Browse and restore for block-level backups

1. A system for browsing and restoring data contained in a block-level data volume, the system comprising:

at least one processor;

at least one data storage device coupled to the at least one processor and storing instructions for implementing a process to browse data contained in a block-level data volume, wherein the process comprises:

receiving a request to browse one or more files stored on the block-level data volume;

mounting a virtual disk to the block-level data volume;

accessing data from the one or more files within the block-level data volume via one or more mount paths provided by the virtual disk; and

displaying data from the one or more files within the block-level data volume.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the system is further configured to:

identify clusters within the block-level data volume associated with the one or more files;

translate the identified clusters into disk sectors;

transfer a read request of the disk sectors to a virtual disk driver;

receive, from the virtual disk driver, volume extent information associated with volume extents for the one or more files within the block-level data volume and converted by the virtual disk driver from disk extent information that was based on size and offset information associated with the disk sectors; and

access data from the one or more files within the block-level data volume using the received volume extent information associated with the volume extents for the one or more files within the block-level data volume.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the system is further configured to create a pseudo mount point to the block-level data volume that represents a point in time image of the block-level data volume.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the system is further configured to launch a pseudo mount server having a client interface that mounts the virtual disk to the block-level data volume.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein data from the one or more files within the block-level data volume is indexed with at least one of the following:

a) one or more mount points,

b) one or more file extents,

c) one or more file offsets, and

d) one or more archive file identifiers.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the system is further configured to mount the virtual disk based on information contained in a file restore configuration file of an index cache associated with the block-level data volume.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the system is further configured to mount a virtual disk to the block-level data volume, wherein the virtual disk includes a single partition based on a relative size of the block-level data volume.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the system is further configured to:

translate, via the virtual disk and a virtual disk driver, request to browse one or more files into a volume extent request; and

access data associated with the volume extent request.

9. A computer-readable medium, excluding transitory propagating signals, storing instructions that, when executed by a pseudo mount server, causes the pseudo mount server to perform a method for facilitating file-level browsing of a block-level data volume, the method comprising:

generating a pseudo mount point to the block-level data volume that represents a point in time image of the block-level data volume,

wherein generating the pseudo mount point to the block-level data volume includes mounting a virtual disk to the block-level data volume;

translating, via the pseudo mount point, a file browse request into a volume extent request;

accessing data from one or more files within the block-level data volume via one or more mount paths provided by the virtual disk; and

displaying data from the one or more files within the block-level data volume.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein generating a pseudo mount point to the block-level data volume that represents a point in time image of the block-level data volume includes creating the virtual disk.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein generating a pseudo mount point to the block-level data volume that represents a point in time image of the block-level data volume includes accessing a running virtual disk and mounting the running virtual disk to the block-level data volume.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the virtual disk includes a single partition based on a size of the block-level data volume.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the virtual disk wraps the block-level data volume into a partition of the virtual disk.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein data from the one or more files within the block-level data volume is indexed with at least one of the following:

a) one or more mount points,

b) one or more file extents,

c) one or more file offsets, and

d) one or more archive file identifiers.

15. A method for browsing and restoring data contained in a block-level data volume performed by at least one data storage device coupled to the at least one processor, the method comprising:

receiving a request to browse a file stored on the block-level data volume;

mounting, via a pseudo mount component, a virtual disk to the block-level data volume; and

accessing data from one or more files within the block-level data volume via one or more mount paths provided by the virtual disk, wherein accessing data includes

identifying clusters within the block-level data volume associated with the one or more files;

translating the identified clusters into disk sectors;

transferring a read request of the disk sectors to a virtual disk driver;

receiving, from the virtual disk driver, volume extent information associated with volume extents for the one or more files within the block-level data volume and converted by the virtual disk driver from disk extent information that was based on size and offset information associated with the disk sectors; and

accessing data from the one or more files within the block-level data volume using the received volume extent information associated with the volume extents for the one or more files within the block-level data volume.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the pseudo mount component creates a pseudo mount point to the block-level data volume that represents a point in time image of the block-level data volume.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the pseudo mount component launches a pseudo mount server having a client interface that mounts the virtual disk to the block-level data volume.

18. The method of claim 15 , wherein the pseudo mount component mounts the virtual disk based on information contained in a file restore configuration file of an index cache associated with the block-level data volume.

19. The method of claim 15 , wherein the method further comprises:

translating, via the virtual disk and a virtual disk driver, the request to browse one or more files into a volume extent request; and

restoring data associated with the volume extent request.