User-level quota management of data objects stored in information management systems

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed for cross-system user-level management of data objects stored in one or more information management systems, and for user-level management of data storage quotas in information management systems, including data objects in secondary storage. An illustrative quota manager is associated with one or more information management systems. The quota manager comprises a quota value representing the maximum amount of data storage allowed for a given end-user's primary and secondary data in the one or more information management systems. The quota manager determines whether data associated with the end-user has exceeded the storage quota, and if so, prompts the end-user to select data for deletion, the deletion to be implemented globally, across the primary and secondary storage subsystems of the respective one or more information management systems. Meanwhile, so long as the quota is exceeded, the quota manager instructs storage managers to block backups of end-user's data.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A computer-implemented method using at least one computing device comprising one or more hardware processors, the method comprising:
 receiving a request to delete from an information management system a selection of data that is associated with an end-user, wherein the selection comprises one or more of: a selected primary data object stored in a primary storage and a selected secondary copy data object stored in a secondary storage;   based on determining that the selected primary data object is under legal hold: generating a secondary copy of the selected primary data object, storing the generated secondary copy to the secondary storage, retaining the generated secondary copy under legal hold in the secondary storage, deleting the selected primary data object after generating the secondary copy thereof, and adjusting an amount of storage used by the generated secondary copy from a total storage usage amount associated with the end-user;   based on determining that the selected secondary copy data object is under legal hold: retaining the selected secondary copy data object in the secondary storage, and adjusting an amount of storage used by the selected secondary copy data object from the total storage usage amount associated with the end-user; and   based on determining that the legal hold for the selected secondary copy data object has been lifted, automatically deleting the selected secondary copy data object in the secondary storage   
     
     
         2 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1  wherein adjusting the amount of storage used by the generated secondary copy comprises removing the amount of storage used by the generated secondary copy from the total storage usage amount associated with the end-user; and adjusting the amount of storage used by the selected secondary copy data object comprises removing the amount of storage used by the selected secondary copy data object from the total storage usage amount associated with the end-user. 
     
     
         3 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 removing an amount of storage used by the selected secondary copy data object from the total storage usage amount associated with the end-user after the deleting of the selected secondary copy data object. 
 
     
     
         4 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 identifying, based on a selection received from the end-user, one or more instances of one or more data objects represented by the selection, wherein the one or more identified instances comprise at least one instance of the selected secondary copy data object retained in the secondary storage. 
 
     
     
         5 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 4  further comprising:
 flagging, the at least one instance of the selected secondary copy data object retained in the secondary storage. 
 
     
     
         6 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 5  further comprising:
 excluding the at least one flagged instance of the selected secondary copy data object from the total storage usage amount associated with the end-user. 
 
     
     
         7 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 storing the selected primary data object in a primary storage of the information management system prior to the deletion of the selected primary data object, wherein the primary storage is separate from the secondary storage. 
 
     
     
         8 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1  wherein the primary data object is associated with a primary metadata comprising one of a file system metadata or an application specific metadata, wherein the primary metadata is of a first format. 
     
     
         9 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 9  wherein the secondary copy data object is associated with a secondary metadata representing the primary metadata in a second format different from the first format. 
     
     
         10 . A system comprising:
 a computer memory and a computing device communicatively coupled to the computer memory, wherein the computing device is configured to:   receive a request to delete from an information management system a selection of data that is associated with an end-user, wherein the selection comprises one or more of: a selected primary data object stored in a primary storage and a selected secondary copy data object stored in a secondary storage;   based on determining that the selected primary data object is under legal hold: generating a secondary copy of the selected primary data object, store the generated secondary copy to the secondary storage, retain the generated secondary copy under legal hold in the secondary storage, delete the selected primary data object after generating the secondary copy thereof, and adjust an amount of storage used by the generated secondary copy from a total storage usage amount associated with the end-user;   based on determining that the selected secondary copy data object is under legal hold: retain the selected secondary copy data object in the secondary storage, and adjust an amount of storage used by the selected secondary copy data object from the total storage usage amount associated with the end-user; and   based on determining that the legal hold for the selected secondary copy data object has been lifted, automatically delete the selected secondary copy data object in the secondary storage   
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10  wherein:
 to adjust the amount of storage used by the generated secondary copy comprises removing the amount of storage used by the generated secondary copy from the total storage usage amount associated with the end-user; and 
 to adjust the amount of storage used by the selected secondary copy data object comprises removing the amount of storage used by the selected secondary copy data object from the total storage usage amount associated with the end-user. 
 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11  wherein the computing device is configured to remove an amount of storage used by the selected secondary copy data object from the total storage usage amount associated with the end-user after the deleting of the selected secondary copy data object. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 11  wherein the computing device is configured to identify, based on a selection received from the end-user, one or more instances of one or more data objects represented by the selection, wherein the one or more identified instances comprise at least one instance of the selected secondary copy data object retained in the secondary storage. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13  wherein the computing device is configured to flag, the at least one instance of the selected secondary copy data object retained in the secondary storage. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 14  wherein the computing device is configured to exclude the selected secondary copy data object flagged with the at least one instance from presenting to the end-user as a candidate for deletion. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 10  wherein the computing device is configured to store the selected primary data object in a primary storage of the information management system prior to the deletion of the selected primary data object, wherein the primary storage is separate from the secondary storage. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 10  wherein the primary data object is associated with a primary metadata comprising one of a file system metadata or an application specific metadata, wherein the primary metadata is of a first format. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 10  wherein the secondary copy data object is associated with a secondary metadata representing the primary metadata in a second format different from the first format. 
     
     
         19 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon software instructions that, when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to:
 receive a request to delete from an information management system a selection of data that is associated with an end-user, wherein the selection comprises one or more of: a selected primary data object stored in a primary storage and a selected secondary copy data object stored in a secondary storage;   based on determining that the selected primary data object is under legal hold: generate a secondary copy of the selected primary data object, store the generated secondary copy to the secondary storage, retain the generated secondary copy under legal hold in the secondary storage, delete the selected primary data object after generating the secondary copy thereof, and remove an amount of storage used by the generated secondary copy from a total storage usage amount associated with the end-user;   based on determining that the selected secondary copy data object is under legal hold: retain the selected secondary copy data object in the secondary storage, and adjust the total storage usage amount associated with the end-user; and   based on determining that the legal hold for the selected secondary copy data object has been lifted, automatically delete the selected secondary copy data object in the secondary storage.   
     
     
         20 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 19  wherein to adjust the amount of storage, the computing device is configured to remove an amount of storage used by the selected secondary copy data object from the total storage usage amount associated with the end-user.