Storage management operations based on executable files served on demand to storage management components

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed for speedily upgrading (e.g., via service packs) components of a storage management system, such as media agents and data agents, which may number in the thousands. The disclosed methods and systems provide a lightweight and flexible approach. Executable files such as service packs are deployed to a network-shared file system and are served on demand to each targeted host computing device to launch a data agent and/or media agent component. New service packs (e.g., upgrades) are installed on another shared drive and the connection thereto is refreshed by each targeted storage management component to begin executing the new version on demand. The resultant overall upgrade process across the storage management system may be substantially shortened, and the network burden greatly reduced.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . A data storage management system comprising:
 a first computing device comprising one or more hardware processors and computer memory, wherein the first computing device is configured to:   cause a storage management agent that executes on a second computing device to upgrade from a first version of the storage management agent to a second version of the storage management agent by accessing one or more executables of the second version of the storage management agent at a second network-attached storage device,
 wherein the storage management agent executes on a second computing device that is distinct from the first computing device, and 
 wherein the second computing device is communicatively decoupled from the second network-attached storage device; 
   wherein to cause the storage management agent to upgrade from the first version of the storage management agent to the second version of the storage management agent, the first computing device is further configured to:
 push to the second computing device one or more messages comprising: (a) an instruction to refresh a designated connection to a network-attached storage, wherein the refresh communicatively couples the second computing device to the second network-attached storage device and releases a communicative coupling between the second computing device and a first network-attached storage device, which is distinct from the second network-attached storage device, (b) an instruction to execute the second version of the storage management agent as obtained from the second network-attached storage device; and 
   wherein causing the second computing device to execute the second version of the storage management agent obtained from the second network-attached storage device changes the storage management agent at the second computing device from the first version of the storage management agent to the second version of the storage management agent.   
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the first computing device is further configured to:
 store the second version of the storage management agent in the second network-attached storage device before causing the storage management agent that executes on a second computing device to upgrade.   
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the first computing device is further configured to: cause the second computing device executing the second version of the storage management agent to execute a test storage operation using the second version of the storage management agent. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the first computing device is further configured to: cause the second computing device executing the second version of the storage management agent to execute a storage operation using the second version of the storage management agent. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the one or more messages pushed to the second computing device further comprise: an indication to stop executing the first version of the storage management agent before refreshing the designated connection. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein the indication to stop executing the first version of the storage management agent also indicates that any storage operations underway are to be completed before stopping executing the first version of the storage management agent. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the one or more messages pushed to the second computing device further comprise metadata about the second version of the storage management agent that the second computing device is to: store at the second computing device and use for obtaining the second version of the storage management agent from the second network-attached storage device after refreshing the designated connection. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the instruction to obtain the second version of the storage management agent from the second network-attached storage device indicates that one or more executables of the second version of the storage management agent are to be read into main memory of the second computing device. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the first computing device is further configured to: export to the second computing device a network-shared file system that operates at the second network-attached storage device. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the storage management agent is one of: a data agent and a media agent. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the first computing device is further configured to: operate as a storage manager of the data storage management system. 
     
     
         13 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by a first computing device comprising one or more hardware processors and computer memory, cause the first computing device to:
 cause a storage management agent that executes on a second computing device to change from a first version of a storage management agent to a second version of the storage management agent,
 wherein the storage management agent executes on a second computing device that is distinct from the first computing device, and 
 wherein the second computing device is communicatively coupled to a first network-attached storage device via a designated connection; 
   wherein to cause the storage management agent to change from the first version of the storage management agent to the second version of the storage management agent, the instructions further cause the first computing device to:
 push to the second computing device one or more messages comprising: (a) an instruction to refresh the designated connection, wherein the refresh communicatively couples the second computing device to a second network-attached storage device that is distinct from the second network-attached storage device and releases the first network-attached storage device from the second computing device (b) an instruction to execute the second version of the storage management agent as obtained from the second network-attached storage device; and 
   after the second computing device begins executing the second version of the storage management agent, the instructions further cause the first computing device to: cause the second computing device to execute a storage operation using the second version of the storage management agent.   
     
     
         14 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 13 , wherein the instructions further cause the first computing device to: store the second version of the storage management agent in the second network-attached storage device before causing the storage management agent that executes on a second computing device to change. 
     
     
         15 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 13 , wherein the storage operation using the second version of the storage management agent is a test of the second version of the storage management agent. 
     
     
         16 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 13 , wherein the one or more messages pushed to the second computing device further comprise: an indication to stop executing the first version of the storage management agent before refreshing the designated connection. 
     
     
         17 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 16 , wherein the indication to stop executing the first version of the storage management agent also indicates that any storage operations underway are to be completed before stopping executing the first version of the storage management agent. 
     
     
         18 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 13 , wherein the one or more messages pushed to the second computing device further comprise metadata about the second version of the storage management agent that the second computing device is to: store at the second computing device and use for obtaining the second version of the storage management agent from the second network-attached storage device after refreshing the designated connection. 
     
     
         19 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 13 , wherein an instruction to obtain the second version of the storage management agent from the second network-attached storage device indicates that one or more executables of the second version of the storage management agent are to be read into main memory of the second computing device. 
     
     
         20 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 13 , wherein the storage management agent is one of: a data agent and a media agent. 
     
     
         21 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 13 , wherein the first computing device is further configured to: operate as a storage manager of a data storage management system, wherein the storage manager manages storage operations in the data storage management system, including the storage operation using the second version of the storage management agent.