• G06F3/0613 Primary

  in relation to throughput · CPC title

• G06F2201/84

  Using snapshots, i.e. a logical point-in-time copy of the data · CPC title

• G06F11/2094

  Redundant storage or storage space (G06F11/2056 takes precedence) · CPC title