File manager integration with virtualization in an information management system with an enhanced storage manager, including user control and storage management of virtual machines

Abstract

A storage manager that interoperates with a file manager application that integrates with virtualization substantially enables end-user control and storage management of virtual machines (VMs). The storage manager may manage information management operations relative to virtual machines based on and/or in response to messages and/or instructions received from the file manager application. The storage manager may further report results to the file manager application for presentation to the user. The file manager application, which may operate as a plug-in for a legacy file manager executing on a user's client computing device, may comprise: displaying the VMs associated with the user, including their respective properties; enabling viewing/browsing of information about storage management operations for a VM such as backups and/or archiving, including files associated with the VM and searching and filtering criteria; control features that enable the user to control existing VMs, such as shut down, restart/activate/power-on, suspend, and/or re-configure, and also perform storage management of a VM and/or its associated files, such as create snapshot, back up, archive, restore VM from secondary storage, restore and overwrite VM, restore file(s)/folder(s) to user's client computing device, restore file(s)/folder(s) to a production VM in primary storage, etc.; control features that enable the user to provision additional VMs, such as create a new VM, create a clone VM, configure a VM, etc.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A computer-implemented method comprising:
 by a storage manager that executes on a first computing device, wherein the storage manager manages information management operations in an information management system:   receiving from a file manager application executing on a client computing device, which is distinct from the first computing device, a first query whether the information management system comprises any secondary copies representative of a virtual machine selected by a user of the file manager application;   based on the storage manager determining that the information management system comprises one or more secondary copies of the virtual machine, indicating the one or more secondary copies to the file manager application to be displayed as respective file representations of the virtual machine within the file manager application;   receiving an indication from the file manager application of a user-initiated first information management operation for a first file representation of the virtual machine,   wherein the first information management operation comprises at least one of:
 a backup of a secondary copy of the virtual machine corresponding to the first file representation of the virtual machine, 
 an archiving of a secondary copy of the virtual machine corresponding to the first file representation of the virtual machine, and 
 a restoring of a secondary copy of the virtual machine corresponding to the first file representation of the virtual machine; and 
   responsive to the indication from the file manager application, initiating the first information management operation for the secondary copy of the virtual machine corresponding to the first file representation.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein each respective file representation of the virtual machine within the file manager application is usable for user-initiated information management operations in the information management system. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first information management operation comprises at least one of:
 (a) by the storage manager, causing the secondary copy of the virtual machine corresponding to the first file representation to be stored at a storage device for the backup and the archiving,   (b) by the storage manager, causing the secondary copy of the virtual machine corresponding to the first file representation to be restored from a storage device for the restoring, and   (c) reporting, by the storage manager to the file manager application, metadata about the first information management operation.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 by the storage manager, receiving a second indication from the file manager application of a second user-initiated operation relative to the first file representation of the virtual machine, wherein the second indication comprises at least one of:
 (a) shutting down the virtual machine, 
 (b) restarting the virtual machine, 
 (c) activating the virtual machine, and 
 (d) re-configuring the virtual machine; and 
   responsive to the second indication from the file manager application, causing by the storage manager the second user-initiated operation to proceed.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the secondary copy of the virtual machine corresponding to the first file representation of the virtual machine within the file manager application comprises at least one of:
 (a) a snapshot of the virtual machine created and stored in a storage device of the information management system,   (b) a backup copy of a file associated with the virtual machine created and stored in a storage device of the information management system,   (c) a backup copy of a folder associated with the virtual machine created and stored in a storage device of the information management system,   (d) an archive copy of the virtual machine created and stored in a storage device of the information management system,   (d) an archive copy of a file associated with the virtual machine created and stored in a storage device of the information management system, and   (e) an archive copy of a folder associated with the virtual machine created and stored in a storage device of the information management system.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the restoring of the secondary copy of the virtual machine corresponding to the first file representation comprises at least one of:
 (a) restoring a copy of virtual machine data from a backup format in a storage device of the information management system to a primary data format in a storage device, wherein the virtual machine executing on a host computing device has native access to the virtual machine data in the primary data format;   (b) restoring a copy of a file associated with the virtual machine from a backup format in a storage device of the information management system to a primary data format in a storage device, wherein the virtual machine executing on a host computing device has native access to data in the file in the primary data format, and   (c) restoring a copy of a folder associated with the virtual machine from a backup format in a storage device of the information management system to a primary data format in a storage device, wherein the virtual machine executing on a host computing device has native access to data in the folder in the primary data format.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 by the storage manager, receiving an indication from the file manager application of a user-initiated second information management operation for a first file representation of the virtual machine; and   by the storage manager, responsive to the indication from the file manager application, initiating the second information management operation comprising at least one of:   (a) taking a snapshot of the virtual machine and storing a resulting secondary copy in a storage device,   (b) taking a backup of the virtual machine and storing a resulting secondary copy in a storage device,   (c) creating an archive copy of the virtual machine and storing it in a storage device,   (d) restoring the virtual machine from a secondary copy of the virtual machine in a storage device to a host computing device,   (e) taking a backup of a file associated with the virtual machine and storing a resulting secondary copy in a storage device,   (f) taking a backup of a folder associated with the virtual machine and storing a resulting secondary copy in a storage device,   (g) creating an archive copy of a file associated with the virtual machine created and storing it in a storage device,   (h) creating an archive copy of a folder associated with the virtual machine and storing it in a storage device,   (i) restoring a file associated with the virtual machine to a storage device associated with the host computing device, and   (j) restoring a folder associated with the virtual machine restored to a storage device associated with the host computing device.   
     
