Abstract: Techniques described herein relate to a method for performing pre-backup tasks. The method includes obtaining, by a proxy host, a snapshot request associated with an incremental backup of a file system stored in a network attached storage (NAS) from a backup manager; in response to obtaining the snapshot request: instantiating a NAS container to obtain a snapshot of the file system; providing the snapshot to the NAS container; after providing the snapshot to the NAS container: retrieving a previously generated slice list associated with the file system; identifying, using the slice list, changed data include in the file system; generating change rates associated with each slice; grouping the slices based on the change rates and group criteria to generate slice groups; generating an updated slice list specifying the slices and the slice groups; and providing the updated slice list to the backup manager.

Abstract: A method for managing data. The method includes obtaining, by a universal connector, a backup request for a file, in response to the backup request: determining a number of read buffers required by a network attached storage (NAS) server to read data associated with the file, generating a set of file read requests based on the number of read buffers, sending, to the NAS server, a data request for the file that includes the set of file read requests, obtaining a data response from the NAS server, wherein the data response comprises a portion of data associated with the file, populating a data array using the data associated with the file, and initiating a backup of the file using the data array.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention relate to methods and systems for efficiently restoring a production host. Selected assets are restored from a plurality of slices stored on a plurality of containers in a backup storage system. In order to restore the selected assets, a hierarchical mapping of the slices is produced by analyzing a backup's metadata, from which the assets are to be restored. The hierarchical mapping is then searched for highest level slice containing the assets and then searching the lower-level slices associated with the highest-level slice to efficiently discover the slices containing the selected assets. This invention reduces and/or eliminates the need to crawl the entire slice list once the highest level is discovered; only its children need to be searched for the asset. Once the slices associated with an asset are found, they can be quickly restored from the corresponding containers which hold the assets.

Abstract: Writers on a host and associated with a copy service are identified. The identification includes names of the writers and writer types as being system or application writers. For each writer identified as a system writer, a size of the system writer is calculated and a check is made as to whether a volume associated with the system writer includes system data. When the volume include system data, the volume is marked as a critical volume and a size of the critical volume is obtained. A tally is maintained summing the sizes of the system writer and critical volume.

Abstract: A method for information recovery includes providing a set of rules to hosts, where each host performs a backup operation using the set of rules by sending at least one file to at least one backup location. The method also includes receiving, from each host, a first metadata corresponding to files backed up in the backup operation, where the metadata from each host forms a set of metadata, providing the set of metadata to a learning module, receiving from the learning module metadata analysis, adjusting, using the metadata analysis, the set of rules to obtain an adjusted set of rules, and providing the adjusted set of rules to the plurality of hosts, where at least one host of the hosts uses the adjusted set of rules to identify a backup location for a file.

Abstract: A method for managing a data protection module includes: obtaining client metadata of a first client environment data protection module (CEDPM) and a second CEDPM; identifying a first resource and a second resource that have been utilized; obtaining a resource utilization value for each identified resource; identifying modifications that have been performed on each identified resource; deriving an average resource utilization value for each identified resource; generating a holistic profile for each CEDPM based on at least the first resource and the second resource, the resource utilization value for each identified resource, the modifications, and the average resource utilization value for each identified resource; determining that the resource utilization value of the first resource exceeds a predetermined maximum resource utilization level; and sending a recommendation and a portion of the holistic profile of the first CEDPM to a user of the first CEDPM that utilizes the first resource.

Abstract: A method for information recovery includes receiving a first metadata corresponding to a first batch of files, determining a set of rules for backup locations based on the first metadata, initiating a backup operation of a second batch of files, where the backup operation includes the set of rules, receiving a second metadata corresponding to a first file of the second batch of files, applying the set of rules to the second metadata to identify a first one of the backup locations, and sending the first file to the first one of the backup locations.

Abstract: Techniques described herein relate to a method for performing data protection of file system data on a host. The method includes identifying, by a data protection agent, a backup access event associated with a backup of a file system stored on a backup storage; in response to identifying the backup access event: obtaining backup metadata associated with the backup from a data protection manager; generating a placeholder file system using the backup metadata and storing the placeholder file in a virtual hard disk file; and performing backup access services using the placeholder file and the backup metadata to facilitate transfer of file system data of the backup to an application associated with the backup.

Abstract: Techniques described herein relate to a method for performing data protection of file system data on a host. The method includes identifying, by a data protection agent, a backup access event associated with a backup of a file system stored on a backup storage; in response to identifying the backup access event: obtaining backup metadata associated with the backup from a data protection manager; generating a placeholder file system using the backup metadata and storing the placeholder file system in virtual hard disk file; loading the virtual hard disk file on a target application; performing, after the loading, prefetching of backup data using the virtual hard disk file and the backup metadata to store the backup data in a cache; and performing backup access services using the virtual hard disk file, the backup metadata, and the cache.

Abstract: A method for managing a data protection module includes: obtaining client metadata (CM) of a client environment (CE) data protection module, in which the CM includes at least first product configuration information; obtaining vendor metadata (VM) of a vendor environment (VE) data protection module, in which the VM includes at least second product configuration information; analyzing the CM and the VM to extract relevant data; making a first determination that a mismatch exists between the CM and the VM; making a second determination that the mismatch is a vendor-related mismatch; obtaining a first similarity score (SS) for a first resource and a second SS for a second resource; identifying, based on the first SS and the second SS, that the first SS is lower than the second SS; and sending a recommendation to a user of the VE data protection module to manage the vendor-related mismatch.

