Lightweight data reconstruction based on backup data

Abstract

A information management system allows a user to search through a secondary copy of data, such as a back up, archive, or snapshot without first retrieving the secondary copy of data. Instead, the system constructs lightweight data that can be displayed to a user as a representation of the search results. Lightweight data may include metadata or other information that identifies data included in the secondary copy of data. The lightweight data may be perceived as being the secondary copy of data and allow a user to browse through search results. Once the user identifies a search result that is of interest, information in the lightweight data can be used to retrieve the secondary copy of data. Because lightweight data may have a smaller file size than the file size of the secondary copy of data, the latency of performing a search may be reduced.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A networked information management system comprising:
 a client computing device comprising computer hardware configured to:
 transmit filtering criteria to a secondary storage computing device that is in communication with one or more secondary storage devices, wherein the secondary storage computing device has access to a listing of data objects contained in one or more secondary copies stored in the one or more secondary storage devices, and wherein the secondary storage computing device is configured to access metadata associated with the data objects; 
 receive, from the secondary storage computing device, lightweight data corresponding to each data object that the secondary storage computing device identifies as satisfying the filtering criteria, wherein the lightweight data is constructed based on the accessed metadata; 
 receive a selection of at least a portion of the lightweight data; 
 transmit, to the secondary storage computing device, a request to retrieve each data object that corresponds to the selection; and 
 receive, from the secondary storage computing device, each data object that corresponds to the selection. 
   
     
     
         2 . The networked information management system of  claim 1 , wherein the client computing device is further configured to display first data within a view that is constructed based on the lightweight data corresponding to each data object that satisfies the filtering criteria. 
     
     
         3 . The networked information management system of  claim 2 , wherein the client computing device is further configured to receive the selection from a user via an input device. 
     
     
         4 . The networked information management system of  claim 2 , wherein the client computing device is further configured to:
 replace the selection with each data object that corresponds to the selection; and   display within the view each data object that corresponds to the selection.   
     
     
         5 . The networked information management system of  claim 1 , wherein the filtering criteria comprises one or more rules that identify one or more electronic messages. 
     
     
         6 . The networked information management system of  claim 1 , wherein the data objects listed in the one or more secondary storage devices comprise first data objects that correspond to unidentified data objects that do not match the filtering criteria and second data objects that correspond to identified data objects that do match the filtering criteria. 
     
     
         7 . The networked information management system of  claim 1 , wherein the lightweight data each comprise recipient information for each respective data object that the secondary storage computing device identifies as satisfying the filtering criteria. 
     
     
         8 . A computer-implemented method for restoring data, the computer-implemented method comprising:
 transmitting, by a client computing device comprising computer hardware, filtering criteria to a secondary storage computing device that is in communication with one or more secondary storage devices, wherein the secondary storage computing device has access to a listing of data objects contained in one or more secondary copies stored in the one or more secondary storage devices, and wherein the secondary storage computing device is configured to access metadata associated with the data objects;   receiving, by the client computing device from the secondary storage computing device, lightweight data corresponding to each data object that the secondary storage computing device identifies as satisfying the filtering criteria, wherein the lightweight data is constructed based on the accessed metadata;   receiving, by the client computing device, a selection of at least a portion of the lightweight data;   transmitting, by the client computing device to the secondary storage computing device, a request to retrieve each data object that corresponds to the selection; and   receiving, by the client computing device from the secondary storage computing device, each data object that corresponds to the selection.   
     
     
         9 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 8 , further comprising displaying first data within a view that is constructed based on the lightweight data corresponding to each data object that satisfies the filtering criteria. 
     
     
         10 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 9 , further comprising receiving the selection from a user via an input device. 
     
     
         11 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 replacing the selection with each data object that corresponds to the selection; and   displaying within the view each data object that corresponds to the selection.   
     
     
         12 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 8 , wherein the filtering criteria comprises one or more rules that identify one or more electronic messages. 
     
     
         13 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 8 , wherein the data objects listed in the one or more secondary storage devices comprise first data objects that correspond to unidentified data objects that do not match the filtering criteria and second data objects that correspond to identified data objects that do match the filtering criteria. 
     
     
         14 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 8 , wherein the lightweight data each comprise recipient information for each respective data object that the secondary storage computing device identifies as satisfying the filtering criteria. 
     
     
         15 . A computer-implemented method for restoring data, the computer-implemented method comprising:
 receiving, from a storage manager, filtering criteria;   identifying one or more data objects that satisfy the filtering criteria;   retrieving, from one or more secondary storage devices, metadata corresponding to each data object identified as satisfying the filtering criteria;   constructing, with one or more computing devices comprising computer hardware, lightweight data based on the requested metadata, wherein each lightweight data corresponds to each data object identified as satisfying the filtering criteria;   transmitting, to the storage manager, the constructed lightweight data;   receiving, from the storage manager, a request to retrieve each data object that corresponds to at least a portion of lightweight data selected by a user;   retrieving, from the one or more secondary storage devices, one or more data objects that correspond to at least the portion of the lightweight data selected by the user; and   transmitting, to the storage manager, each data object that corresponds to at least the portion of the lightweight data selected by the user.   
     
     
         16 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 15 , wherein the filtering criteria comprises one or more rules that identify one or more electronic messages. 
     
     
         17 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 15 , wherein the data objects listed in the one or more secondary storage devices comprise first data objects that correspond to unidentified data objects that do not match the filtering criteria and second data objects that correspond to identified data objects that do match the filtering criteria. 
     
     
         18 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 15 , wherein the lightweight data each comprise recipient information for each respective data object identified as satisfying the filtering criteria. 
     
     
         19 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 15 , wherein retrieving metadata corresponding to each data object identified as satisfying the filtering criteria further comprises:
 identifying, for each data object stored in the one or more secondary storage devices that satisfies the filtering criteria, a first demarcation;   identifying, for each data object stored in the one or more secondary storage devices that satisfies the filtering criteria, a second demarcation that occurs after the first demarcation; and   retrieving, for each data object stored in the one or more secondary storage devices that satisfies the filtering criteria, data between the first demarcation and the second demarcation.   
     
     
         20 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 19 , wherein retrieving one or more data objects that correspond to at least the portion of the lightweight data selected by the user further comprises retrieving, for the one or more data objects that correspond to at least the portion of the lightweight data selected by the user, data after the second demarcation.