Abstract: Data management systems and methods include a cloud-based platform coupled to a system of agents or folders hosted on client devices. The platform does not store actual data but instead makes use of metadata provided by the agents to track a location of all data in the system and manage the distributed storage, movement and processing of the actual data among the agents. In so doing, the platform pools networked storage into “virtual clusters” using local storage at the agents. The agents collectively monitor, store, and transfer or move data, and perform data processing operations as directed by the platform, as described in detail herein. The agents include agents hosted on or coupled to processor-based devices, agents hosted on devices of a local area network, agents hosted on devices of a wide area network, agents hosted on mobile devices, and agents hosted on cloud-based devices.

Abstract: Embodiments of a distributed data management system include a platform comprising a processor coupled to databases. A grid including agents is coupled to the platform, and each agent is an agent of the platform independently running on a client device. The agents generate and provide to the platform metadata that corresponds to the content of memory accessible by the client devices corresponding to the agents. The agents generate the metadata by hashing fragments of the content. The platform uses the metadata instead of the content to generate and assign to the agents tasks including tasks controlling at least one of storing, transferring and processing of the content. A task is a processing operation performed on content accessible by the agent responsible for the task.

Abstract: A system includes a server and a source client executable on a first electronic device configured to be in communication over a network with the server. The first electronic device has stored thereon a plurality of electronic files. The first electronic device is in communication with at least one storage device of a plurality of storage devices. The source client is configured to generate a first electronic-file backup plan. The first backup plan characterizes a first set of the storage devices. The first backup plan further designates, according to input received from a user of the source client, each storage device of the first set as a backup destination for respective files of the plurality of files. The source client is further configured to transmit the first backup plan over the network to the server, wherein the server is configured to store the first backup plan in a database.

Abstract: A method, implementable in a system coupled to a network, includes accessing a first portion of a memory device coupled to the network. The first portion has stored thereon information characterizing an entity. An information set of a predetermined information type is gathered from the first portion. First and second information subsets of the information set are organized into first and second keywords. A second portion of a memory device coupled to the network is accessed. The second portion has stored thereon a plurality of data sets. First and second subsets of the data sets are identified. Each data set of the first data-set subset includes the first keyword, and each data set of the second data-set subset includes the second keyword. The first data-set subset is stored in a third portion of a memory device coupled to the network.