     
         8 . A system comprising:
 a computing device comprising one or more hardware processors and computer memory, wherein the computing device is configured to:   execute a file manager application that is in communication with a storage manager of an information management system,
 wherein the storage manager executes on an other computing device that comprises one or more hardware processors and computer memory and is distinct from the computing device executing the file manager application; 
   by the file manager application, display a set of virtual machines that are associated with a user, including a first virtual machine;   by the file manager application, receive a first command from the user to select the first virtual machine from the displayed set;   by the file manager application, based on communicating with the storage manager:
 (a) determine that the first virtual machine is represented in the information management system by one or more secondary copies that were generated, by the information management system, in one or more backup operations and archive operations of the first virtual machine, and 
 (b) receive an identification of a component of the information management system that performed the one or more backup operations and archive operations of the first virtual machine resulting in the one or more secondary copies, 
 wherein the component stored the one or more secondary copies in one or more data storage devices, and 
 wherein the component executes on a computing device comprising one or more hardware processors and computer memory; 
   by the file manager application, retrieve from the component, metadata associated with the one or more backup operations and archive operations of the first virtual machine resulting in the one or more secondary copies, wherein the metadata comprises at least a respective identifier of the one or more secondary copies; and   by the file manager application, display at least some of the retrieved metadata.   
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the computing device is further configured to:
 display within the file manager application a file representation of the first virtual machine, wherein the file representation is usable for user-initiated information management operations in the information management system.   
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein a user-initiated information management operation comprises at least one of:
 a backup of a secondary copy of the first virtual machine corresponding to the first file representation of the first virtual machine,   an archiving of a secondary copy of the first virtual machine corresponding to the first file representation of the first virtual machine, and   a restoring of a secondary copy of the first virtual machine corresponding to the first file representation of the first virtual machine; and   wherein the file manager application transmits an indication of the user-initiated information management operation to the storage manager.   
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein responsive to the indication from the file manager application, the storage manager initiates the user-initiated information management operation. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the computing device is further configured to:
 display within the file manager application a file representation of the first virtual machine; and   in response to the user selecting the file representation of the first virtual machine, display within the file manager application a virtual view of a disk structure of the first virtual machine as created in a corresponding one of the one or more secondary copies.   
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the computing device is further configured to:
 display within the file manager application a file representation of the first virtual machine; and   in response to the user selecting the file representation of the first virtual machine, display within the file manager application a virtual view of a disk structure of the first virtual machine as created in a corresponding one of the one or more secondary copies, wherein the display of the virtual disk structure is based on browsing an index associated with the component of the information management system that performed the one or more backup operations and archive operations of the first virtual machine.   
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the computing device is further configured to:
 query the storage manager whether the information management system comprises any secondary copies representative of the first virtual machine;   display within the file manager application a file representation of the first virtual machine, wherein the file representation is usable for user-initiated information management operations in the information management system.   
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the computing device is further configured to: communicate with the storage manager and with the component to (a) obtain information displayable to the user about the set of virtual machines, and (b) enable user-initiated information management operations via the file manager application. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the computing device is further configured to: display within the file manager application a file representation of the first virtual machine, wherein the file representation is usable for a user-initiated operation of at least one of:
 (a) shutting down the first virtual machine,   (b) restarting the first virtual machine,   (c) activating the first virtual machine, and   (d) re-configuring the first virtual machine; and   responsive to the second indication from the file manager application, causing by the storage manager the user-initiated operation to proceed.   
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the computing device is further configured to, in conjunction with the storage manager, perform a user-initiated information management operation comprising one or more of:
 (a) taking a snapshot of the second virtual machine and storing a resulting secondary copy in a storage device,   (b) taking a backup of the second virtual machine and storing a resulting secondary copy in a storage device,   (c) creating an archive copy of the second virtual machine and storing it in a storage device,   (d) restoring the second virtual machine from a secondary copy of the second virtual machine in a storage device to a host computing device,   (e) taking a backup of a file associated with the second virtual machine and storing a resulting secondary copy in a storage device,   (f) taking a backup of a folder associated with the second virtual machine and storing a resulting secondary copy in a storage device,   (g) creating an archive copy of a file associated with the second virtual machine created and storing it in a storage device,   (h) creating an archive copy of a folder associated with the second virtual machine and storing it in a storage device,   (i) restoring a file associated with the second virtual machine to a storage device associated with the host computing device, and   (j) restoring a folder associated with the second virtual machine restored to a storage device associated with the host computing device.   
     
