Distributed indexing system for data storage

A method of storing distributed index information describing secondary copies of data, the method comprising:

• copying primary data stored in one or more primary storage devices to one or more secondary storage devices, wherein copying the primary data to the secondary storage device creates a secondary copy on the one or more secondary storage devices, the primary data generated by one or more software applications running on a client computer;
• indexing a first portion of the secondary copy stored on the one or more secondary storage devices, wherein indexing the first portion of the secondary copy creates a first index of indexed data;
• storing the first index in association with a first index server;
• indexing a second portion of the secondary copy stored on the one or more secondary storage devices, wherein indexing the second portion of secondary copy creates a second index of indexed data;
• storing the second index in association with a second index server;
• wherein the first and second index servers are networked together and collectively provide a distributed index comprising the first and second indexes;
• copying the first index associated with the first index server to the second index server so that the first index is available at the first and second index servers;
• distributing requests associated with the first index among the first and second index servers to lessen a load on the first index server;
• receiving an index update associated with the first index;
• determining that the first index server is not available;
• and
• updating the distributed index by copying the index update to the second index server.

A distributed index system for maintaining an index of data storage information related to secondary copies of data, the comprising:

• a storage manager comprising computer hardware having one or more computer processors, the storage manager configured to copy primary data stored in one or more primary storage devices to one or more secondary storage devices, wherein copying the primary data to the secondary storage device creates a secondary copy on the one or more secondary storage devices, the primary data generated by one or more software applications running on a client computer;
• a first index server comprising computer hardware having one or more computer processors, the first index server configured to index a first portion of the secondary copy stored on the one or more secondary storage devices, wherein indexing the first portion of the secondary copy creates a first index of indexed data, and wherein the first index is stored in association with a first index server;
• a second index server comprising computer hardware having one or more computer processors, the second index server configured to index a second portion of the secondary copy stored on the one or more secondary storage devices, wherein indexing the second portion of secondary copy creates a second index of indexed data, and wherein the second index is stored in association with a second index server;
• wherein the first and second index servers are networked together and collectively provide a distributed index comprising the first and second indexes;
• an index replication component comprising computer hardware having one or more computer processors, the index replication component configured to direct the copying the first index associated with the first index server to the second index server so that the first index is available at the first and second index servers;
• a third index server that distributes requests associated with the first index among the first and second index servers to lessen a load on the first index server;
• and
• a secondary storage computing device that is configured to receive an index update associated with the first index and determine that the first index server is not available, wherein the secondary storage computing device is configured to update the distributed index by copying the index update to the second index server.