Secondary storage operation instruction tags in information management systems

Abstract

According to certain aspects, a system can include a client computing device configured to: in response to user interaction, store an identifier associated with a first tag in association with a first file; and in response to instructions to perform a secondary copy operation, forward the first file, a second file, and the identifier associated with the first tag. The system may also include a secondary storage controller computer(s) configured to: based on a review of the identifier associated with the first tag, identify the first file as having been tagged with the first tag; electronically obtain rules associated with the first tag; perform on the first file at least a first secondary storage operation specified by the rules associated with the first tag; and perform on the second file at least a second secondary storage operation, wherein the first and second secondary storage operations are different.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . A storage management system comprising:
 at least one storage policy that directs performance of at least a first storage operation on at least a first file;   a storage manager computer comprising one or more computer processors, the storage manager computer configured to:
 determine that the first file is associated with a first tag; 
 electronically access at least a first tag rule associated with the first tag and compare the first tag rule with the at least one storage policy; 
 override the at least one storage policy to perform on the first file at least a second storage operation specified by the first tag rule associated with the first tag, wherein the second storage operation is different than the first storage operation associated with the at least one storage policy. 
   
     
     
         3 . The storage management system of  claim 2 , wherein the first tag is defined by a user. 
     
     
         4 . The storage management system of  claim 2 , further comprising a plurality of tag rules that are stored in at least one index associated with one or more secondary storage controller computers. 
     
     
         5 . The storage management system of  claim 4 , wherein a first portion of the plurality of tag rules are stored in a first index associated with a first secondary storage controller computer and a second portion of the plurality of tag rules are stored in a second index associated with a second secondary storage controller computer. 
     
     
         6 . The storage management system of  claim 2 , wherein a client computing device stores an identifier associated with the first tag with metadata of the first file. 
     
     
         7 . The storage management system of  claim 2 , wherein the first file is generated by an application executing on a client computing device, and the client computing device is further configured to store an identifier associated with the first tag in association with at least the first file. 
     
     
         8 . The storage management system of  claim 2 , wherein a data agent executing on a client computing device provides the first tag to an application. 
     
     
         9 . The storage management system of  claim 2 , wherein a client computing device is configured to create a plurality of tag rules. 
     
     
         10 . The storage management system of  claim 2 , wherein a client computing device is configured to forward the first file and the first tag to one or more secondary storage controller computers by extracting the first tag from metadata of the first file. 
     
     
         11 . The storage management system of  claim 2 , wherein the second storage operation specified by the first tag rule associated with the first tag includes one or more of: a backup operation, an archiving operation, a migration operation, and a replication operation. 
     
     
         12 . A method of performing storage management, the method comprising:
 storing at least one storage policy that directs performance of at least a first storage operation on at least a first file;   determine with at storage manager comprising one or more computer processors, that the first file is associated with a first tag;   electronically accessing at least a first tag rule associated with the first tag and comparing the first tag rule with the at least one storage policy;   override the at least one storage policy to perform on the first file at least a second storage operation specified by the first tag rule associated with the first tag, wherein the second storage operation is different than the first storage operation associated with the at least one storage policy.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12  wherein the first tag is defined by a user. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12  wherein a plurality of tag rules are stored in at least one index associated with one or more secondary storage controller computers. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14  wherein a first portion of the plurality of tag rules are stored in a first index associated with a first secondary storage controller computer and a second portion of the plurality of tag rules are stored in a second index associated with a second secondary storage controller computer. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 12  wherein a client computing device stores an identifier associated with the first tag with metadata of the first file. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 12  wherein the first file is generated by an application executing on a client computing device and the method further comprises using the client computing device to store an identifier associated with the first tag in association with at least the first file. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 12  wherein a data agent executing on a client computing device provides a plurality of tags to an application. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 12  further comprising creating a plurality of tag rules with a client computing device. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 12  further comprising extracting the first tag from metadata of the first file. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the first storage operation specified by the first tag rule associated with the first tag performs one or more of: a backup operation, an archiving operation, a migration operation, and a replication operation.