DATA SYNCHRONIZATION MANAGEMENT
In general, a data synchronization management system is disclosed in which files (and/or other data) are synchronized among two or more client computing devices in connection with a backup of those files. Synchronization polices specify files to be synchronized based on selected criteria including file data, metadata, and location information. In general, files are initially copied from a primary client computing device to secondary storage. Thereafter, files to be synchronized are identified from the secondary storage, and copied to other client computing devices. Additionally, synchronized files may be viewed and accessed through a cloud and/or remote file access interface.
1 . A computer-implemented method of synchronizing files between multiple client computers using secondary copy data, the computer-implemented method comprising:
accessing, by a synchronization module executing in computer hardware comprising one or more computer processors, user-defined synchronization criteria for identifying files to synchronize between a first primary storage device associated with a first client computing device and a second primary storage device associated with a second client computing device;
initiating a secondary copy operation in which one or more files stored in the first primary storage device are copied to one or more secondary storage devices to create a secondary copy including the one or more files;
after the initiation of the secondary copy operation, and based on the user-defined synchronization criteria, identifying, by the synchronization module, at least one file in the secondary copy to synchronize between the first primary storage device and the second primary storage device; and
communicating the at least one file to the second client computing device for storage in the second primary storage device to synchronize the at least one file between the first primary storage device and the second primary storage device.
2 . The computer implemented method of claim 1 , wherein said communicating comprises communicating a copy of the at least one file that is accessed from the one or more secondary storage devices.
3 . The computer implemented method of claim 1 , wherein said identifying is in response to the secondary copy operation.
4 . The computer-implemented method of claim 3 , wherein the electronic data store is associated with a storage manager module executing in the computer hardware comprising the one or more computer processors.
5 . The computer-implemented method of claim 4 , wherein at least one of said initiating, said identifying, or said communicating is performed by the storage manager module.
6 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving the user-defined synchronization criteria at the synchronization module; and
storing the received user-defined synchronization criteria in an electronic data store accessible by the synchronization module.
7 . The computer-implemented method of claim 6 , wherein the user-defined synchronization criteria are received from a user of at least one of the first client computing device or the second client computing device.
8 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one file communicated to the second client computing device replaces a previous version of the at least one file stored in the second primary storage device.
9 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the user-defined synchronization criteria include at least one of: file data, file contents, file metadata, file name, file location, or location information.
10 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein identifying at least one file in the secondary copy to synchronize between the first primary storage device and the second primary storage device comprises, for each particular file of the one or more files being copied to the one or more secondary storage devices:
determining whether the particular file is different from a previous version of the particular file stored in the one or more secondary storage devices; and
in response to determining that the particular files is different from the previous version of the particular file, identifying the particular file as a file to be synchronized.
11 . A system for synchronizing files between multiple client computers using secondary copy data, the system comprising:
a data store; and
a synchronization module executing in computer hardware comprising one or more computer processors and configured to:
access user-defined synchronization criteria from the data store, the user-defined synchronization criteria for identifying files to synchronize between a first primary storage device associated with a first client computing device and a second primary storage device associated with a second client computing device;
after the initiation of a secondary copy operation in which one or more files stored in the first primary storage device are copied to one or more secondary storage devices to create a secondary copy including the one or more files, and based on the user-defined synchronization criteria, identify at least one file in the secondary copy to synchronize between the first primary storage device and the second primary storage device;
wherein a copy of the at least one file is communicated to the second client computing device for storage in the second primary storage device to synchronize the at least one file between the first primary storage device and the second primary storage device.
12 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the copy of the at least one file that is communicated to the second client computing device is accessed from the one or more secondary storage devices.
13 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the identification of the at least one file is performed in response to the secondary copy operation.
14 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the secondary copy operation comprises a backup operation or an archive operation.
15 . The system of claim 11 , wherein communicating the accessed at least one file to the second client computing device comprises a restore operation.
16 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the at least one file communicated to the second client computing device replaces a previous version of the at least one file stored in the second primary storage device.
17 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the user-defined synchronization criteria include at least one of: file data, file contents, file metadata, file name, file location, or location information.
18 . A networked data storage system, comprising:
a first client computing device;
a second client computing device;
at least one first primary storage device associated with the first client computing device;
at least one second primary storage device associated with the second client computing device;
one or more secondary storage devices; and
computer hardware comprising one or more computer processors and having a synchronization module executing thereon, the synchronization module configured to:
access user-defined synchronization criteria, the user-defined synchronization criteria for identifying files to synchronize between the first primary storage device and the second primary storage device;
after the initiation of a secondary copy in which one or more files stored in the first primary storage device are copied to the one or more secondary storage devices to create a secondary copy including the one or more files, and based on the user-defined synchronization criteria, identify at least one file in the secondary copy to synchronize between the first primary storage device and the second primary storage device;
wherein a copy of the at least one file is communicated to the second client computing device for storage in the second primary storage device to synchronize the at least one file between the first primary storage device and the second primary storage device.
19 . The networked data storage system of claim 18 , wherein the copy of the at least one file that is communicated to the second client computing device is accessed from the one or more secondary storage devices.
20 . The networked data storage system of claim 18 , wherein the identification of the at least one file is performed is in response to the secondary copy operation.