Abstract: Data storage operations, including content-indexing, containerized deduplication, and policy-driven storage, are performed within a cloud environment. The systems support a variety of clients and cloud storage sites that may connect to the system in a cloud environment that requires data transfer over wide area networks, such as the Internet, which may have appreciable latency and/or packet loss, using various network protocols, including HTTP and FTP. Methods are disclosed for content indexing data stored within a cloud environment to facilitate later searching, including collaborative searching. Methods are also disclosed for performing containerized deduplication to reduce the strain on a system namespace, effectuate cost savings, etc. Methods are disclosed for identifying suitable storage locations, including suitable cloud storage sites, for data files subject to a storage policy.

Abstract: Certain embodiments described herein relate to an improved selective data backup system. In some embodiments, one or more components in an information management system can determine that a portion of the primary data scheduled for backup was previously backed up or is scheduled to be backed up as part of another backup operation. For example, a data agent performing a cluster-level backup operation for an entire cluster of storage servers may check whether any part of the primary data was previously backed up by a prior server-level backup operation for one of the storage servers in the cluster. If so, the data agent may skip, in the cluster-level backup operation, any portion of the primary data stored in the storage server previously backed up as part of the prior server-level backup operation.

Abstract: An information management cell health monitoring system is provided herein that can monitor one or more information management systems, identify any performance issues that are occurring within an information management system, and automatically, or in response to a user input, transmit an instruction to the information management system to execute a workflow to resolve the performance issue(s). For example, the information management cell health monitoring system receives operational data, secondary copy policies, and/or similar data from an information management cells via a network. The information management cell health monitoring system analyzes the received information to identify any issues. If an issue is detected, the information management cell health monitoring system retrieves workflows and determines whether any of the workflows can be used to resolve the detected issue.

Abstract: Described herein are techniques for better understanding problems arising in an illustrative information management system, such as a data storage management system, and for issuing appropriate alerts and reporting to data management professionals. The illustrative embodiments include a number of features that detect and raise awareness of anomalies in system operations, such as in deduplication pruning operations. Such anomalies can include delays in the processing of archive files to be deleted and/or delays in the generation of the list of archive files to delete. Anomalies are characterized by frequency anomalies and/or by occurrence counts. Utilization is also of interest for certain key system resources, such as deduplication databases, CPU and memory at the storage manager, etc., without limitation.

Abstract: Described herein are techniques for better understanding problems arising in an illustrative information management system, such as a data storage management system, and for issuing appropriate alerts and reporting to data management professionals. The illustrative embodiments include a number of features that detect and raise awareness of anomalies in system operations. Categories of interest include events and job anomalies, such as long-running jobs and job success/failure rates. Anomalies are characterized by frequency anomalies and/or by occurrence counts. Utilization is also of interest for certain key system resources, such as deduplication databases, CPU and memory at the storage manager, etc., without limitation. Predicting low utilization periods for these and other key resources is useful for scheduling maintenance activities without interfering with ordinary data protection jobs.

Abstract: According to various embodiments, systems and methods are provided that relate to shared access to Storage Area Networks (SAN) devices. In one embodiment, a Storage Area Network (SAN) host is provided, comprising: a server component: a first host bus adapter configured to be connected to a SAN client over a first SAN; a second host bus adapter configured to be connected to a SAN storage device over a second SAN; and wherein the server component is configured to manage a data block on the SAN storage device, receive a storage operation request from the SAN client through the first host bus adapter, and in response to the storage operation request, perform a storage operation on the data block, the storage operation being performed over the second SAN through the second host bus adapter.

Abstract: A system may measure one or more metrics relating to the performance of a job for a set of occurrences of the job with respect to a data set. The measurements may be used to predict a completion time for a subsequent job or phase of the job on the data set. This prediction may be used to present a more accurate indication of a job completion status on the data set. The process may be repeated or performed separately for each client or set of data to provide an individualized progress meter or indicator. Thus, in some cases, variances in the data or computing systems may be reflected in the displayed progress of the job providing for a more accurate indication of job progress.

Abstract: Multiple data paths may be available to a data management system for transferring data between a primary storage device and a secondary storage device. The data management system may be able to gain operational advantages by performing load balancing across the multiple data paths. The system may use application layer characteristics of the data for transferring from a primary storage to a backup storage during data backup operation, and correspondingly from a secondary or backup storage system to a primary storage system during restoration.

Abstract: Systems and methods for providing automated problem reporting in elements used in conjunction with computer networks are disclosed. The system comprises a plurality of elements that perform data operations and a reporting manager or monitor agent which monitors the elements and data operations. Upon detection of hardware or software problems, the reporting manager or monitor agent automatically communicates with elements affected by the problem to gather selected hardware, software, and configuration information, analyzes the information to determine causes of the problem, and issues a problem report containing at least a portion of the selected information. The problem report is communicated to a remote monitor that does not possess access privileges to the elements, allowing automated, remote monitoring of the elements without compromising security of the computer network or elements.

Abstract: An illustrative pseudo-file-system driver uses deduplication functionality and resources in a storage management system to provide an application and/or a virtual machine with access to a locally-stored file system. From the perspective of the application/virtual machine, the file system appears to be of virtually unlimited capacity. The pseudo-file-system driver instantiates the file system in primary storage, e.g., configured on a local disk. The application/virtual machine requires no configured settings or limits for the file system's storage capacity and may thus treat the file system as “infinite.” The pseudo-file-system driver intercepts write requests and may use the deduplication infrastructure in the storage management system to offload excess data from local primary storage to deduplicated secondary storage, based on a deduplication database.

