Restoration of centralized data storage manager, such as data storage manager in a hierarchical data storage system

1. At least one non-transitory computer-readable medium whose contents, when executed by at least one data processor, cause the at least one data processor to perform operations of consolidating multiple information management computing devices into a single information management computing device, the operations comprising:

identifying, with the single information management computing device, multiple information management computing devices,

wherein the identifying comprises receiving a network address for each of the multiple information management computing devices,

wherein each of the multiple information management computing devices is configured to schedule data management operations within a plurality of storage media,

wherein the multiple information management computing devices are coupled together via a private computing network;

requesting, via the single information management computing device, copies of information management databases from each of the multiple information management computing devices,

wherein the copies of information management databases each comprise subsets of records for mapping non-production storage media to secondary copies of application data for client computing devices;

receiving, via the single information management computing device, the requested copies of information management database from each of the multiple information management computing devices; and

merging, with the single information management computing device, the copies of the information management databases into a master information management database stored on the single information management computing device,

wherein during consolidation of the multiple information management computing devices into the single information management computing device, the multiple information management computing devices continue to perform information management policy operations,

wherein after the merging the copies of the information management databases on the single information management computing device, at least some of the multiple information management computing devices are discontinued and total number of active information management computing devices is reduced.

2. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 , further comprising:

initiating communications with client computing devices that were managed by each of the multiple information management computing devices regarding information management operations performed by the multiple information management computing devices, wherein information management operations comprise:

creating secondary copies of application data stored by client computing devices, and

restoring the secondary copies of the application data to client computing devices.

3. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 , further comprising:

taking each of the multiple information management computing devices offline without disrupting information management operations.

4. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the multiple information management computing devices are connected via a LAN or WAN, and wherein the identifying comprises manually identifying the multiple information management computing devices by:

displaying a list of the multiple information management computing devices for a user to select from; and

receiving selections from the list of the multiple information management computing devices by the user.

5. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 , further comprising:

testing connections with each of the multiple information management computing devices;

notifying an administrator of any unresponsive computing devices; and

notifying the administrator that at least some of the multiple information management computing devices are removable.

6. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 , further comprising:

employing management agents in each of the multiple information management computing devices and a replacement storage manager in the single information management computing device,

wherein the management agents provide an interface to enable the management agents to communicate with one another, thereby allowing each of the multiple information management computing devices to exchange status information, routing information, capacity or utilization information, and information management operation instructions or policies, and

wherein the replacement storage manager uses the management agents to request and receive copies of the information management databases from the multiple information management computing devices.

7. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 , further comprising:

employing media agents at each of the multiple information management computing devices, and a media agent and a storage manager on a single information management computing device, configured to share information management resources for operation of an information storage policy associated with the multiple information management computing devices; and

when information storage needs of at least one of the multiple information management computing devices exceed a resource capacity of that information management computing device, transferring the media agent of the least one of the multiple information management computing devices to the single information management computing device.

8. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 , further comprising:

scanning non-production storage media to identify metadata associated with secondary copies of application data stored for client computing devices;

retrieving the identified metadata from the non-production storage media without retrieving the secondary copies of the application data; and

building the master information management database with the retrieved metadata from the non-production storage media,

wherein the retrieved metadata maps the client computing devices to the secondary copies of the application data contained by the non-production storage media.

9. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving instructions associated with identifying magnetic tapes, wherein the magnetic tapes contain secondary copies of the application data;

identifying metadata associated with secondary copies of application data stored on the magnetic tapes; and

reconstructing a database with the metadata retrieved from the magnetic tapes.

10. A method for consolidating multiple information management computing systems into a single information management computing system, the method comprising:

identifying, with the single information management computing system, the multiple information management computing systems,

wherein the identifying comprises receiving a network address for each of the information management computing systems;

requesting, via the single information management computing system, a copy of an information management databases from each of the multiple information management computing systems,

wherein the copies of information management databases each comprise records for mapping non-production storage media to secondary copies of application data for client computing systems, and

wherein the copies cumulatively comprise all records associated with all the client computing systems;

receiving, via the single information management computing system, the requested copies of information management databases from each of the multiple information management computing systems; and

merging, with the single information management computing system, the copies of the information management databases into a master information management database stored on the single information management computing system,

wherein after the merging the copies of the information management databases on the single information management computing system, at least some of the multiple information management computing system are discontinued and total number of active information management computing systems is reduced.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:

initiating communications with client computing systems that were managed by each of the multiple information management computing systems regarding information management operations performed by the multiple information management computing systems, wherein information management operations comprise:

creating secondary copies of application data stored by client computing systems, and

restoring the secondary copies of the application data to client computing systems.

12. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:

taking each of the multiple information management computing systems offline without disrupting information management operations.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the multiple information management computing systems are connected via a LAN or WAN, and wherein the identifying comprises manually identifying the information management computing systems by:

displaying a list of available information management computing systems for a user to select from; and

receiving selections from the list of available information management computing systems by the user.

14. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:

testing connections with each of the multiple information managing computing systems;

notifying an administrator of any unresponsive computing systems; and

notifying the administrator that at least one of the multiple information management computing systems is removable.

15. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:

employing management agents in each of the multiple information management computing systems and a replacement storage manager in the single information management computing system,

wherein the management agents provide an interface to enable the management agents to communicate with one another, thereby allowing each of the multiple information management computing systems to exchange status information, routing information, capacity or utilization information, and information management operation instructions or policies, and

wherein the replacement storage manager uses the management agents to request and receive copies of the information management databases from the multiple information management computing systems.

16. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:

employing media agents at each of the multiple information management computing systems, and a media agent and a storage manager on the single information management computing system, configured to share information management resources for operation of an information storage policy associated with the multiple information management computing systems; and

when information storage needs of at least one of the multiple information management computing systems exceed a resource capacity of that information management computing system, transferring the media agent of the least one of the multiple information management computing systems to the single information management computing system.

17. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:

receiving instructions associated with identifying magnetic tapes, wherein the magnetic tapes contain secondary copies of the application data;

identifying metadata associated with secondary copies of application data stored on the magnetic tapes; and

reconstructing a database with the metadata retrieved from the magnetic tapes.