     
         18 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by a computing device comprising one or more hardware processors and computer memory, cause the computing device to:
 execute a file manager application that is in communication with a storage manager of an information management system,
 wherein the storage manager executes on an other computing device that comprises one or more hardware processors and computer memory and is distinct from the computing device executing the file manager application; 
   display a set of virtual machines that are associated with a user, including a first virtual machine;   receive a first command from the user to select the first virtual machine from the displayed set;   based on communicating with the storage manager:
 (a) determine that the first virtual machine is represented in the information management system by one or more secondary copies that were generated, by the information management system, in one or more of: backup operations and archive operations of the first virtual machine, and 
 (b) receive an identification of a component of the information management system that performed the one or more backup operations and archive operations of the first virtual machine resulting in the one or more secondary copies, 
 wherein the component stored the one or more secondary copies in one or more data storage devices, and 
 wherein the component executes on a computing device comprising one or more hardware processors and computer memory; 
   retrieve from the component, metadata associated with the one or more of the backup operations and archive operations of the first virtual machine resulting in the one or more secondary copies, wherein the metadata comprises at least a respective identifier of the one or more secondary copies; and   display at least some of the retrieved metadata.   
     
     
         19 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 18 , wherein the instructions further cause the computing device to:
 display within the file manager application a file representation of the first virtual machine, wherein the file representation is usable for user-initiated information management operations in the information management system, including information management operations relative to the one or more secondary copies.   
     
     
         20 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 18 , wherein the instructions further cause the computing device to:
 display within the file manager application a file representation of the first virtual machine, wherein the file representation is usable for a user-initiated operation of at least one of:
 (a) shutting down the first virtual machine, 
 (b) restarting the first virtual machine, 
 (c) activating the first virtual machine, and 
 (d) re-configuring the first virtual machine; and 
   responsive to the second indication from the file manager application, causing by the storage manager the user-initiated operation to proceed.