Generic file level restore from a block-level secondary copy

A system, comprising:

• a first computing device comprising computer hardware;
• a device node instantiated as software on the first computing device, the device node providing an interface to access a block-level secondary copy of file system data,
• wherein the first computing device is configured to:
• interface with the device node to obtain file system metadata corresponding to the block-level secondary copy, the block-level secondary copy representing a plurality of files stored across a plurality of blocks on one or more secondary storage devices;
• process the obtained file system metadata with an operating system component executing on the first computing device is configured to construct a file system hierarchy corresponding to the secondary copy and to mount the block-level secondary copy onto the first computing device;
• generate data for displaying a view of the file system hierarchy to a user;
• and
• in response to a request initiated by user interaction with the view of the file system hierarchy to restore at least a first file of the plurality of files of the block-level secondary copy, request from the one or more secondary storage devices one or more first blocks of the plurality of blocks which correspond to the first file,
• wherein the one or more first blocks are retrieved from secondary storage and copied to primary storage associated with the first computing device.

Non-transitory computer storage comprising instructions which, when executed, direct a computer system coupled to the computer storage to perform a method comprising:

• interfacing with a device node instantiated on the computer system to obtain file system metadata corresponding to a block-level secondary copy, the block-level secondary copy representing a plurality of files stored across a plurality of blocks on one or more secondary storage devices;
• processing the obtained file system metadata with an operating system component executing on a processor of the computer system to construct a file system hierarchy corresponding to the block-level secondary copy and to mount the block-level secondary copy onto the computer system;
• generating data for displaying a view of the file system hierarchy to a user;
• and
• in response to a request initiated by user interaction with the view of the file system hierarchy to restore at least a first file of the plurality of files of the block-level secondary copy, interfacing with the device node to request a read from the one or more secondary storage devices of one or more first blocks of the plurality of blocks which correspond to the first file,
• wherein the device node initiates retrieval of the one or more first blocks from the one or more secondary storage devices, and
• wherein the at least one file is copied, using the one or more first blocks, to primary storage associated with the computer system.