Systems and methods for storage modeling and costing
The present invention provides systems and methods for data storage. A hierarchical storage management architecture is presented to facilitate data management. The disclosed system provides methods for evaluating the state of stored data relative to enterprise needs by using weighted parameters that may be user defined. Also disclosed are systems and methods evaluating costing and risk management associated with stored data.
1. A method of determining a data protection metric in a data storage system, comprising:
monitoring primary data operations generated by one or more applications executing on one or more client computing devices in a primary storage system, the primary data operations storing primary data in one or more primary storage devices in at least a native format associated with the applications that generated the primary data;
performing, with one or more media agents comprising computer hardware, secondary data operations that copy the primary data to create one or more secondary copies on one or more secondary storage devices, the secondary copies stored in a secondary format that is different than the native format;
determining a protection level associated with the one or more secondary copies;
determining an availability level associated with the one or more secondary copies; and
determining a data protection metric based at least in part on the protection level and the availability level.
2. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining a hardware load associated with computer hardware in the data storage system, wherein the determining the data protection metric comprises determining the data protection metric based at least in part on the protection level, the availability level, and the hardware load.
3. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining a network load associated with a network in the data storage system, wherein the determining the data protection metric comprises determining the data protection metric based at least in part on the protection level, the availability level, and the network load.
4. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining a retention period associated the one or more secondary copies, wherein the determining the data protection metric comprises determining the data protection metric based at least in part on the protection level, the availability level, and the retention period.
5. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining a disaster recovery level associated with the one or more secondary copies, wherein the determining the data protection metric comprises determining the data protection metric based at least in part on the protection level, the availability level, and the disaster recovery level.
6. The method of claim 1 wherein the protection level associated with the one or more secondary copies is related to a number of copies.
7. The method of claim 1 wherein the determining the data protection metric comprises applying a first weight to the protection level and a second weight different than the first weight to the data availability level.
8. The method of claim 1 wherein the determining the data protection metric is based at least in part on the protection level, the availability level, and a business or entity type.
9. The method of claim 1 further comprising performing an auto-discovery routine associated with components of the data storage system, and wherein the determining the data protection metric is based at least in part on the protection level, the availability level, and results of the auto-discovery routine.
10. A data storage system comprising:
one or more computing devices comprising computer hardware, wherein the one or more computing devices:
monitor primary data operations generated by one or more applications executing on one or more client computing devices in a primary storage system, the primary data operations storing primary data in one or more primary storage devices in at least a native format associated with the applications that generated the primary data;
perform, with one or more media agents comprising computer hardware, secondary data operations that copy the primary data to create one or more secondary copies on one or more secondary storage devices, the secondary copies stored in a secondary format that is different than the native format;
determine a protection level associated with the one or more secondary copies;
determine an availability level associated with the one or more secondary copies; and
determine a data protection metric based at least in part on the protection level and the availability level.
11. The system of claim 10 wherein the one or more computing devices determine a hardware load associated with computer hardware in the data storage system, and determine the data protection metric based at least in part on the protection level, the availability level, and the hardware load.
12. The system of claim 10 wherein the one or more computing devices determine a network load associated with a network in the data storage system, and determine the data protection metric based at least in part on the protection level, the availability level, and the network load.
13. The system of claim 10 wherein the one or more computing devices determine a retention period associated the one or more secondary copies, and determine the data protection metric based at least in part on the protection level, the availability level, and the retention period.
14. The system of claim 10 wherein the one or more computing devices determine a disaster recovery level associated the one or more secondary copies, and determine the data protection metric based at least in part on the protection level, the availability level, and the disaster recovery level.
15. The system of claim 10 wherein the protection level associated with the one or more secondary copies is related to a number of copies.
16. The system of claim 10 wherein, in determining the data protection metric, the one or more computing devices apply a first weight to the protection level and a second weight different than the first weight to the data availability metric.
17. The system of claim 10 wherein the one or more computing devices determine the data protection metric based at least in part on the protection level, the availability level, and a business or entity type.
18. The system of claim 10 the one or more computing devices perform an auto-discovery routine associated with the data storage system, and determine the data protection metric based at least in part on the protection level, the availability level, and results of the auto-discovery routine.