Construction of an information management database in a hierarchical data storage system

Abstract

Systems and methods for constructing a database in an information management system. The systems and methods may include using metadata stored in non-production storage devices to construct an information management system database. In some implementations the methods are used to consolidate multiple information management systems. In other implementations, the systems and methods are used for reviewing content of archived storage media.

1 . A method for constructing an information management database that stores metadata for an information management network, the method comprising:
 receiving instructions to identify non-production storage media,
 wherein the non-production storage media comprise secondary copies of application data generated by client computing devices in an information management network, 
 wherein an information management server provides information management services to client computing devices within the information management network; 
   identifying non-production storage media within the information management network in accordance with the received instructions;   scanning the identified non-production storage media to identify metadata associated with the secondary copies of the application data;   retrieving the identified metadata from the non-production storage media without retrieving the secondary copies of the application data; and   building an information management database by populating the information management database with the retrieved metadata from the non-production storage media,
 wherein the information management database comprises metadata identifying files stored by the information management server and the client computing devices associated with those files, and 
 wherein the retrieved metadata maps the client computing devices to the secondary copies of the application data contained by the non-production storage media. 
   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the metadata comprises headers at beginning of a file within at least one of the secondary copies of the application data, trailing file markers appended to end of the file, or both headers and trailing file markers. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the information management network is a first network that is a subnetwork of a second network. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the information management network is a private network,
 wherein the client computing devices have private IP addresses so that computing devices that are not connected to the private network cannot access the client computing devices without logging into the private network, and   wherein at least some of the client computing devices are associated with a storage management cell that is hierarchically subordinate to the information management server.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 providing a user interface, with the information management server, to enable a user to provide instructions associated with identifying the non-production storage media;   receiving, via the user interface, the instructions associated with identifying the non-production storage media,   wherein the instructions indicate whether the information management server performs an automated search of the information management network or a manual search of the information management network,   wherein when the instructions indicate a manual search, the instructions further include one or more of a network address for at least one of the non-production storage media and an identifier of at least one of the non-production storage media; and   displaying at least some of the non-production storage media identified by the information management server,   wherein displaying comprises displaying a device ID for the at least some of the non-production storage media,   wherein the user interface receives selections from the user of one or more of the displayed non-production storage media, and   wherein scanning the identified non-production storage media comprises scanning the selections and not from non-production storage media not selected via the user interface.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 displaying at least some of the non-production storage media identified by the information management server,   wherein displaying comprises displaying a device ID for the at least some of the non-production storage media,   wherein a user interface receives selections from a user of one or more of the non-production storage media,   wherein scanning the identified non-production storage media comprises scanning the non-production storage media and not from non-production storage media that has not been selected via the user interface.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the information management server is a first information management server that receives information management instructions associated with the client computing devices from a second information management server. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the first information management server created at least some of the secondary copies of application data on at least some of the identified non-production storage media. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein, for the non-production storage media that are magnetic tapes, scanning comprises:
 reading, into temporary memory of the information management server, portions of content on the non-production storage media; and,   writing over the portions of the content in the temporary memory with additional portions of the content until metadata is found.   
     
     
         10 . A system for constructing an information management database that stores metadata for an information management network, the system comprising:
 at least one data processor; and   at least one non-transitory memory, coupled to the at least one data processor and storing instructions, which when executed by the at least one data processor, perform a method comprising:
 receiving instructions to identify non-production storage media,
 wherein the non-production storage media comprise secondary copies of application data generated by client computing devices in an information management network, 
 wherein an information management server provides information management services to client computing devices within the information management network; 
 
 identifying non-production storage media within the information management network in accordance with the received instructions; 
 scanning the identified non-production storage media to identify metadata associated with the secondary copies of the application data; 
 retrieving the identified metadata from the non-production storage media without retrieving the secondary copies of the application data; and 
 building an information management database by populating the information management database with the retrieved metadata from the non-production storage media,
 wherein the information management database comprises metadata identifying files stored by the information management server and the client computing devices associated with those files, and 
 wherein the retrieved metadata maps the client computing devices to the secondary copies of the application data contained by the non-production storage media. 
 
   
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the metadata comprises headers at beginning of a file within at least one of the secondary copies of the application data, trailing file markers appended to end of the file, or both headers and trailing file markers. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the metadata comprises information regarding files recorded in an original information management database, and information regarding the client computing devices associated with each of the files. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the information management network is a private network,
 wherein the client computing devices have private IP addresses so that computing devices that are not connected to the private network cannot access the client computing devices without logging into the private network, and   wherein at least some of the client computing devices are associated with a storage management cell that is hierarchically subordinate to the information management server.   
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the method further comprises:
 providing a user interface, with the information management server, to enable a user to provide instructions associated with identifying the non-production storage media;   receiving, via the user interface, the instructions associated with identifying the non-production storage media,
 wherein the instructions indicate whether the information management server performs an automated search of the information management network or a manual search of the information management network, 
 wherein when the instructions indicate a manual search, the instructions further include one or more of a network address for at least one of the non-production storage media and an identifier of at least one of the non-production storage media; and 
   displaying at least some of the non-production storage media identified by the information management server,
 wherein displaying comprises displaying a device ID for the at least some of the non-production storage media, 
 wherein a user interface receives selections from the user of one or more of the displayed non-production storage media, and 
 wherein scanning the identified non-production storage media comprises scanning the selections of the non-production storage media and not from non-production storage media not selected via the user interface. 
   
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the method further comprises:
 displaying at least some of the non-production storage media identified by the information management server,   wherein displaying comprises displaying a device ID for the at least some of the non-production storage media,   wherein the user interface receives selections from a user of one or more of the displayed ones of the non-production storage media,   wherein scanning the identified non-production storage media comprises scanning the selections of the non-production storage media and not from non-production storage media that has not been selected via the user interface.   
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the information management network is a first network that is a subnetwork of a second network. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the information management server is a first information management server that receives information management instructions associated with the client computing devices from a second information management server 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17 ,
 wherein the first information management server created at least some of the secondary copies of application data on at least some of the identified non-production storage media.   
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein, for each of the non-production storage media that are magnetic tapes, scanning comprises:
 reading, into temporary memory of the information management server, portions of content on the non-production storage media; and,   writing over the portions of the content in the temporary memory with additional portions of the content until metadata is found.