Abstract: According to certain aspects, an information management system may be configured to: receive system information relating to one or more data storage requirements associated with a first user; access an electronic database containing deployment configuration rules usable in determining information management cell configurations; generate a recommended deployment configuration for an information management cell associated with the first user based at least in part on the system information and the deployment configuration rules; receive computing infrastructure information relating to computer hardware components within the information management cell that are available for use in implementing the recommended deployment configuration; and generate an installation script for the information management cell based at least in part on the recommended deployment configuration and the computing infrastructure information.

Abstract: A replication feature for providing faster granular file-level replication between distinct data storage devices is managed and orchestrated by components of an illustrative data storage management system. Information and data objects extracted from snapshots or from primary storage at a source file system are replicated to a destination file system by way of a special-purpose restore operation. The file-level granular replication approach selectively transmits only net changed data from source to destination without passing through a backup copy phase. The illustrative replication operation causes source data to be snapshotted; identifies net changed data in the file system since a preceding replication, e.g., add, change, delete, move, etc.; selectively extracts new/changed data objects from the snapshot along with additional information on moves and deletions; and restores the extracted net changed data to the destination. The illustrative replication feature does not rely on making backup copies.

Abstract: Certain embodiments described herein relate to an improved selective data backup system. In some embodiments, one or more components in an information management system can determine that a portion of the primary data scheduled for backup was previously backed up or is scheduled to be backed up as part of another backup operation. For example, a data agent performing a cluster-level backup operation for an entire cluster of storage servers may check whether any part of the primary data was previously backed up by a prior server-level backup operation for one of the storage servers in the cluster. If so, the data agent may skip, in the cluster-level backup operation, any portion of the primary data stored in the storage server previously backed up as part of the prior server-level backup operation.

Abstract: Multiple data paths may be available to a data management system for transferring data between a primary storage device and a secondary storage device. The data management system may be able to gain operational advantages by performing load balancing across the multiple data paths. The system may use application layer characteristics of the data for transferring from a primary storage to a backup storage during data backup operation, and correspondingly from a secondary or backup storage system to a primary storage system during restoration.

Abstract: An illustrative pseudo-file-system driver uses deduplication functionality and resources in a storage management system to provide an application and/or a virtual machine with access to a locally-stored file system. From the perspective of the application/virtual machine, the file system appears to be of virtually unlimited capacity. The pseudo-file-system driver instantiates the file system in primary storage, e.g., configured on a local disk. The application/virtual machine requires no configured settings or limits for the file system's storage capacity, and may thus treat the file system as “infinite.” The pseudo-file-system driver intercepts write requests and may use the deduplication infrastructure in the storage management system to offload excess data from local primary storage to deduplicated secondary storage, based on a deduplication database.

Abstract: Techniques for providing data preview before recalling large data files are disclosed. In one aspect, a data file is made accessible while being offline by converting the data file from a native format to a preview format, storing the data file in the preview format in a primary storage that is locally available and moving, after the conversion to the preview format, the data file in the native format to a secondary storage. When a viewing request is received for the data file, the data file in the preview format is displayed to fulfill the viewing request.

Abstract: Described in detail herein are systems and methods for single instancing blocks of data in a data storage system. For example, the data storage system may include multiple computing devices (e.g., client computing devices) that store primary data. The data storage system may also include a secondary storage computing device, a single instance database, and one or more storage devices that store copies of the primary data (e.g., secondary copies, tertiary copies, etc.). The secondary storage computing device receives blocks of data from the computing devices and accesses the single instance database to determine whether the blocks of data are unique (meaning that no instances of the blocks of data are stored on the storage devices). If a block of data is unique, the single instance database stores it on a storage device. If not, the secondary storage computing device can avoid storing the block of data on the storage devices.

Abstract: Disclosed are systems and methods for providing a user-centric interface into an information management system. The interface may enable a user to search for, view, and modify data objects in an information management system that are associated with the user or with the user's username. The interface may also enable a user to apply administrator-like functions to the data objects associated with the user. The administrator-like functions may include content modification, deduplication operations, and storage policy adjustments, among others.

Abstract: Described in detail herein are systems and methods for managing single instancing data. Using a single instance database and other constructs (e.g. sparse files), data density on archival media (e.g. magnetic tape) is improved, and the number of files per storage operation is reduced. According to one aspect of a method for managing single instancing data, for each storage operation, a chunk folder is created on a storage device that stores single instancing data. The chunk folder contains three files: 1) a file that contains data objects that have been single instanced; 2) a file that contains data objects that have not been eligible for single instancing; and 3) a metadata file used to track the location of data objects within the other files. A second storage operation subsequent to a first storage operation contains references to data objects in the chunk folder created by the first storage operation instead of the data objects themselves.

Abstract: An information management system according to certain aspects may determine whether storage operations will execute properly prior to executing them in a cloud services environment. The system may check various factors or parameters relating to a storage policy to verify whether the storage policy will work at runtime without actually executing the policy. Some examples of factors can include: availability of primary storage devices, availability of secondary storage devices, license availability for performing that operation, user credentials for connecting to primary and/or second storage devices, available storage capacity, connectivity to storage devices, etc. The system may also check whether a particular system configuration is supported in connection with storage operations. The result of the determination can be provided in the form of a report summarizing any problems found with the storage policy. The report can include recommended courses of action or solutions for resolving any identified issues.