Secondary storage pruning

Abstract

Systems and methods for storage pruning can enable users to delete, edit, or copy backed up data that matches a pattern. Storage pruning can enable fine-grain deletion or copying of these files from backups stored in secondary storage devices. Systems and methods can also enable editing of metadata associated with backups so that when the backups are restored or browsed, the logical edits to the metadata can then be performed physically on the data to create a custom restore or a custom view. A user may perform operations such as renaming, deleting, modifying flags, and modifying retention policies on backed up items. Although the underlying data in the backup may not change, the view of the backup data when the user browses the backup data can appear to include the user's changes. A restore of the data can cause those changes to be performed on the backup data.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of pruning backup storage data, the method comprising:
 under control of a hardware processor comprising digital logic circuitry,
 performing a backup of a primary data store, said performing comprising storing backup data in a non-human readable format on a secondary storage device and creating an index of the backup data, the index comprising metadata associated with the backup data; 
 electronically generating instructions for outputting a graphical user interface for presentation to a user, the graphical user interface comprising functionality configured to enable the user to specify a user-defined textual pattern and to request that any files containing the user-defined textual pattern in the backup data be deleted; 
 searching the index for selected files containing the user-defined textual pattern; 
 deleting the selected files containing the user-defined textual pattern from the backup data, said deleting comprising:
 logically deleting the selected files containing the user-defined textual pattern without physically removing the selected files from the backup data; 
 subsequent to the logical deletion of the selected files containing the user-defined textual pattern, determining whether a physical deletion policy has been met; and 
 in response to determining that the physical deletion policy has been met, physically deleting the files containing the user-defined textual pattern. 
 
   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising outputting a custom view of the backup data prior to physically deleting the selected files, the custom view configured to reflect that the selected files are deleted from the backup data even though the selected files are not yet physically deleted from the backup data. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising deleting second files from the primary data store, the second files being identical to the selected files that contain the user-defined textual pattern in the backup data. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said physically deleting the files containing the user-defined textual pattern comprises creating a synthetic full backup from the backup data and one or more additional backups. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the graphical user interface further comprises one or more user interface controls that enable the user to define a schedule for periodically deleting the selected files. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the physical deletion policy comprises one or more of the following criteria: a period of time since the logical deletion was performed, an amount of data corresponding to the selected files in the backup data, and a number of additional backups that have been performed since the backup or since the logical deletion. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising performing a subsequent incremental or differential backup by at least:
 checking a cumulative index for the selected files to determine whether second files on the primary data store identical to the selected files have already been backed up; and   skipping the second files when performing the incremental or differential backup to avoid re-backing up the second files.   
     
     
         8 . A system for pruning backup storage data, the system comprising:
 a hardware processor comprising digital logic circuitry configured to:
 perform a backup of a primary data store to store backup data on a secondary storage device; 
 access a textual pattern; 
 identify files in the backup data that contain the textual pattern; 
 logically delete the files containing the textual pattern without physically removing the files from the backup data; 
 subsequent to the logical deletion of the files containing the textual pattern, determine whether one or more physical deletion criteria have been met; and 
 in response to a determination that the one or more physical deletion criteria have been met, physically delete the files containing the textual pattern. 
   
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the hardware processor is further configured to access the textual pattern by receiving a user-inputted textual pattern. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the hardware processor is further configured to access the textual pattern by accessing a stored textual pattern as part of a scheduled backup deletion job. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the hardware processor is further configured to logically delete the files by modifying metadata associated with the files in an index associated with the backup data. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the one or more physical deletion criteria comprise one or more of the following: a period of time since the logical deletion was performed, an amount of data corresponding to the files in the backup data, and a number of additional backups that have been performed since the backup or since the logical deletion. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the hardware processor is further configured to physically delete the files by creating a synthetic full backup from at least the backup data. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the hardware processor is further configured to perform a subsequent incremental or differential backup, wherein the hardware processor is further configured to:
 check a cumulative index for the files to determine whether second files on the primary data store, identical to the files containing the textual pattern in the backup data, have already been backed up; and   skip the second files when performing the incremental or differential backup to avoid re-backing up the second files.   
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the hardware processor is further configured to delete second files from the primary data store, the second files corresponding to the files containing the textual pattern in the backup data. 
     
     
         16 . Non-transitory physical computer storage comprising executable instructions stored thereon that, when executed in a processor, are configured to implement operations for pruning backup storage data, the operations comprising:
 performing a backup of a primary data store, said performing comprising storing backup data on a secondary storage device;   accessing a user-defined textual pattern;   identifying first files in the backup data that contain the user-defined textual pattern;   programmatically modifying metadata associated with the first files from the backup data;   subsequent to said modifying, outputting a custom view of the backup data, the custom view showing second files in the backup data without showing the first files, such that the first files appear to be deleted from the backup data even though the first files are not actually deleted from the backup data; and   subsequently removing the first files containing the textual pattern from the backup data.   
     
     
         17 . The non-transitory physical computer storage of  claim 16 , wherein said removing the first files containing the textual pattern from the backup data comprises removing pointers to blocks associated with the first files from deduplicated data in the secondary storage device. 
     
     
         18 . The non-transitory physical computer storage of  claim 16 , wherein said modifying the metadata associated with the first files from the backup data comprises modifying the metadata from an index created during said performing the backup. 
     
     
         19 . The non-transitory physical computer storage of  claim 16 , wherein the operations further comprise deleting third files from the primary data store, the third files being identical to the first files in the backup data that contain the user-defined textual pattern. 
     
     
         20 . The non-transitory physical computer storage of  claim 16 , wherein said subsequently removing the first files containing the textual pattern comprises creating a synthetic full backup from the backup data and one or more additional backups.