Decoupled installation of data management systems

A system for decoupled installation of data storage software, comprising:

• a storage manager comprising computer hardware having one or more computer processors, the storage manager configured to monitor primary data created by different software applications executing on at least first and second client computers, the primary data further comprising data types associated with native formats of the different software applications executing on the first and second client computers, the first and second client computers in communication with the storage manager via a network;
• a third client computer possessing installed data storage software,
• wherein during installation of the data storage software on the third client, the third client computer is decoupled from the network,
• wherein during installation of the data storage software on the third client, the third client computer does not communicate with the storage manager,
• wherein during the installation of the data storage software on the third client computer, storage manager configuration parameters associated with the storage manager are unknown to the installer of the data storage software,
• wherein the installation stores a plurality of client computer configuration parameters associated with the third client computer on the third client computer while the third client computer is decoupled from the network, wherein the client computer configuration parameters comprise at least an index cache folder that stores index data associated with data storage operations, a client time zone, a client name and a hostname;
• wherein after the third client computer is coupled to the network, the third client computer is configured to listen to network traffic on the network to determine whether the storage manager is available via the network;
• wherein the third client computer is configured to send a ping from the third client computer to the storage manager to verify that the storage manager is available via the network;
• wherein after the third client computer verifies that the storage manager is available, the third client computer is configured to send to the storage manager, at least a portion of the client computer configuration parameters comprising at least information about the index cache folder, the client time zone, the client name and the hostname,
• wherein the storage manager is configured to compare the client computer configuration parameters from the third client computer with the storage manager configuration parameters, and when discrepancies exist, automatically resolving the discrepancies based on whether parameters are client dominant parameters or server dominant parameters, the client dominant parameters comprising at least the index cache folder and the client time zone, the server dominant parameters comprising at least the client name and the hostname, wherein automatically resolving the discrepancies comprises:
• for the client dominant parameters:
• automatically setting the index cache folder based on the client computer configuration parameters, and
• automatically setting the client time zone based on the client computer configuration parameters,
• for the server dominant parameters:
• automatically setting the client name and the hostname based on the storage manager configuration parameters;
• and
• wherein the storage manager is configured to use the computer name and the hostname to direct the data storage software on the third client computer to perform the data storage operations;
• and
• wherein the storage manager is configured to monitor primary data created by the different software applications executing on the third client computer, the primary data further comprising data types associated with the native formats of the different software applications executing on the third client computer.