Classifier and classifier behavior manager for data management using content-based datasets

1 . A method of classifying data objects for content-based protection and process control in a data processing system using defined datasets of content data having disparate file formats, comprising:

storing metadata including pointers to content data in a scanning database;

executing a query against the metadata in the scanning database to generate the defined datasets using metadata selectors including modification timestamps, file size and location, or one or more identifiers;

creating a protection policy composed of the query representing data to be protected by the protection policy and including backup, restore, migration, or archiving operations, from among a plurality of protection policies to protect the content data using different protection policies depending on a respective file format;

scanning data objects stored in the defined datasets to determine grouped data that is to be processed similarly with respect to a data protection or access control operation;

defining a dataset comprising metadata of the defined datasets for corresponding data objects of the grouped data, wherein actions performed on the dataset will affect only the corresponding data objects referenced by the metadata and wherein the dataset automatically tracks data added, removed or relocated to content data protected by the actions;

iteratively processing each of the defined datasets to tag constituent data objects according to a native file format;

attaching multiple tags to the dataset to indicate that the data objects of the dataset are of different file types according to the disparate file formats;

merging the protection policy and the plurality of protection policies to protect the dataset under a merged protection policy utilizing a most restrictive policy of the different protection policies;

defining, through a classifier process, a classifier for the dataset indicating an ownership group;

determining whether or not a data object of the scanned data objects should belong to the ownership group, and if so, tagging the data object with the classifier, wherein the dataset spans multiple storage devices of different storage types;

defining a classifier behavior tag appended to each data object that specifies an operation of the classifier to accommodate the tracked change indicating how the data processing system should process a respective data object;

deriving a corresponding classifier behavior tag to associate with the dataset;

determining if a data object is processed so as to affect whether or not it should belong to the ownership group through re-scanning and reclassification operations; and

re-classifying, if it is determined that the data object should not belong to the ownership group, to belong to a different ownership group.

2 . The method of claim 1 wherein the dataset defines a single data access unit for data elements from a database, and further wherein an action comprises a defined protection policy of the merged protection policy that controls processing of the scanned data objects as a single unit based on data content rather than data location in a file directory of the system.

3 . The method of claim 2 wherein the defined protection policy comprises at least one of: backing up data from operating memory to storage memory, restoring data from the storage to the operating memory, moving data among memory, and tiering data between different storage memory, among storage locations comprising the system.

4 . The method of claim 3 wherein the defined protection policy further comprises control operations comprising at least one of: defining access permissions to the scanned data objects by users of the system, or enforcing security measures on the scanned data objects through encryption.

5 . The method of claim 4 wherein the multiple storage devices comprising at least one of network attached storage (NAS), object storage, local storage, or cloud networks, and wherein the multiple storage devices comprise data storage deployed in different network environments including core networks, edge networks, and cloud networks.

6 . The method of claim 1 wherein the classifier comprises one of an alphanumeric label appended as a classifier tag to the dataset, or an executable data element for a pre-defined function associated with the dataset.

7 . The method of claim 6 further comprising:

tracking a change in the dataset based on evolution of accessed data objects in the system; and

determining a change in the classifier for the dataset based on the tracked change, wherein the classifier behavior tag specifies an operation of the classifier to accommodate the tracked change.

8 . The method of claim 7 wherein the classifier behavior tag dictates operation of previously scanned data objects forming the grouped data, and a subsequent re-scanning of the scanned data objects to form a set of new grouped data to reform an initial dataset.

9 . The method of claim 8 wherein behavior tag operations comprise a ‘re-scan_no re-scan’ tag that allows or blocks a subsequent re-scanning of the data objects that have already been classified.

10 . The method of claim 9 wherein the behavior tag operations further comprise an exclusiveness tag that allows tags and attributes of the subsequent re-scan to override tags and attributes of a previous scan.

11 . The method of claim 10 wherein the behavior tag operations further comprise a priority tag raises, lowers or absolutely sets a processing order of data objects.

12 . The method of claim 11 wherein the behavior tag operations further comprise a ‘Delete_No-Delete’ tag that allows or blocks the tags and attributes of the subsequent re-scan to delete the tags and attributes of the previous scan.

