Data management and backup for image and video media
View Patent ↗The management and backup of image and video media is automatically performed by evaluating a media file to characterize the content; transforming the media file, as by compressing it, based upon its evaluation and established policies and requirements; and storing the transformed media file with a high resolution in a storage tier having first access characteristics for a first retention period. Following the first retention period, the stored file is re-evaluated and further transformed and stored with lesser resolution in another tier having different access characteristics for a second retention period. Subsequently, the further transformed media file may be transformed again and stored in archive storage.
1. A method of managing storage and backup of image and video media data, comprising automatically:
evaluating content of a media data file using a content evaluation algorithm;
transforming the media data file based upon said evaluating of the content and in accordance with predefined policies applicable to the evaluated content;
storing the transformed media data file in a first storage tier at a first resolution;
after a first predetermined time, further evaluating the content of said transformed media data file stored at said first storage tier, further transforming the media data file in accordance with said policies, and storing the further transformed media file in a second storage tier with a second resolution; and
after a second predetermined time, again evaluating said further transformed media data file for additional transforming and storing or for other disposition.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said evaluating comprises analyzing said media file for the presence or absence of a predetermined type of content.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein said predetermined type of content comprises one of a predetermined type of content in an image or a predetermined type of activity in a video.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein said transforming comprises converting a format and structure of the media file to another format and structure having different content and different resolution.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein said transforming comprises compressing said media file by using an encoding algorithm.
6. The method of claim 5 , wherein said compressing comprises encoding the media file using a progressive transmission algorithm that progressively produces a sequence of images having increased pixel resolution and image resolution.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein said transforming comprises segmenting the media file into separate portions based upon content, and deleting from storage after predetermined retention periods the portions having no content of interest.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein said transforming comprises constructing metadata describing the content of the media file, storing the metadata in fast access storage for content searching, and storing the content of the media file at high resolution in a slow access first tier storage for content analysis.
9. Non-transitory computer readable media embodying executable instructions for controlling operations of a computer to perform a method comprising:
evaluating content of a media data file using a content evaluation algorithm;
transforming the media data file based upon said evaluating of the content and in accordance with predefined policies applicable to the evaluated content;
storing the transformed media data file in a first storage tier at a first resolution;
after a first predetermined time, further evaluating the content of said transformed media data file stored at said first storage tier, further transforming the media data file in accordance with said policies, and storing the further transformed media file in a second storage tier with a second resolution; and
after a second predetermined time, evaluating said further transformed media data file for additional transformation and storage or for other disposition.
10. The non-transitory computer readable media of claim 9 , wherein said evaluating comprises analyzing said media file for the presence or absence of a predetermined type of content in an image or a predetermined type of activity in a video.
11. The non-transitory computer readable media of claim 9 , wherein said transforming comprises converting a format and structure of the content of the media file by compressing the content and changing the resolution of the stored content.
12. The non-transitory computer readable media of claim 11 , wherein said compressing the content and changing the resolution comprises encoding the media file using a progressive transmission algorithm that progressively produces a sequence of images having increased pixel resolution and image resolution.
13. The non-transitory computer readable media of claim 12 , wherein said encoding comprises encoding the media file using JPEG 2000 encoding to create images having different resolutions, and storing the images for different retention periods.
14. The non-transitory computer readable media of claim 9 , wherein said transforming comprises segmenting the media file into separate portions based upon content, storing the portions in storage, and deleting from storage after predetermined retention periods the portions having no content of interest.
15. The non-transitory computer readable media of claim 9 , wherein said transforming comprises constructing metadata describing the content of the media file, storing the metadata in fast access storage for content searching, and storing the content of the media file at high resolution in a slow access first tier storage for content analysis.
16. A system for automatically managing storage and backup of image and video media data, comprising:
a processing system executing a first evaluation algorithm for evaluating content of a media file, and executing a second transformation algorithm for transforming the content based upon the first evaluation of the media file and predetermined policies to produce a first transformed content;
a multi-tier storage system comprising different tiers of storage, each tier having different access characteristics;
a backup agent for storing the first transformed content in a first tier of said storage system with a resolution determined by said predetermined policies, the first tier of storage having fast access characteristics;
a daemon controlling the processing system to repeat successive evaluations, transformations and storage of media content at increasing levels of access and resolution in tiers of said multi-tier storage system.
17. The system of claim 16 , wherein said multi-tier storage system comprises primary memory of the processing system; a first tier of flash memory having fast access; a second tier of conventional storage having moderate access; and an archival tier of cloud storage having slow access.