METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR GENERATING USER DATA BACKUPS OF LIMITED-ACCESS USER DATA

1 . A system for providing backup services for limited-access user data, comprising:

persistent storage for storing fragmented user data; and

a manager programmed to:

identify a backup generation event for the limited-access user data based on a protection policy;

in response to identifying the backup generation event:

obtain the fragmented user data from an application that gates access to the limited-access user data;

identify, based on the fragmented user data, organizational metadata for generating a user data backup;

obtain the organizational metadata from the application; and

generate the user data backup using the:

organizational metadata, and

the fragmented user data.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the limited-access user data comprises electronic mail communications.

3 . The system of claim 2 , wherein the organizational metadata specifies relationships between the electronic mail communications as viewed by a user of the electronic mail communications.

4 . The system of claim 3 , wherein obtaining the organizational metadata from the application comprises:

identifying, based on the fragmented user data, a relationship of the relationships;

generating a request for metadata from which the relationship is obtainable;

providing the request to the application; and

receiving, from the application, the organizational metadata.

5 . The system of claim 2 , wherein the fragmented user data comprises one of the electronic mail communications.

6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the system is unable to obtain the fragmented user data from the limited-access user data directly.

7 . The system of claim 1 , wherein generating the user data backup comprises:

identifying, based on the fragmented user data and a previously generated user data backup, a change to the limited-access user data;

adding information to the user data backup based on the identified change to the limited-access user data; and

storing the organizational metadata in an association with the identified change to the limited-access user data.

8 . A method for providing backup services for limited-access user data, comprising:

identifying a backup generation event for the limited-access user data based on a protection policy;

in response to identifying the backup generation event:

obtaining fragmented user data from an application that gates access to the limited-access user data;

identifying, based on the fragmented user data, organizational metadata for generating a user data backup;

obtaining the organizational metadata from the application; and

generating the user data backup using the:

organizational metadata, and

the fragmented user data.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the limited-access user data comprises electronic mail communications.

10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the organizational metadata specifies relationships between the electronic mail communications as viewed by a user of the electronic mail communications.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein obtaining the organizational metadata from the application comprises:

identifying, based on the fragmented user data, a relationship of the relationships;

generating a request for metadata from which the relationship is obtainable;

providing the request to the application; and

receiving, from the application, the organizational metadata.

12 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the fragmented user data comprises one of the electronic mail communications.

13 . The method of claim 8 , wherein a system is unable to obtain the fragmented user data from the limited-access user data directly.

14 . The method of claim 8 , wherein generating the user data backup comprises:

identifying, based on the fragmented user data and a previously generated user data backup, a change to the limited-access user data;

adding information to the user data backup based on the identified change to the limited-access user data; and

storing the organizational metadata in an association with the identified change to the limited-access user data.

15 . A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising computer readable program code, which when executed by a computer processor enables the computer processor to perform a method, the method comprising:

identifying a backup generation event for limited-access user data based on a protection policy;

in response to identifying the backup generation event:

obtaining fragmented user data from an application that gates access to the limited-access user data;

identifying, based on the fragmented user data, organizational metadata for generating a user data backup;

obtaining the organizational metadata from the application; and

generating the user data backup using the:

organizational metadata, and

the fragmented user data.

16 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the limited-access user data comprises electronic mail communications.

17 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the organizational metadata specifies relationships between the electronic mail communications as viewed by a user of the electronic mail communications.

18 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17 , wherein obtaining the organizational metadata from the application comprises:

identifying, based on the fragmented user data, a relationship of the relationships;

generating a request for metadata from which the relationship is obtainable;

providing the request to the application; and

receiving, from the application, the organizational metadata.

19 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the fragmented user data comprises one of the electronic mail communications.

20 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15 , wherein a system is unable to obtain the fragmented user data from the limited-access user data directly.