Data storage management operations in a secondary storage subsystem using image recognition and image-based criteria

Abstract

A data storage management system incorporates image recognition and classification features. The illustrative system generates thumbnail images to represent images detected in secondary copies. Subsequent image recognition and classification operations are based on the thumbnail images without need to access the secondary copies from which the thumbnails were derived. The system indexes thumbnail images and respective relationships to each other and to the source secondary copies. Metadata from the source secondary copies is extracted and preserved with the thumbnails. Thumbnail images, metadata, and related index data (collectively “thumbnail data”) are stored locally in an illustrative content index server, or in an enhanced storage manager, thus improving performance without interfering with ongoing storage management operations. Features are disclosed for searching within the system and performing storage management operations based on image criteria. Access to/from other systems is also possible, e.g., for importing images and/or thumbnails.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A computer-implemented method comprising:
 by one or more hardware computers, each one comprising one or more hardware processors coupled to computer memory, wherein the one or more hardware computers are configured to execute computer programming instructions, causing a data storage management system to perform operations comprising:   creating secondary copies based on primary data, which comprises one or more source images that are visually perceivable by a human viewer, wherein the secondary copies are stored in one or more secondary storage devices;   from the secondary copies, deriving thumbnail images corresponding to the one or more source images, and store the thumbnail images in a thumbnail database;   generating a thumbnail index that, for each respective thumbnail image in the thumbnail database: comprises one or more associations between the respective thumbnail image and a personal identifier of a person represented in the respective thumbnail image, and further comprises one or more associations between the respective thumbnail image and a corresponding secondary copy, and wherein the respective thumbnail image is classified into at least one of a plurality of types of images;   based on a content policy configured in the data storage management system, wherein the content policy comprises image criteria that comprise a first personal identifier of a first person and a first type of image, applying the image criteria to the thumbnail index to identify, among the secondary copies in the one or more secondary storage devices, one or more first secondary copies that comprise a source image of the first type and of the first person;   selecting a first action plug-in based on the content policy;   based at least in part on using the first action plug-in, performing a first storage management operation upon the one or more first secondary copies identified according to the image criteria; and   for secondary copies associated with thumbnail images of a second type of image of the first person, selecting a second action plug-in, and based at least in part on using the second action plug-in, performing a second storage management operation, which differs from the first storage management operation.   
     
     
         2 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein a given secondary copy among the secondary copies associated with thumbnail images of a second type of image of the first person is among the one or more first secondary copies; and further comprising: performing the first storage management operation and the second storage management operation upon the given secondary copy. 
     
     
         3 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1  further comprising: migrating at least one of the one or more first secondary copies from one secondary storage device to another secondary storage device. 
     
     
         4 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1  further comprising: replacing the one or more first secondary copies with corresponding one or more new secondary copies that have been at least one of: encrypted, deduplicated, and compressed. 
     
     
         5 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the first storage management operation restores at least one of the one or more first secondary copies to a primary data format that is visually perceivable by a human viewer at a computing device. 
     
     
         6 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein at least some entries in the thumbnail index are derived from outside images, which are distinct from the secondary copies created by the data storage management system, and wherein the outside images are associated with respective personal identifiers of one or more persons represented in the outside images; and further comprising:
 applying the image criteria to the thumbnail index to identify, among the outside images, one or more first outside images that comprise a source image of the first type and of the first person; and   based at least in part on using the first action plug-in, performing the first storage management operation upon the one or more first outside images identified according to the image criteria.   
     
     
         7 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 6  further comprising: using one or more application programming interfaces for accessing one or more external systems comprising the outside images. 
     
     
         8 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein at least some entries in the thumbnail index are based on imported images, which were imported into the data storage management system and which were not created by the data storage management system, and wherein the imported images are associated with respective personal identifiers of one or more persons represented in the imported images; and further comprising:
 applying the image criteria to the thumbnail index to identify, among the imported images, one or more first imported images that comprise a source image of the first type and of the first person; and   based at least in part on using the first action plug-in, performing the first storage management operation upon the one or more first imported images identified according to the image criteria.   
     
     
         9 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 8  further comprising: based on the content policy, enforcing for the one or more first imported images at least one of: a retention period, a pruning policy, and a legal hold policy. 
     
     
         10 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1  further comprising: based on the content policy, enforcing for the one or more first secondary copies at least one of: a retention period, a pruning policy, and a legal hold policy. 
     
     
         11 . A system comprising:
 one or more hardware processors coupled to computer memory, wherein the one or more hardware processors are configured to execute computer programming instructions that cause the system to:   create secondary copies based on primary data, which comprises one or more source images that are visually perceivable by a human viewer, wherein the secondary copies are stored in one or more secondary storage devices;   from the secondary copies, derive thumbnail images corresponding to the one or more source images, and store the thumbnail images in a thumbnail database;   generate a thumbnail index that, for each respective thumbnail image in the thumbnail database: comprises one or more associations between the respective thumbnail image and a personal identifier of a person represented in the respective thumbnail image, and further comprises one or more associations between the respective thumbnail image and a corresponding secondary copy, and wherein the respective thumbnail image is classified into at least one of a plurality of types of images;   based on a content policy configured in the system, wherein the content policy comprises image criteria that comprise a first personal identifier of a first person and a first type of image, apply the image criteria to the thumbnail index to identify, among the secondary copies in the one or more secondary storage devices, one or more first secondary copies that comprise a source image of the first type and of the first person;   select a first action plug-in based on the content policy;   based at least in part on using the first action plug-in, perform a first storage management operation upon the one or more first secondary copies identified according to the image criteria; and   for secondary copies associated with thumbnail images of a second type of image of the first person, select a second action plug-in, and based at least in part on using the second action plug-in, perform a second storage management operation, which differs from the first storage management operation.   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein a given secondary copy among the secondary copies associated with thumbnail images of a second type of image of the first person is among the one or more first secondary copies; and
 wherein the system is configured to perform the first storage management operation and the second storage management operation upon the given secondary copy.   
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the first storage management operation migrates at least one of the one or more first secondary copies from one secondary storage device to another secondary storage device. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the first storage management operation replaces the one or more first secondary copies with corresponding one or more new secondary copies that have been at least one of: encrypted, deduplicated, and compressed. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the first storage management operation restores at least one of the one or more first secondary copies to a primary data format that is visually perceivable by a human viewer at a computing device. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein at least some entries in the thumbnail index are derived from outside images, which are distinct from the secondary copies created by the system, and wherein the outside images are associated with respective personal identifiers of one or more persons represented in the outside images; and wherein the computer programming instructions further cause the system to:
 apply the image criteria to the thumbnail index to identify, among the outside images, one or more first outside images that comprise a source image of the first type and of the first person; and   based at least in part on using the first action plug-in, perform the first storage management operation upon the one or more first outside images identified according to the image criteria.   
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 16  further comprising: one or more application programming interfaces for accessing one or more external systems comprising the outside images. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein at least some entries in the thumbnail index are derived from imported images, which were imported into the system and which were not created by the system, and wherein the imported images are associated with respective personal identifiers of one or more persons represented in the imported images; and wherein the computer programming instructions further cause the system to:
 apply the image criteria to the thumbnail index to identify, among the imported images, one or more first imported images that comprise a source image of the first type and of the first person; and   based at least in part on using the first action plug-in, perform the first storage management operation upon the one or more first imported images identified according to the image criteria.   
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein based on the content policy, the system enforces for the one or more first imported images at least one of: a retention period, a pruning policy, and a legal hold policy. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein based on the content policy, the system enforces for the one or more first secondary copies at least one of: a retention period, a pruning policy, and a legal hold policy.