Policy driven cloud storage management and cloud storage policy router

A system, comprising,

• a processor;
• a network interface;
• and
• a memory containing a multi-tenant storage broker, which, when executed on the processor, performs an operation for storing a file, the operation comprising:
• receiving, over the network interface, a request from a client to store the file using a cloud storage service,
• identifying one or more metadata attributes to associate with the file,
• generating a graphical user interface configured to prompt the requesting client to supply values for the one or more metadata attributes,
• transmitting the generated graphical user interface to the requesting client;
• receiving values for the metadata attributes,
• selecting one of a plurality of cloud storage services to store the file based on a storage policy associated with a tenant application and the received values for the metadata attributes;
• transmitting a link to the requesting client used to upload the file to the selected cloud storage service;
• forwarding the received values for the metadata attributes to the selected cloud storage service;
• and
• storing, in a database system, the received values for the metadata attributes and a reference to the file stored by the selected cloud storage service.

A computer-readable storage medium containing a program, which, when executed on a processor, performs an operation for storing a file, the operation comprising:

• receiving, over the network interface, a request from a client to store the file using a cloud storage service;
• identifying one or more metadata attributes to associate with the file;
• generating a graphical user interface configured to prompt the requesting client to supply values for the one or more metadata attributes;
• transmitting the generated graphical user interface to the requesting client;
• receiving values for the metadata attributes;
• selecting one of a plurality of cloud storage services to store the file based on a storage policy associated with a tenant application and the received values for the metadata attributes;
• transmitting a link to the requesting client used to upload the file to the selected cloud storage service;
• forwarding the received values for the metadata attributes to the selected cloud storage service;
• and
• storing, in a database system, the received values for the metadata attributes and a reference to the file stored by the selected cloud storage service.

A routing device configured to transmit a file to one of a plurality of cloud storage services, comprising:

• a processor;
• and
• a memory storing a routing application configured to store advertised capabilities received from the plurality of cloud storage services, which, when executed on the processor, performs an operation, comprising:
• receiving a file to be forwarded to one of the cloud storage services;
• receiving one or more storage parameters specifying requirements of a storage policy associated with a tenant application for a cloud storage service selected to store the file;
• evaluating the storage parameters to select a cloud storage service, of the plurality, which satisfies the specified requirements, wherein evaluating the storage parameters comprises matching the specified requirements against the advertised capabilities received from the plurality of cloud storage services;
• forwarding the file and the one or more storage parameters to the selected cloud storage service.