Intelligent scheduling for remote computers

Abstract

A method of protecting data on a mobile computing device using a storage network by deploying to the mobile computing device, a synchronization agent and then associating a synchronization policy with the synchronization agent. The mobile computing device is monitored for at least one threshold event. Its determined that the threshold event has occurred which causes a request to initiate a data synchronization event to be transmitted. The response to the request is synchronizing the mobile computing device with the storage network.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for scheduling secondary copy operations associated with a portable client computing device, the method comprising:
 storing a storage policy in association with a storage manager comprising one or more computer processors, the storage policy defining at least a first time to perform a secondary copy operation that copies at least a portion of primary data on a portable client computing device to secondary memory located on one or more secondary storage devices;   determining with a scheduling agent executing on the portable client computing device, when the portable client computing device is not available at the first time to perform the secondary copy operation;   monitoring with at least first and second probes whether sufficient battery power exists in the portable client computer to perform the secondary copy operation, and whether processor utilization in the portable client computing device is below a utilization threshold;   when sufficient battery power exists and the processor utilization is below the utilization threshold, the scheduling agent determines a second time to perform the secondary copy that is different than the first time defined by the storage policy;   delaying with the scheduling agent for a delay period after the second time, wherein after the delay period the scheduling agent determines that sufficient battery power continues to exist and the processor utilization remains below the utilization threshold;   monitoring with at least a third probe whether the portable client computing device is in a sleep cycle and if the portable client computing device is in a sleep cycle, the scheduling agent wakes the portable client computing device to perform the secondary storage operation;   determining with at least a fourth probe one or more network connections that exist between the portable client computing device and the one or more secondary storage devices;   when the one or more network connections comprises a wireless connection, the scheduling agent directs a secondary copy operation to copy a first set of the primary data to one or more secondary storage devices over the wireless connection when the first set of primary data is associated with a first security threshold that is lower than a security threshold; and   when a second set of primary data meets or exceeds a security threshold, the scheduling agent waits for a third time when the one or more network connections comprises a hard-wired connection to perform the secondary copy operation to copy the second set of primary data to the one or more secondary storage devices.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising upon determining that sufficient battery power ceases to exist or the processor utilization exceeds the utilization threshold, cancelling the secondary copy operation. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first, second, third and fourth probes is a passive probe. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein at least one of the first, second, third and fourth probes is an active probe. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein sufficient battery power is based on a connection of the portable device with an A/C power source. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein a graphical user interface (GUI) allows a user to specify a processor utilization threshold associated with the portable client computing device. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein a graphical user interface (GUI) allows a user to specify an available storage threshold associated with the portable client computing device, and wherein the scheduling agent determines the second time to perform secondary copy further based at least in part on when on an amount of available storage space associated with the portable client computing device is below a storage threshold. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1  wherein a graphical user interface (GUI) allows a user to specify a minimal interval between the secondary copy operations, and wherein the scheduling agent determines the second time to perform secondary copy further based at least in part on the minimal interval. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1  wherein a graphical user interface (GUI) allows a user to specify a maximum interval between two secondary copy operations, and wherein the scheduling agent determines the second time to perform secondary copy further based at least in part on the maximum interval. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the secondary copy operation copies the second set of data when the one or more network connections is a wireless network and a maximum interval between two secondary copy operations has expired. 
     
     
         11 . A system for scheduling secondary copy operations associated with a portable computing device, the system comprising:
 a storage policy stored in association with a storage manager comprising one or more computer processors, the storage policy defining at least a first time to perform a secondary copy operation that copies at least a portion of primary data on a portable client computing device to secondary memory located on one or more secondary storage devices;   at least a first probe that monitors whether sufficient battery power exists in the portable client computer to perform the secondary copy operation, and at least a second probe that monitors whether processor utilization in the portable client computing device is below a utilization threshold;   a scheduling agent executing on the portable client computing device, when the portable client computing device is not available at the first time to perform the secondary copy operation, the scheduling agent:
 when sufficient battery power exists and the processor utilization is below the utilization threshold, determines a second time to perform the secondary copy that is different than the first time defined by the storage policy; 
 delays a delay period after the second time, wherein after the delay period the scheduling agent determines that sufficient battery power continues to exist and the processor utilization remains below the utilization threshold; 
 monitors with at least a third probe whether the portable client computing device is in a sleep cycle and if the portable client computing device is in a sleep cycle, the scheduling agent wakes the portable client computing device to perform the secondary storage operation; 
 determines with at least a fourth probe one or more network connections that exist between the portable client computing device and the one or more secondary storage devices; 
 when the one or more network connections comprises a wireless connection, the scheduling agent directs the secondary copy operation to copy a first set of the primary data to one or more secondary storage devices over the wireless connection when the first set of primary data is associated with a first security threshold that is lower than a security threshold; and 
 when a second set of primary data meets or exceeds a security threshold, the scheduling agent waits for a third time when the one or more network connections comprises a hard-wired connection to perform the secondary copy operation to copy the second set of primary data to the one or more secondary storage device. 
   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein when the scheduling agent determines that sufficient battery power ceases to exist or the processor utilization exceeds the utilization threshold, the scheduling agent cancels the secondary copy operation. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein at least one of the first, second, third and fourth probes is a passive probe. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 11  wherein at least one of the first, second, third and fourth probes is an active probe. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 11  wherein sufficient battery power is based on a connection of the portable device with an A/C power source. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 11  wherein a graphical user interface (GUI) allows a user to specify a processor utilization threshold associated with the portable client computing device. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 11  wherein a graphical user interface (GUI) allows a user to specify an available storage threshold associated with the portable client computing device, and wherein the scheduling agent determines the second time to perform secondary copy further based at least in part on when on an amount of available storage space associated with the portable client computing device is below a storage threshold. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 11  wherein a graphical user interface (GUI) allows a user to specify a minimal interval between the secondary copy operations, and wherein the scheduling agent determines the second time to perform secondary copy further based at least in part on the minimal interval. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 11  wherein a graphical user interface (GUI) allows a user to specify a maximum interval between two secondary copy operations, and wherein the scheduling agent determines the second time to perform secondary copy further based at least in part on the maximum interval. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 11  wherein the secondary copy operation copies the second set of data when the one or more network connections is a wireless network and a maximum interval between two secondary copy operations has expired.