US 2021/0240308 A1 · FILE MANAGER INTEGRATION WITH VIRTUALIZATION IN AN INFORMATION MANAGEMENT SYSTEM WITH AN ENHANCED STORAGE MANAGER, INCLUDING USER CONTROL AND STORAGE MANAGEMENT OF VIRTUAL MACHINES

Abstract

A storage manager that interoperates with a file manager application that integrates with virtualization substantially enables end-user control and storage management of virtual machines (VMs). The storage manager may manage information management operations relative to virtual machines based on and/or in response to messages and/or instructions received from the file manager application. The storage manager may further report results to the file manager application for presentation to the user. The file manager application, which may operate as a plug-in for a legacy file manager executing on a user's client computing device, may comprise: displaying the VMs associated with the user, including their respective properties; enabling viewing/browsing of information about storage management operations for a VM such as backups and/or archiving, including files associated with the VM and searching and filtering criteria; control features that enable the user to control existing VMs, such as shut down, restart/activate/power-on, suspend, and/or re-configure, and also perform storage management of a VM and/or its associated files, such as create snapshot, back up, archive, restore VM from secondary storage, restore and overwrite VM, restore file(s)/folder(s) to user's client computing device, restore file(s)/folder(s) to a production VM in primary storage, etc.; control features that enable the user to provision additional VMs, such as create a new VM, create a clone VM, configure a VM, etc.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A computer-implemented method comprising:

by a storage manager that executes on a first computing device, wherein the storage manager manages information management operations in an information management system:
receiving from a file manager application executing on a client computing device, which is distinct from the first computing device, a first query whether the information management system comprises any secondary copies representative of a virtual machine selected by a user of the file manager application;
based on the storage manager determining that the information management system comprises one or more secondary copies of the virtual machine, indicating the one or more secondary copies to the file manager application to be displayed as respective file representations of the virtual machine within the file manager application;
receiving an indication from the file manager application of a user-initiated first information management operation for a first file representation of the virtual machine,
wherein the first information management operation comprises at least one of:
a backup of a secondary copy of the virtual machine corresponding to the first file representation of the virtual machine,
an archiving of a secondary copy of the virtual machine corresponding to the first file representation of the virtual machine, and
a restoring of a secondary copy of the virtual machine corresponding to the first file representation of the virtual machine;
and
responsive to the indication from the file manager application, initiating the first information management operation for the secondary copy of the virtual machine corresponding to the first file representation.

7 more elements

A system comprising:

a computing device comprising one or more hardware processors and computer memory, wherein the computing device is configured to:
execute a file manager application that is in communication with a storage manager of an information management system,
wherein the storage manager executes on an other computing device that comprises one or more hardware processors and computer memory and is distinct from the computing device executing the file manager application;
by the file manager application, display a set of virtual machines that are associated with a user, including a first virtual machine;
by the file manager application, receive a first command from the user to select the first virtual machine from the displayed set;
by the file manager application, based on communicating with the storage manager:
(a) determine that the first virtual machine is represented in the information management system by one or more secondary copies that were generated, by the information management system, in one or more backup operations and archive operations of the first virtual machine, and
(b) receive an identification of a component of the information management system that performed the one or more backup operations and archive operations of the first virtual machine resulting in the one or more secondary copies,
wherein the component stored the one or more secondary copies in one or more data storage devices, and
wherein the component executes on a computing device comprising one or more hardware processors and computer memory;
by the file manager application, retrieve from the component, metadata associated with the one or more backup operations and archive operations of the first virtual machine resulting in the one or more secondary copies, wherein the metadata comprises at least a respective identifier of the one or more secondary copies;
and
by the file manager application, display at least some of the retrieved metadata.

10 more elements

A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by a computing device comprising one or more hardware processors and computer memory, cause the computing device to:

execute a file manager application that is in communication with a storage manager of an information management system,
wherein the storage manager executes on an other computing device that comprises one or more hardware processors and computer memory and is distinct from the computing device executing the file manager application;
display a set of virtual machines that are associated with a user, including a first virtual machine;
receive a first command from the user to select the first virtual machine from the displayed set;
based on communicating with the storage manager:
(a) determine that the first virtual machine is represented in the information management system by one or more secondary copies that were generated, by the information management system, in one or more of:
backup operations and archive operations of the first virtual machine, and
(b) receive an identification of a component of the information management system that performed the one or more backup operations and archive operations of the first virtual machine resulting in the one or more secondary copies,
wherein the component stored the one or more secondary copies in one or more data storage devices, and
wherein the component executes on a computing device comprising one or more hardware processors and computer memory;
retrieve from the component, metadata associated with the one or more of the backup operations and archive operations of the first virtual machine resulting in the one or more secondary copies, wherein the metadata comprises at least a respective identifier of the one or more secondary copies;
and
display at least some of the retrieved metadata.

10 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

File manager integration with virtualization in an information management system with an enhanced storage manager, including user control and storage management of virtual machines

Life of this patent

File manager integration with virtualization in an information management system with an enhanced storage manager, including user control and storage management of virtual machines

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20