Abstract: A method for managing a data protection module includes: obtaining client metadata associated with client environment (CE) data protection modules, in which the client metadata includes first product configuration information; obtaining vendor metadata associated with a vendor environment (VE) data protection module, in which the vendor metadata includes second product configuration information; analyzing the client metadata and vendor metadata to extract relevant data; obtaining product features that are commonly utilized by at least one user of the CE data protection modules; making a first determination that a mismatch exists between the client metadata and vendor metadata; generating a ranked list of the product features that are commonly utilized; identifying a product feature that has the highest rank in the ranked list; making a second determination that the mismatch is a vendor-related mismatch; and sending a recommendation to a user of the VE data protection module to manage the mismatch.

Abstract: A method includes identifying relationships between containers on a first device, where each container includes at least one relationship that includes a HAS-A relationship or an IS-A relationship. The method also includes creating, on a second device, a first set of twin containers, where each container in the first set of twin containers corresponds to a container that includes only the HAS-A relationships. In addition, the method includes creating, on the second device and in response to creating the first set of twin containers, a second set of twin containers where each container in the second set of twin containers corresponds to a container that includes at least one IS-A relationship. Moreover, the method includes determining and performing a twin container start-up sequence for the first set and the second set of twin containers.

Abstract: A data structure is generated to store information about a set of writers associated with a copy service. The information is gathered from the copy service and populated into the data structure. The information includes names of the writers, writer types as being system or application writers, and system writer subtypes as being one of bare metal recovery (BMR) writers or system state recovery (SSR) writers. The data structure is reviewed to determine whether a particular writer should participate in the backup. Based on the review, a list is generated including a subset of the participating writers. Instructions are issued, via the copy service, for the writers in the list to prepare for creation of a snapshot. Upon creation of the snapshot, data is backed up from the snapshot to secondary storage.

Abstract: A method for managing a data protection module (DPM) includes: obtaining resource utilization data of a first microservice (FM) and a second microservice (SM); deriving, based on the resource utilization data and for the FM and the SM, resource utilization values (RUVs) for each resource; identifying, based on the RUVs, health of the FM and the SM; tagging, based on the identified health of the FM and the SM, the FM and the SM; obtaining a first confidence score (CS) associated with the tag of the FM and a second CS associated with the tag of the SM; generating a ranked list (RL) based on the first CS and the second CS, in which the RL comprises the FM and the SM ordered based on their respective CSs; and sending, based on the RL, a recommendation to the DPM to manage the health of the FM and the SM.

Abstract: Techniques described herein relate to a method for performing data protection services for limited access cloud data. The method includes obtaining, by a data manager, an initial cloud service provider (CSP) proxy generation request from a user; in response to obtaining the initial (CSP) proxy generation request: creating an authentication account in a CSP directory based on the initial CSP proxy generation request; instantiating a CSP proxy in an on-premises CSP using authentication information associated with the authentication account; storing the authentication information; and associating the user with the authentication information and the CSP proxy, wherein after the associating the CSP proxy can access limited access cloud data and cloud resources of the on-premises CSP.

Abstract: Techniques described herein relate to a method for performing data protection services for limited access cloud data. The method includes identifying, by a cloud service provider (CSP) proxy, a protection policy event associated with an incremental approximation backup of an object; in response to identifying the protection policy event: obtaining previous object metadata associated with the object; obtaining object data from on-premises cloud resources associated with the object; generating slices of the object data; generating current checksums and current object metadata associated with each slice; selecting a first slice of the slices; making a first determination that a first current checksum of the current checksums and a first previous checksum associated with the first slice do not match; in response to the first determination: storing the first slice in a backup storage; and updating a first portion of the current object metadata associated with the first slice.

Abstract: Techniques described herein relate to a method for performing data protection services for limited access cloud data. The method includes identifying, by a cloud service provider (CSP) proxy, a backup generation event associated with a virtual machine (VM); in response to identifying the backup generation event: obtaining VM information associated with the VM; instantiating a VM agent within the VM; obtaining a metadata file from the VM agent; obtaining VM data from limited access cloud data; storing the VM data and a copy of the metadata file in a backup storage to generate a backup of the VM; generating indexing metadata associated with the backup using the metadata file; and providing the indexing metadata to a data manager.

Abstract: Techniques described herein relate to a method for performing data protection services for limited access cloud data. The method includes identifying, by a data manager, a protection policy assignment event; in response to identifying the protection policy assignment event: identifying subscriptions associated with cloud resources; identifying services associated with each subscriptions; assigning protection policy types to the subscriptions based on the associated services; and initiating performance of data protection services based on the protection policy assignments associated with each subscription.

Abstract: Described is a system (and method) for specialized data management when performing incremental backups to a cloud-based object storage. When backing up client data, the server may utilize incremental backups to conserve the amount of storage space required on the object storage. However, the server may implement a configuration that enables full reconstruction of the client data at the time of recovery. To provide such capabilities, the server may leverage a specialized metadata database. The metadata database may be an embedded database maintained by the server. The server may leverage the metadata database to provide further storage efficiencies by storing certain incremental backup data exclusively within the metadata database. Accordingly, the server may implement a data management configuration as part of a backup service that conserves storage usage, and as a result, storage costs when using on a third-party cloud-based object storage.

Abstract: A method for managing data includes obtaining, by a universal connector, a backup request for an incremental backup of a set of files, in response to the backup request: sending a file extent request to a network attached storage (NAS) server, obtaining, from the NAS server, a set of file extents associated with data of the set of files, performing a block-based analysis on the set of file extents using a stored data block table to determine a subset of data blocks, sending a data access request based on the subset of data blocks, obtaining a response from the NAS server, wherein the response comprises the subset of data blocks, and initiating a backup of the set of files using the subset of data blocks.