Synchronizing selected portions of data in a storage management system

Abstract

Disclosed methods and systems leverage resources in a storage management system to partially synchronize primary data files based on synchronizing selected portions thereof without regard to changes that may be occurring in other non-synchronized portions. Accordingly, a number of primary data files may be partially synchronized by synchronizing designated portions thereof via auto-restore operations from backup data. This approach relies on storage management resources to designate portions of source data that is to be kept synchronized across any number of targets; detect changes to the designated portions; back up changes to secondary storage; and distribute the changes from secondary storage to the associated targets, with minimal impact to the primary data environment. The approach may be mutually applied, so that changes in any one of an associated group of source data files may be likewise detected, backed up, and distributed to the other members of the group.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for synchronizing a portion of primary data files comprising:
 designating a portion of primary data file for synchronization,
 wherein the designated portion of primary data file is a part of a first primary data file in a first computing device, and 
 wherein the designated portion of primary data file is a part of a second primary data file in a second computing device; 
   providing a notice of a source portion change by a first data agent executing on the first computing device, and wherein the source portion change is a change to the portion of the first primary data file previously designated for synchronization, and wherein the source portion change is generated by the first computing device; and   synchronizing the source portion change generated by the first computing device with the designated portion of the second primary data file, comprising:
 backing up and storing a backup copy of the source portion change to a secondary storage; and 
 restoring the source portion change from the secondary storage to the designated portion of primary data file in the second primary data file. 
   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the backup copy of the source portion change is in a backup file format that is distinct from the file format of the first primary data file. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the restoring operation comprises transforming the source portion change stored in the secondary storage from a backup file format to a native file format that is directly accessible by the second primary data file in the second computing device. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising detecting at least one change in the designated portion of the first primary data file, wherein the detecting of the at least one change is based on monitoring the designated portion of primary data file by the first data agent in the first computing device. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the detecting at least one change is based at least in part on an operating system change log on the first computing device. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising associating the designated portion of primary data file that is a part of the first primary data file in the first computing device, with the designated portion of primary data file that is a part of the second primary data file in the second computing device. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising designating a portion of primary file for synchronization in at least a third computing device comprising a third primary data file, wherein the source portion change generated by the first computing device is synchronized with the at least third primary data file by restoring the source portion change from the secondary storage to the designated portion of the at least third primary data file. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first primary data file comprising the designated portion and the second primary data file comprising the restored source portion change to the designated portion of primary data file in the second primary data file are not identical copies of each other after the synchronization operation. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the backing up and restoring operations are performed at least in part by a media agent. 
     
     
         10 . A method for synchronizing a portion of primary data files by a storage management system comprising a first computing device comprising a first data agent and a first primary data file, a second computing device comprising a second data agent and a second primary data file, a secondary storage computing device in communication with a secondary storage, and a storage manager, said storage management system executing the method comprising:
 designating a portion of primary data file for synchronization,
 wherein the designated portion of primary data file is a part of the first primary data file in the first computing device, and 
 wherein the designated portion of primary data file is a part of the second primary data file in the second computing device; 
   providing a notice of a source portion change by the first data agent, and wherein the source portion change is a change generated by the first computing device to the portion of the first primary data file previously designated for synchronization; and   synchronizing the source portion change generated by the first computing device with the designated portion of the second primary data file, comprising:
 backing up and storing a backup copy of the source portion change to a secondary storage; and 
 restoring the source portion change from the secondary storage to the designated portion of primary data file for synchronization in the second primary data file. 
   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the secondary storage computing device comprises a media agent. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the backing up and restoring operation is performed in part by the media agent. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the primary data file and the second primary data file further comprises portions that are not designated for synchronization. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the first client computing device is in communication with a first primary storage wherein the first primary storage comprises the first primary data file and the second client computing device is in communication with a second primary storage, wherein the second primary storage comprises the second primary data file. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising associating the designated portion of primary data file that is a part of the first primary data file in the first computing device with the designated portion of primary data file that is a part of the second primary data file in a second computing device. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the associating of the designated portion of primary data file and the secondary data file is managed by the storage manager. 
     
     
         17 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions, that when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:
 designating a portion of primary data file for synchronization,
 wherein the designated portion of primary data file is a part of a first primary data file in a first computing device, and 
 wherein the designated portion of primary data file is a part of a second primary data file in a second computing device; 
   providing a notice of a source portion change by a first data agent executing on the first computing device, and wherein the source portion change is a change to the portion of the first primary data file previously designated for synchronization, and wherein the source portion change is generated by the first computing device; and   synchronizing the source portion change generated by the first computing device with the designated portion of the second primary data file, comprising:
 backing up and storing a backup copy of the source portion change to a secondary storage; and 
 restoring the source portion change from the secondary storage to the designated portion of primary data file for synchronization in the second primary data file. 
   
     
     
         18 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 17 , further comprising associating the designated portion of primary data file that is a part of the first primary data file in the first computing device, and the designated portion of primary data file that is a part of the second primary data file in the second computing device. 
     
     
         19 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein the backup copy of the source portion change is in a backup file format that is distinct from the file format of the first primary data file. 
     
     
         20 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein the restoring operation comprises transforming the source portion change stored in the secondary storage from a backup file format to a native file format that is directly accessible by the second primary data file in the second computing device.