Techniques for automated policy analysis

A system for automated policy analysis comprising:

• one or more processors communicatively coupled to a network;
• wherein the one or more processors are configured to:
• process system configuration information for a backup system comprising at least one backup source and a plurality of backup targets;
• process policy configuration information for the backup system;
• analyze at least one policy configuration change to the policy configuration information by considering a predicted data growth rate of the at least one backup source and a determination of an average size of multiple portions of data that has changed on the at least one backup source, wherein the at least one policy configuration change resolves at least one backup job conflict with a first backup job by rescheduling the first backup job from a first backup target of the plurality of backup targets to a second backup target of the plurality of backup targets;
• generate a recommendation including hypothetical adjustments to the backup policy to determine a schedule of backup jobs that is free of conflicting backup jobs by creating, removing, or adjusting backup sources of the backup system to prevent backup conflicts and adjusting the backup policy based on the analysis of the at least one policy configuration change for scheduling of each backup job and associated backup targets and backup sources to prevent backup conflicts;
• generate a graphical user interface to display the recommendation, wherein the graphical user interface has an interactive visualization that includes at least a timeline reflecting job scheduling information for the plurality of backup targets;
• and
• receive a user input via the graphical user interface to make an adjustment to the recommendation to generate an adjusted recommendation;
• update the policy configuration information for the system based on user input to the graphical user interface of an adjustment by the user to the recommendation and communicating the impact to the graphical user interface to depict to the user whether the adjusted recommendation is recommended;
• and
• receive a user input, via the graphical user interface, to approve the policy configuration of the recommendation or the adjusted recommendation, as the backup system configuration;
• wherein the second backup target of the plurality of backup targets is selected at least based on a reliability of a connection between the second backup target and a network.

An article of manufacture for automated policy analysis, the article of manufacture comprising:

• at least one non-transitory processor readable storage medium;
• and instructions stored on the at least one medium;
• wherein the instructions are configured to be readable from the at least one medium by at least one processor and thereby cause the at least one processor to operate so as to:
• process system configuration information for a backup system comprising at least one backup source and a plurality of backup targets;
• process policy configuration information for the backup system;
• analyze at least one policy configuration change to the policy configuration information by considering a predicted data growth rate of the at least one backup source and a determination of an average size of multiple portions of data that has changed on the at least one backup source, wherein the at least one policy configuration change resolves at least one backup job conflict with a first backup job by rescheduling the first backup job from a first backup target of the plurality of backup targets to a second backup target of the plurality of backup targets;
• generate a recommendation including hypothetical adjustments to the backup policy, analyzing probabilities that individual backup jobs are likely to complete successfully and within an allotted time, and determine a schedule of time windows of backup jobs that is free of conflicting backup jobs by creating, removing, or adjusting backup sources of the backup system to prevent backup conflicts and adjusting the backup policy based on the analysis of the at least one policy configuration change for scheduling each backup job and associated backup targets and backup sources to prevent backup conflicts;
• generate a graphical user interface to display the recommendation wherein the graphical user interface includes an interactive visualization having at least a timeline reflecting job scheduling information for the plurality of backup targets;
• and
• update the policy configuration information for the system based on user input to the graphical user interface of an adjustment by the user to the recommendation to form an adjusted recommendation and communicating the impact to the graphical user interface to depict to the user whether the adjusted recommendation is recommended;
• receive a user input via the graphical user interface to make an adjustment of the recommendation;
• and
• receive a user input, via the graphical user interface, to approve the policy configuration of the recommendation or the adjusted recommendation, as the backup system configuration;
• wherein the second backup target of the plurality of backup targets is selected at least based on a reliability of a connection between the second backup target and a network.