Automated grouping of computing devices in a networked data storage system

Abstract

According to certain aspects, systems and methods are provided for grouping clients together in a networked data storage environment. For instance, clients can be grouped together based on the software installed on the client or the client type. Each client group can be configured to maintain the configuration of clients within the client group. For example, one client group can be configured to ensure that a particular software suite remains up-to-date. Another client group can be configured to ensure that data within a particular directory or on a particular storage device associated with each client of the client group is backed up each night.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of managing a set of client computing devices in a networked data storage environment, the method comprising:
 electronically accessing, from a data store, grouping criteria for grouping a plurality of client computing devices that form a client pool into one or more client groups, the client computing devices each having at least one software application executing thereon that generates production data, primary copies of the production data stored in primary storage, secondary copies of the production data stored in secondary storage separate from the primary storage;   comparing, by one or more processors, a set of characteristics associated with a first client of the plurality of client computing devices to the grouping criteria to obtain a first comparison result;   based on the first comparison result, assigning the first client to a first client group of the one or more client groups;   electronically accessing, from a data store, a set of configuration rules associated with the first client group; and   automatically initiating, by one or more processors, the configuration of the first client according to the set of configuration rules.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the grouping criteria defines that the first client is assigned to the first client group if the first client has a data agent residing thereon that is used in the creation of secondary copies of at least some of the production data generated by the at least one software application executing on the first client. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the at least one software application of the first client comprises a first software application and a second software application, wherein the data agent is used in the creation of secondary copies of the production data generated by the first software application, and wherein a different data agent is used in the creation of secondary copies of the production data generated by the second software application. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 in response to a second client computing device being added to the pool, comparing, by one or more processors, a set of characteristics associated with the second client with the grouping criteria;   based on the comparison, assigning the second client to the first client group; and   initiating the configuration of the second client according to the set of configuration rules.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising, in response to a modification in the set of configuration rules, initiating re-configuration of the first client according to the modified configuration rules. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 in response to a change in the set of characteristics associated with the first client, comparing, by one or more processors, the changed set of characteristics associated with the first client to the grouping criteria; and   if the comparison of the changed set of characteristics to the grouping criteria indicates that the client should no longer be assigned to the first client group, disassociating the first client from the first client group.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , further comprising:
 assigning the client to a second client group;   electronically accessing from a data store a set of configuration rules associated with the second client group; and   initiating the re-configuration of the first client according to the set of configuration rules associated with the second client group.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising presenting a graphical user interface (GUI) to a user enabling the user to define grouping criteria rules 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more client groups are organized in a hierarchy of parent client groups and child client groups, each parent client group having a subset of the grouping criteria included by a child client group of the parent client group. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving modified grouping criteria for grouping the plurality of client computing devices; and   comparing, by one or more processors, the set of characteristics associated with the first client of the plurality of client computing devices to the modified grouping criteria to obtain a second comparison result.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising assigning the first client to a client group of the one or more client groups based on the second comparison result. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 presenting a preview of the one or more client groups based on the second comparison result, the preview indicating the clients to be included by each client group of the one or more clients groups upon receiving confirmation of the modified grouping criteria; and   in response to receiving the confirmation of the modified grouping criteria, assigning the first client to the client group of the one or more client groups based on the second comparison result, wherein the preview indicates that the client group includes the first client.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first comparison result indicates that the first client satisfies only a subset of grouping criteria associated with the first client group. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the set of characteristics can include one or more of the following: an installed software application, a hardware component, a geographic location, a name, a usage pattern, an associated user, a date, an installed agent, and a device classification of a client computing device. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the configuration rules can include one or more of the following: installation of a software application, installation of an agent, scheduling of a backup operation, and scheduling of a deduplication operation. 
     
     
         16 . A system for managing a set of client computing devices in a networked data storage environment, the system comprising:
 data storage configured to store grouping criteria for grouping a plurality of client computing devices that form a client pool into one or more client groups, the client computing devices each having at least one software application executing thereon that generates production data, primary copies of the production data stored in primary storage, secondary copies of the production data stored in secondary storage separate from the primary storage;   the data storage further configured to store configuration rules for configuring client computing devices;   one or more processors;   a client grouping module executing in the one or more processors and configured to:
 electronically access the grouping criteria from the data storage; 
 compare a set of characteristics associated with a first client of the plurality of client computing devices to the grouping criteria to obtain a first comparison result; and 
 based on the first comparison result, assign the first client to a first client group of the one or more client groups; and 
   a configuration manager executing in the one or more processors and configured to:
 electronically access, from the data storage, a set of configuration rules associated with the first client group; and 
 initiate the configuration of the first client according to the set of configuration rules. 
   
