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.