Systems and methods for storage modeling and costing

1. A method for calculating data costing in a network comprising a storage operation cell hierarchy, wherein the storage operation cell hierarchy includes multiple storage operation cells organized in one or more hierarchical relationships, wherein the method is performed by one or more computing systems, each computing system having a processor and memory, the method comprising:

accessing primary storage usage data associated with one or more primary storage resources in the network, wherein the primary storage usage data indicates usage of the one or more primary storage resources by multiple entities having access to the one or more primary storage resources, wherein the storage operation cell hierarchy includes multiple storage operation cells organized in one or more hierarchical relationships, wherein the one or more primary storage resources are associated with one or more storage operation cells of the storage operation cell hierarchy, and wherein a storage operation cell includes—

a data agent component for accessing data stored by the one or more primary storage resources;

a media agent component for conveying data from the one or more primary storage resources to one or more secondary storage resources in the network; and

a storage manager component for managing the data agent component and the media agent component;

accessing secondary storage usage data associated with the one or more secondary storage resources in the network, wherein the secondary storage usage data is based on correlation of data stored by the one or more primary storage resources with usage of the one or more secondary storage resources;

accessing primary storage cost data associated with the one or more primary storage resources, wherein the primary storage cost data indicates a cost of using a quantity of storage space of the one or more primary storage resources;

accessing secondary storage cost data associated with the one or more secondary storage resources, wherein the secondary storage cost data indicates a cost of using a quantity of storage space of the one or more secondary storage resources;

calculating, by the one or more computing systems, a storage cost for the one or more primary storage resources and the one or more secondary storage resources based on the primary storage usage data, the secondary storage usage data, the primary storage cost data, and the secondary storage cost data; and

apportioning the calculated storage cost amongst the multiple entities.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the primary storage cost data further indicates a cost of using a quantity of storage space of the one or more primary storage resources for a unit of time.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the calculated storage cost is a financial value.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising calculating, by the one or more computing systems, a predicted storage cost for the one or more primary storage resources and/or the one or more secondary storage resources based on the primary storage usage data and/or the secondary storage usage data.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the storage cost data is based on a type of storage media used by at least one of the primary storage resources.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing a graphical user interface for displaying the calculated storage cost on a per entity basis.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising automatically and dynamically obtaining information identifying the one or more primary storage resources.

8. A computer-readable storage medium whose contents cause one or more computing systems to perform a method for calculating data costing in a network comprising a storage operation cell hierarchy, wherein the storage operation cell hierarchy includes multiple storage operation cells organized in one or more hierarchical relationships, wherein each computing system has a processor and memory, the method comprising:

accessing primary storage usage data associated with one or more primary storage resources in the network, wherein the primary storage usage data indicates usage of the one or more primary storage resources by multiple entities having access to the one or more primary storage resources, wherein the storage operation cell hierarchy includes multiple storage operation cells organized in one or more hierarchical relationships, wherein the one or more primary storage resources are associated with one or more storage operation cells of the storage operation cell hierarchy, and wherein a storage operation cell includes—

a data agent component for accessing data stored by the one or more primary storage resources;

a media agent component for conveying data from the one or more primary storage resources to one or more secondary storage resources in the network; and

a storage manager component for managing the data agent component and the media agent component;

accessing secondary storage usage data associated with the one or more secondary storage resources in the network, wherein the secondary storage usage data is based on correlation of data stored by the one or more primary storage resources with usage of the one or more secondary storage resources;

accessing primary storage cost data associated with the one or more primary storage resources, wherein the primary storage cost data indicates a cost of using a quantity of storage space of the one or more primary storage resources;

accessing secondary storage cost data associated with the one or more secondary storage resources, wherein the secondary storage cost data indicates a cost of using a quantity of storage space of the one or more secondary storage resources;

calculating, by the one or more computing systems, a storage cost for the one or more primary storage resources and the one or more secondary storage resources based on the primary storage usage data, the secondary storage usage data, the primary storage cost data, and the secondary storage cost data; and

apportioning the calculated storage cost amongst the multiple entities.

9. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 wherein the primary storage cost data further indicates a cost of using a quantity of storage space of the one or more primary storage resources for a unit of time.

10. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 wherein the calculated storage cost is a financial value.

11. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 wherein the method further comprises calculating, by the one or more computing systems, a predicted storage cost for the one or more primary storage resources and/or the one or more secondary storage resources based on the primary storage usage data and/or the secondary storage usage data.

12. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 wherein the storage cost data is based on a type of storage media used by at least one of the primary storage resources.

13. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 wherein the method further comprises providing a graphical user interface for displaying the calculated storage cost on a per entity basis.

14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 wherein the method further comprises automatically and dynamically obtaining information identifying the one or more primary storage resources.

15. A system for calculating data costing in a network comprising a storage operation cell hierarchy, wherein the storage operation cell hierarchy includes multiple storage operation cells organized in one or more hierarchical relationships, the system comprising:

one or more primary storage resources storing primary copies of data;

one or more secondary storage resources storing secondary copies of data; and

a storage operation cell of the storage operation cell hierarchy, wherein the storage operation cell hierarchy includes multiple storage operation cells organized in one or more hierarchical relationships, and wherein the storage operation cell includes—

a data agent component for accessing data stored by the one or more primary storage resources;

a media agent component for conveying data from the one or more primary storage resources to the one or more secondary storage resources; and

a storage manager component for—

managing the data agent component and the media agent component;

accessing primary storage usage data associated with the one or more primary storage resources, wherein the primary storage usage data indicates usage of the one or more primary storage resources by multiple entities having access to the one or more primary storage resources, and wherein the one or more primary storage resources are associated with the storage operation cell;

accessing secondary storage usage data associated with the one or more secondary storage resources, wherein the secondary storage usage data is based on correlation of data stored by the one or more primary storage resources with usage of the one or more secondary storage resources;

accessing primary storage cost data associated with the one or more primary storage resources, wherein the primary storage cost data indicates a cost of using a quantity of storage space of the one or more primary storage resources;

accessing secondary storage cost data associated with the one or more secondary storage resources, wherein the secondary storage cost data indicates a cost of using a quantity of storage space of the one or more secondary storage resources;

calculating a storage cost for the one or more primary storage resources and the one or more secondary storage resources based on the primary storage usage data, the secondary storage usage data, the primary storage cost data, and the secondary storage cost data; and

apportioning the calculated storage cost amongst the multiple entities.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the storage cost data further indicates a cost of using a quantity of storage space of the one or more primary storage resources for a unit of time.

17. The system of claim 15 wherein the calculated storage cost is a financial value.

18. The system of claim 15 wherein the storage manager component is further for calculating a predicted storage cost for the one or more primary storage resources and/or the one or more secondary storage resources based on the primary storage usage data and/or the secondary storage usage data.

19. The system of claim 15 wherein the storage cost data is based on a type of storage media used by at least one of the primary storage resources.

20. The system of claim 15 wherein the storage manager component is further for providing a graphical user interface for displaying the calculated storage cost on a per entity basis.

21. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining that the primary storage usage data and the secondary storage usage data have changed due to movement of data from the one or more primary storage resources to the one or more secondary storage resources;

recalculating the storage cost for the one or more primary storage resources and the one or more secondary storage resources based on the changed primary storage usage data, the changed secondary storage usage data, the primary storage cost data, and the secondary storage cost data; and

apportioning the recalculated storage cost amongst the multiple entities.

22. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 wherein the method further comprises:

determining that the primary storage usage data and the secondary storage usage data have changed due to movement of data from the one or more primary storage resources to the one or more secondary storage resources;

recalculating the storage cost for the one or more primary storage resources and the one or more secondary storage resources based on the changed primary storage usage data, the changed secondary storage usage data, the primary storage cost data, and the secondary storage cost data; and

apportioning the recalculated storage cost amongst the multiple entities.

23. The system of claim 15 wherein the storage manager component is further for:

determining that the primary storage usage data and the secondary storage usage data have changed due to movement of data from the one or more primary storage resources to the one or more secondary storage resources;

recalculating the storage cost for the one or more primary storage resources and the one or more secondary storage resources based on the changed primary storage usage data, the changed secondary storage usage data, the primary storage cost data, and the secondary storage cost data; and

apportioning the recalculated storage cost amongst the multiple entities.

24. The method of claim 1 wherein the entities are software applications.