13 . The method of claim 12 wherein the behavior tag operations further comprise a specificity tag that allows the subsequent re-scan to add or change attributes that define a dataset narrower in scope to a classified dataset.

14 . A method of classifying data objects for content-based protection and process control in a data processing system using defined datasets of content data having disparate file formats, and modifying a classification based on evolving data, comprising:

storing metadata including pointers to content data in a scanning database;

executing a query against the metadata in the scanning database to generate the defined datasets using metadata selectors including modification timestamps, file size and location, or one or more identifiers;

creating a protection policy from among a plurality of protection policies to protect the content data using different protection policies depending on a respective file format, and composed of the query representing data to be protected by the protection policy and including backup, restore, migration, or archiving operations;

scanning data objects stored in the system to determine grouped data that are to be processed similarly with respect to a data protection or access control operation;

defining a dataset of the defined datasets comprising metadata for corresponding data objects of the grouped data, and classifying with a classifier tag the dataset to indicate an ownership group;

iteratively processing the dataset to tag constituent data objects according to a native file format;

attaching multiple tags to the dataset to indicate that the data objects are of different file types according to the disparate file formats;

merging the protection policy and the plurality of protection policies to protect the dataset under a merged protection policy utilizing a most restrictive policy of the different protection policies;

determining whether or not a data object of the stored data objects should belong to the ownership group, and if so, tagging the data object with the classifier, wherein the dataset spans multiple storage devices of different storage types; and

tracking a change in the dataset based on evolution of accessed data objects in the system to determine a change in the classifier for the dataset based on the tracked change; and

defining a classifier behavior tag appended to the dataset and that specifies an operation of the classifier to accommodate the tracked change, and indicating how the data processing system should process a respective data object;

deriving a corresponding classifier behavior tag to associate with the dataset;

determining if a data object is processed so as to affect whether or not it should belong to the ownership group through re-scanning and reclassification operations; and

re-classifying, if it is determined that the data object should not belong to the ownership group, to belong to a different ownership group.

15 . The method of claim 14 wherein the classifier comprises one of an alphanumeric label appended as a classifier tag to the dataset, or an executable data element for a pre-defined function associated with the dataset.

16 . The method of claim 15 wherein the classifier behavior tag dictates operation of previously scanned data objects forming the grouped data, and a subsequent re-scanning of the scanned data objects to form a set of new grouped data to reform an initial dataset.

17 . The method of claim 16 wherein behavior tag operations comprise at least one of:

a ‘rescan_no re-scan’ tag that allows or blocks a subsequent re-scanning of the data objects that have already been classified;

an exclusiveness tag that allows tags and attributes of the subsequent re-scan to override tags and attributes of a previous scan;

a ‘Delete_No-Delete’ tag that allows or blocks the tags and attributes of the subsequent re-scan to delete the tags and attributes of the previous scan; and

a specificity tag that allows the subsequent re-scan to add or change attributes that define a dataset narrower in scope to a classified dataset.

18 . The method of claim 14 wherein the dataset defines a single data access unit for data elements from a database, and further wherein an action comprises a defined protection policy of the merged protection policy that controls processing of the scanned data objects as a single unit based on data content rather than data location in a file directory of the system, wherein the defined protection policy comprises at least one of: backing up data from operating memory to storage memory, restoring data from the storage memory to the operating memory, moving data among memory, and tiering data between different storage memory, among storage locations comprising the system, and yet further wherein the defined protection policy further comprises control operations comprising at least one of: defining access permissions to the scanned data objects by users of the system, or enforcing security measures on the data objects through encryption.

19 . The method of claim 18 wherein actions performed on the dataset will affect only the corresponding data objects referenced by the metadata and wherein the dataset automatically tracks data added, removed or relocated to content data protected by the actions, the method further comprising a defining step of:

applying the merged protection policy to the dataset to protect or otherwise operate on the corresponding data objects referenced by the dataset, wherein the query comprises metadata selectors as dataset tags for matching against the cataloged metadata, and wherein the metadata selectors comprise labels consisting of alphanumeric strings applied to respective data objects based on user-defined rules, and wherein the labels define at least one of a file type, name, location, creation time, or characteristic.