Abstract: Illustrative systems and methods enable a virtual machine (“VM”) to be powered up at any hypervisor regardless of hypervisor type, based on live-mounting VM data that was originally backed up into a hypervisor-independent format by a block-level backup operation. Afterwards, the backed up VM executes anywhere anytime without needing to find a hypervisor that is the same as or compatible with the original source VM's hypervisor. The backed up VM payload data is rendered portable to any virtualized platform. Thus, a VM can be powered up at one or more test stations, data center or cloud recovery environments, and/or backup appliances, without the prior-art limitations of finding a same/compatible hypervisor for accessing and using backed up VM data. An illustrative media agent maintains cache storage that acts as a way station for data blocks retrieved from an original backup copy, and stores data blocks written by the live-mounted VM.

Abstract: Expandable cache management dynamically manages cache storage for multiple network shares configured in a file server. Once a file is written to a directory or folder on a specially designated network share, such as one that is configured for “infinite backup,” an intermediary pre-backup copy of the file is created in an expandable cache in the file server that hosts the network share. On write operations, cache storage space can be dynamically expanded or freed up by pruning previously backed up data. This advantageously creates flexible storage caches in the file server for each network share, each cache managed independently of other like caches for other network shares on the same file server. On read operations, intermediary file storage in the expandable cache gives client computing devices speedy access to data targeted for backup, which is generally quicker than restoring files from backed up secondary copies.

Abstract: Illustrative systems and methods enable a virtual machine (“VM”) to be powered up at any hypervisor regardless of hypervisor type, based on live-mounting VM data that was originally backed up into a hypervisor-independent format by a block-level backup operation. Afterwards, the backed up VM executes anywhere anytime without needing to find a hypervisor that is the same as or compatible with the original source VM's hypervisor. The backed up VM payload data is rendered portable to any virtualized platform. Thus, a VM can be powered up at one or more test stations, data center or cloud recovery environments, and/or backup appliances, without the prior-art limitations of finding a same/compatible hypervisor for accessing and using backed up VM data. An illustrative media agent maintains cache storage that acts as a way station for data blocks retrieved from an original backup copy, and stores data blocks written by the live-mounted VM.

Abstract: Expandable cache management dynamically manages cache storage for multiple network shares configured in a file server. Once a file is written to a directory or folder on a specially designated network share, such as one that is configured for “infinite backup,” an intermediary pre-backup copy of the file is created in an expandable cache in the file server that hosts the network share. On write operations, cache storage space can be dynamically expanded or freed up by pruning previously backed up data. This advantageously creates flexible storage caches in the file server for each network share, each cache managed independently of other like caches for other network shares on the same file server. On read operations, intermediary file storage in the expandable cache gives client computing devices speedy access to data targeted for backup, which is generally quicker than restoring files from backed up secondary copies.

Abstract: Illustrative systems and methods enable a virtual machine (“VM”) to be powered up at any hypervisor regardless of hypervisor type, based on live-mounting VM data that was originally backed up into a hypervisor-independent format by a block-level backup operation. Afterwards, the backed up VM executes anywhere anytime without needing to find a hypervisor that is the same as or compatible with the original source VM's hypervisor. The backed up VM payload data is rendered portable to any virtualized platform. Thus, a VM can be powered up at one or more test stations, data center or cloud recovery environments, and/or backup appliances, without the prior-art limitations of finding a same/compatible hypervisor for accessing and using backed up VM data. An illustrative media agent maintains cache storage that acts as a way station for data blocks retrieved from an original backup copy, and stores data blocks written by the live-mounted VM.

Abstract: A system according to certain aspects improves the process of data restoration and application recovery operations. The system can back up primary data based on network path information associated with a client computing device. When the primary data becomes corrupted or unavailable, a previously backed up copy of the primary data may be used as the primary data to achieve instant application recovery. For example, when a portion of the primary data is requested by a user or an application, the system may identify a corresponding portion in the backed up copy of the primary data and provide the identified portion to the user or the application in a manner transparent to the user or the application. Alternatively, the application running on the client computing device may send a request for the backup copy of the primary data to the secondary storage device upon determining that the requested data is not available.

