Conveying value of implementing an integrated data management and protection system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9760446-B2
Application number	US-201514737382-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 11, 2015
Priority date	Jun 11, 2014
Publication date	Sep 12, 2017
Grant date	Sep 12, 2017

Abstract

A system and method are described for conveying to a user the value it would receive by implementing an integrated system to protect and manage its data. An integrated system can combine archiving, backup, snapshot management, reporting, secure data access, eDiscovery and data analytics, among other functions, thus simplifying data protection and data management for an organization. The system generates a value dashboard, exhibiting value data, including data and graphics portraying the benefits to a user of implementing an integrated data management and protection system. Value may be evaluated with reference to simplification and efficiency, risk reduction, and unlocking data value.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A tangible computer-readable storage medium, excluding transitory signals, and which contains instructions for performing a method of identifying and portraying data associated with implementing an integrated data management and protection system, the method comprising:
maintaining value functions for quantifying value associated with implementing an integrated data management and protection system;
wherein the integrated data management and protection system performs archiving, backup, and at least one other data management function;

receiving user input requesting information describing value associated with implementing the integrated data management and protection system,
wherein the value associated with implementing the integrated data management and protection system relates to cost reduction, risks, and obtaining value from data;

generating an interface that displays a request for a user to submit, via the interface, information associated with data management and protection,
wherein the interface includes data entry fields for receiving information associated with data management and protection, and
wherein the information associated with data management and protection includes information related to:
complexity of an existing data management and protection system,
data protection reliability,
data recovery time, and
operational oversight for the existing data management and protection system;

receiving user-submitted information via the data entry fields of the interface;
weighting at least some of the received user-submitted information;
identifying value functions for quantifying value associated with implementing the integrated data management and protection system;
applying the value functions to the received information,
wherein the value functions result in value data for the integrated data management and protection system when applied to the received user-submitted information, and
wherein the applying includes generating a single, combined index score that aggregates the value data obtained by applying the value functions to the weighted, user-submitted information; and,

generating a value dashboard that displays the value data for the integrated data management and protection system,
wherein the value data is indicative of value associated with implementing the integrated data management and protection system versus use of the existing data management and protection system, and
wherein the dashboard includes the combined index score.

2. The tangible computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 , further comprising: identifying alternative value functions for quantifying value associated with implementing an alternative data management and protection system; and
applying the identified alternative value functions to the received user-submitted information, wherein the identified alternative value functions result in alternative value data for the alternative data management and protection system when applied to the received user-submitted information, and wherein the value dashboard displays the alternative value data relative to the value data indicative of value associated with implementing the integrated data management and protection system.

3. The tangible computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 ,
wherein generating a value dashboard that displays the value data includes displaying the value data with reference to three categories of value: simplification, risk reduction, and data value.

4. The tangible computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the integrated data management and protection system performs at least the following functions: archiving, backup, snapshot management, reporting, secure data access, eDiscovery and data analytics.

5. The tangible computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the value dashboard displays information describing a value story of an integrated data management and protection system.

6. The tangible computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein a value function of the value functions applied to the received information is associated with risk reduction, and wherein the value function results in a single score indicating relative risk associated with the integrated data management and protection system.

7. A computer-implemented method for identifying and portraying information associated with implementing an integrated data management system, the method comprising:
maintaining value functions for quantifying value associated with implementing an integrated data management system;
wherein the integrated data management system performs archiving, backup, and at least one other data management function;

generating an interface to display a request to submit, via the interface, information associated with an existing data management system,
wherein the interface includes data entry fields for receiving information associated with the existing data management system, and
wherein the information associated with the existing data management system includes information related to:
complexity of the existing data management and protection system,
data protection reliability,
data recovery time, and
operational oversight for the existing data management and protection system;

receiving information submitted via the data entry fields of the interface;
applying weights to the received information;
applying value functions to the received information,
wherein the value functions calculate values related to performance of the existing data management system based on the received information, and calculate values related to performance of the integrated data management system based on the received information,
wherein the values related to performance of the existing data management system relate to cost reduction, risks and obtaining value from data, and
wherein applying value functions includes generating an index score that represents an aggregation of the calculated values related to the existing data management system based on the received information; and,

generating a dashboard that displays the calculated values related to performance of the integrated data management system and the existing data management system,
wherein the calculated values include a comparison between performance of the integrated data management and the existing data management system, and
wherein the dashboard is configured to display the index score and a relative risk associated with the index score.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
identifying alternative value functions for quantifying value associated with the user implementing an alternative data management system; and
applying the identified alternative value functions to the received information,
wherein the alternative value functions result in alternative value data for the alternative data management system when applied to the received information, and

wherein the value dashboard displays the alternative value data relative to the value data indicative of value associated with implementing the integrated data management system.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein generating a value dashboard that displays the value data includes displaying the value data with reference to three categories of value: simplification, risk reduction, and data value.

10. The method of claim 7 , wherein the integrated data management system performs at least the following functions: archiving, backup, snapshot management, reporting, secure data access, eDiscovery and data analytics.

11. The method of claim 7 , wherein the value dashboard displays data describing a value story of the integrated da

Assignees

• Commvault Systems Inc
• Micron Technology Inc

Inventors

• Hammer Douglas David

Classifications

• G06F11/1453

  using de-duplication of the data · CPC title

• G06F11/1469

  Backup restoration techniques · CPC title

• G06F2201/84

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

• G06F17/30

  Physics · mapped topic

• G06F11/2056

  by mirroring · CPC title