Systems and methods for providing a file system viewing of a storeage environment

A data identification system for providing an aggregate file system view of a storage environment, the system comprising:

• a hardware processor configured to:
• identify a plurality of hypervisors contained within the storage environment;
• identify a plurality of virtual machines stored by the plurality of hypervisors in accordance with a plurality of source formats;
• identify a plurality of virtual drives contained within the plurality of virtual machines;
• identify a plurality of data items of the plurality of virtual drives and provide a data item handle for each of the plurality of data items;
• generate the aggregate file system view of the plurality of virtual machines in the storage environment, wherein the aggregate file system view comprises the plurality of hypervisors, the plurality of virtual machines, the plurality of virtual drives, and the plurality of data items of the plurality of virtual drives including the data item handle for each of the plurality of data items;
• and
• an interface, coupled to the hardware processor, configured to receive requests from a data utility for the plurality of data items on the plurality of virtual drives within the plurality of virtual machines and provide the aggregate file system view of the storage environment to the data utility.

A non-transitory computer readable medium having programming instructions stored thereon for operating a data identification system that, when executed by the data identification system, direct the data identification system to:

• receive requests from a data utility for a plurality of data items on a plurality of virtual drives within a plurality of virtual machines;
• identify a plurality of hypervisors contained within a storage environment;
• identify the plurality of virtual machines stored by the plurality of hypervisors in accordance with a plurality of source formats;
• identify the plurality of virtual drives contained within the plurality of virtual machines;
• identify the plurality of data items of the plurality of virtual drives and provide a data item handle for each of the plurality of data items;
• generate an aggregate file system view of the plurality of virtual machines in the storage environment, wherein the aggregate file system view comprises the plurality of hypervisors, the plurality of virtual machines, the plurality of virtual drives, and the plurality of data items of the plurality of virtual drives including the data item handle for each of the plurality of data items;
• and
• provide the aggregate file system view of the plurality of virtual machines in the storage environment to the data utility.