Abstract: Expandable cache management dynamically manages cache storage for multiple network shares configured in a file server. Once a file is written to a directory or folder on a specially designated network share, such as one that is configured for “infinite backup,” an intermediary pre-backup copy of the file is created in an expandable cache in the file server that hosts the network share. On write operations, cache storage space can be dynamically expanded or freed up by pruning previously backed up data. This advantageously creates flexible storage caches in the file server for each network share, each cache managed independently of other like caches for other network shares on the same file server. On read operations, intermediary file storage in the expandable cache gives client computing devices speedy access to data targeted for backup, which is generally quicker than restoring files from backed up secondary copies.

Abstract: A system according to certain aspects improves the process of performing data protection operations (e.g., creating backup copies in a secondary storage device). The system can generate network path information based on client information associated with client computing devices (e.g., application type, data type, client device ID, etc.) and process requests to perform data protection operations based on the network path information specified in the requests. For example, the system may use the specified network path information to determine the data types of the primary data stored on the client computing devices and store backup copies of the primary data at the location indicated by the network path information.

Abstract: The disclosed systems and methods enable a virtual machine, including any applications executing thereon, to quickly start executing and servicing users based on pre-staged data blocks supplied from a backup copy in secondary storage. Substantially concurrently with the ongoing execution of the virtual machine, a virtual-machine-file-relocation operation may move data blocks originating in the backup copy to a primary storage destination that becomes the virtual machine's primary data store after the relocation operation completes. An enhanced data agent, operating in conjunction with an enhanced media agent in a storage management system, coordinates restoring of the virtual machine and the launch of the relocation operation. The enhanced media agent may pre-stage certain backed up data blocks which may be needed to launch the virtual machine, based on predictive analysis pertaining to the virtual machine's operational profile.

Abstract: Systems and methods enable a virtual machine, including applications executing thereon, to quickly start executing and servicing users based on pre-staged data blocks supplied from a backup copy in secondary storage. Substantially concurrently with the ongoing execution of the virtual machine, a virtual-machine-file-relocation operation moves data blocks from backup to a primary storage destination that becomes the virtual machine's primary data store after relocation completes. An enhanced data agent, operating in conjunction with an enhanced media agent in a storage management system, coordinates restoring the virtual machine and launching the relocation operation. The enhanced media agent pre-stages certain backed up data blocks based on predictive analysis pertaining to the virtual machine's operational profile. The enhanced media agent also pre-stages backed up data blocks for the relocation operation, based on the operation's relocation scheme.

Abstract: Systems and methods enable a virtual machine, including any applications executing thereon, to quickly start executing and servicing users based on pre-staged data blocks supplied from a backup copy in secondary storage. An enhanced media agent may pre-stage certain backed up data blocks which may be needed to launch the virtual machine, based on predictive analysis pertaining to the virtual machine's operational profile. The enhanced media agent may also pre-stage backed up data blocks for a virtual-machine-file-relocation operation, based on the operation's relocation scheme. Servicing read requests to the virtual machine may take priority over ongoing pre-staging of backed up data. Read requests may be tracked so that the media agent may properly maintain the contents of an associated read cache. Some embodiments of the illustrative storage management system may lack, or may simply not require, the relocation operation, and may operate in a “live mount” configuration.

Abstract: Expandable cache management dynamically manages cache storage for multiple network shares configured in a file server. Once a file is written to a directory or folder on a specially designated network share, such as one that is configured for “infinite backup,” an intermediary pre-backup copy of the file is created in an expandable cache in the file server that hosts the network share. On write operations, cache storage space can be dynamically expanded or freed up by pruning previously backed up data. This advantageously creates flexible storage caches in the file server for each network share, each cache managed independently of other like caches for other network shares on the same file server. On read operations, intermediary file storage in the expandable cache gives client computing devices speedy access to data targeted for backup, which is generally quicker than restoring files from backed up secondary copies.