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the data storage comprises a first data store and a second data store, the first data store configured to store the grouping criteria and the second data store configured to store the configuration rules. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the grouping criteria defines that the first client is assigned to the first client group if the first client has a data agent residing thereon that is used in the creation of secondary copies of at least some of the production data generated by the at least one software application executing on the first client. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the at least one software application of the first client comprises a first software application and a second software application, wherein the data agent is used in the creation of secondary copies of the production data generated by the first software application, and wherein a different data agent is used in the creation of secondary copies of the production data generated by the second software application. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein:
 the client grouping module is further configured to compare a set of characteristics associated with a second client with the grouping criteria in response to the second client computing device being added to the pool; and   the configuration manager is further configured to:
 assign the second client to the first client group based on the comparison; and 
 initiate the configuration of the second client according to the set of configuration rules. 
   
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the client grouping module is further configured to:
 compare a changed set of characteristics associated with the first client to the grouping criteria in response to the change in the set of characteristics associated with the first client; and   if the comparison of the changed set of characteristics to the grouping criteria indicates that the client should no longer be assigned to the first client group, disassociate the first client from the first client group.   
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein:
 the client grouping module is further configured to assign the client to a second client group; and   the configuration module is further configured to:
 electronically access from the data storage a set of configuration rules associated with the second client group; and 
 initiate the re-configuration of the first client according to the set of configuration rules associated with the second client group. 
   
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 16 , further comprising an interface module configured to present a graphical user interface (GUI) to a user enabling the user to define grouping criteria rules. 
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the one or more client groups are organized in a hierarchy of parent client groups and child client groups, each parent client group having a subset of the grouping criteria included by a child client group of the parent client group. 
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the client grouping module is further configured to:
 receive modified grouping criteria for grouping the plurality of client computing devices; and   compare the set of characteristics associated with the first client of the plurality of client computing devices to the modified grouping criteria to obtain a second comparison result.   
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 25 , wherein the client grouping module is further configured to assign the first client to a client group of the one or more client groups based on the second comparison result. 
     
     
         27 . The system of  claim 25 , further comprising an interface module configured to present a preview of the one or more client groups based on the second comparison result, the preview indicating the clients to be included by each client group of the one or more clients groups upon receiving confirmation of the modified grouping criteria,
 wherein the client grouping module is further configured to assign the first client to the client group of the one or more client groups based on the second comparison result in response to receiving the confirmation of the modified grouping criteria, wherein the preview indicates that the client group includes the first client.   
     
     
         28 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the first comparison result indicates that the first client satisfies only a subset of grouping criteria associated with the first client group. 
     
     
         29 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the set of characteristics can include one or more of the following: an installed software application, a hardware component, a geographic location, a name, a usage pattern, an associated user, a date, an installed agent, and a device classification of a client computing device. 
     
     
         30 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the configuration rules can include one or more of the following: installation of a software application, installation of an agent, scheduling of a backup operation, and scheduling of a deduplication operation. 
     
     
         31 . Non-transitory physical computer storage comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, direct a computing system to perform a method for managing a set of client computing devices in a networked data storage environment, the method comprising:
 electronically accessing, from a data store, grouping criteria for grouping a plurality of client computing devices that form a client pool into one or more client groups, the client computing devices each having at least one software application executing thereon that generates production data, primary copies of the production data stored in primary storage, secondary copies of the production data stored in secondary storage separate from the primary storage;   comparing, by one or more processors, a set of characteristics associated with a first client of the plurality of client computing devices to the grouping criteria to obtain a first comparison result;   based on the first comparison result, assigning the first client to a first client group of the one or more client groups;   electronically accessing, from a data store, a set of configuration rules associated with the first client group; and   automatically initiating, by one or more processors, the configuration of the first client according to the set of configuration rules.   
     
     
         32 . A method of managing a set of components in a networked data storage system, the method comprising:
 accessing, from a data store, grouping criteria for grouping a plurality of components in a networked data storage system into one or more component groups, the components comprising computer hardware components, computer software components, or both;   comparing, by one or more processors, a set of characteristics associated with a first component of the plurality of components to the grouping criteria;   based on the comparison, assigning the first component to a first component group of the one or more component groups.   
     
     
         33 . A method of managing a set of computing devices, the method comprising:
 receiving an identity of a characteristic associated with at least one computing device from a set of computing devices;   identifying one or more computing devices associated with the identified characteristic from the set of computing devices;   creating a device group associated with the identified characteristic; and   assigning the one or more computing devices to the device group associated with the identified characteristic.   
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 33 , further comprising:
 receiving a set of configuration rules for configuring a computing device;   associating the set of configuration rules with the device group; and   configuring, based on the set of configuration rules, the one or more computing devices assigned to the device group.