Interface systems and methods for accessing stored data

#1. Field of the Invention

#The present invention generally relates to data storage in email systems and more particularly to the logical view with granular access to exchange data managed by a modular data and storage management system.

#2. Description of the Related Art

#In one embodiment of the present invention, certain aspects may be realized when data retrieval of an object or small collections of objects take only a small fraction of the time taken by traditional storage methods. Also, users may be allowed to view, in detail, exactly what objects are available for restore and their attributes at a given point-in-time. Users can also search for objects based on their attributes before choosing to retrieve them. All browsing and restoring of data is done without compromising availability of the Microsoft Exchange database.

#Archival, retrieval, and indexing of Microsoft Exchange data as distinct end-user recognizable objects (such as an email message) with ability to browse these objects is enabled using certain aspects of the present invention. Also enabled is browsing of data at a user defined point-in-time, viewing different versions of the same object backed up at different points-in-time, and pattern searches in a logical view that the users are familiar with. Also enabled is the retrieval of objects backed up from one Microsoft Exchange database to a different target Microsoft Exchange target database.

#FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an exemplary embodiment of a data and storage management system built in accordance with principals of the present invention.

#FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an exemplary embodiment of a data and storage management system 100 built in accordance with principals of the present invention. The data and storage management system 100 includes an e-mail system 102 that communicates with storage media 104 to access and store e-mail that is received in or sent from the e-mail system 102. The e-mail system 102 includes a retrieval application 106 that has an e-mail browser 108 and a time variance interface 110 for interfacing with an e-mail data retrieval manager 112. The e-mail data retrieval manager 112 interfaces with the storage media 104 to access e-mail that has been received in the e-mail system 102.

#The data and storage management system 100 allows a user to access e-mail from the storage media 104 in numerous manners including accessing e-mail from a particular date such that the e-mail browser 108 appears as though it is operating on a given date and time other than the current date and time. Thus, if the user desires to view the system in the past, the user may see the e-mail system 102 as it existed at any time.

#FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an exemplary data and storage management system 200. The data and storage management system 200 includes a computing system 202 that interacts with an e-mail data retrieval manager 204 to retrieve and store messages from storage media 206.