Abstract: Systems and methods enable a virtual machine, including applications executing thereon, to quickly start executing and servicing users based on pre-staged data blocks supplied from a backup copy in secondary storage. Substantially concurrently with the ongoing execution of the virtual machine, a virtual-machine-file-relocation operation moves data blocks from backup to a primary storage destination that becomes the virtual machine's primary data store after relocation completes. An enhanced data agent, operating in conjunction with an enhanced media agent in a storage management system, coordinates restoring the virtual machine and launching the relocation operation. The enhanced media agent pre-stages certain backed up data blocks based on predictive analysis pertaining to the virtual machine's operational profile. The enhanced media agent also pre-stages backed up data blocks for the relocation operation, based on the operation's relocation scheme.

Abstract: Expandable cache management dynamically manages cache storage for multiple network shares configured in a file server. Once a file is written to a directory or folder on a specially designated network share, such as one that is configured for “infinite backup,” an intermediary pre-backup copy of the file is created in an expandable cache in the file server that hosts the network share. On write operations, cache storage space can be dynamically expanded or freed up by pruning previously backed up data. This advantageously creates flexible storage caches in the file server for each network share, each cache managed independently of other like caches for other network shares on the same file server. On read operations, intermediary file storage in the expandable cache gives client computing devices speedy access to data targeted for backup, which is generally quicker than restoring files from backed up secondary copies.

Abstract: According to certain aspects, a system may include a data agent configured to: process a database file residing on a primary storage device(s) to identify a subset of data in the database file for archiving, the database file generated by a database application; and extract the subset of the data from the database file and store the subset of the data in an archive file on the primary storage device(s) as a plurality of blocks having a common size; and at least one secondary storage controller computer configured to, as part of a secondary copy operation in which the archive file is copied to a secondary storage device(s): copy the plurality of blocks to the secondary storage devices to create a secondary copy of the archive file; and create a table that provides a mapping between the copied plurality of blocks and corresponding locations in the secondary storage device(s).

Abstract: According to certain aspects, a system may include a data agent configured to: process a database file residing on a primary storage device(s) to identify a subset of data in the database file for archiving, the database file generated by a database application; and extract the subset of the data from the database file and store the subset of the data in an archive file on the primary storage device(s) as a plurality of blocks having a common size; and at least one secondary storage controller computer configured to, as part of a secondary copy operation in which the archive file is copied to a secondary storage device(s): copy the plurality of blocks to the secondary storage devices to create a secondary copy of the archive file; and create a table that provides a mapping between the copied plurality of blocks and corresponding locations in the secondary storage device(s).

Abstract: Techniques for enabling user search of content stored in a file archive include providing a search interface comprising a search rules portion and an action rules portion, receiving a file archive search criterion comprising at least one search rule, and searching the file archive using the search criterion. The techniques also include generating a set of files filtered using the search criterion and performing an action specified in the action rules portion on a file included in the set of files.

Abstract: A data storage system receives a user instruction through a user interface to restore a specific virtual machine file from a block-level backup. The system accesses a file index which is created during the block-level backup by accessing the file allocation table of the underlying host system and associating the blocks with the file location information of the virtual machine files stored in the file allocation table. The system further creates a file level table based at least in part on the virtual machine file information stored in the file index, displays a listing of the virtual machine files from the file level table, and receives a user selected virtual machine file to restore.

Abstract: The disclosed systems and methods enable a virtual machine, including any applications executing thereon, to quickly start executing and servicing users based on pre-staged data blocks supplied from a backup copy in secondary storage. Substantially concurrently with the ongoing execution of the virtual machine, a virtual-machine-file-relocation operation may move data blocks originating in the backup copy to a primary storage destination that becomes the virtual machine's primary data store after the relocation operation completes. An enhanced data agent, operating in conjunction with an enhanced media agent in a storage management system, coordinates restoring of the virtual machine and the launch of the relocation operation. The enhanced media agent may pre-stage certain backed up data blocks which may be needed to launch the virtual machine, based on predictive analysis pertaining to the virtual machine's operational profile.

Abstract: A data storage system protects virtual machines using block-level backup operations and restores the data at a file level. The system accesses the virtual machine file information from the file allocation table of the host system underlying the virtualization layer. A file index associates this virtual machine file information with the related protected blocks in a secondary storage device during the block-level backup. Using the file index, the system can identify the specific blocks in the secondary storage device associated with a selected restore file. As a result, file level granularity for restore operations is possible for virtual machine data protected by block-level backup operations without restoring more than the selected file blocks from the block-level backup data.