Data transfer in a data protection system

1. A method for transferring data with a data protection system, the method comprising:

initiating a request to transfer data from a first host to a second host;

operating an agent on a host, wherein the agent is configured to perform data protection operations of a data protection system in a computing network, wherein the data protection operations include backup operations;

initiating a user interface on a display in response to the request to transfer data, the user interface provided by the agent, the user interface including a workflow for transferring data using an infrastructure of the data protection system, which includes a data control process;

receiving input through the user interface;

configuring the request to transfer data from the first host to the second host in the user interface based on the input, wherein the data is associated with the first host, wherein the request to transfer data occurs in the data protection system, and wherein the first host is associated with a first storage device and the second host is associated with a second storage device, wherein the user interface includes a pluggable framework that allows the user interface to be adapted to the data being transferred, to a type of the data, and to the host;

performing the data control process of the data protection system in response to the request to transfer data without performing a backup operation, wherein the data control process includes authenticating a user requesting the data transfer, determining whether the user is authorized to access the data, and performing access control; and

performing the request to transfer data by transferring the data to the second host in accordance with the data control process of the data protection system such that the transferred data is stored on the second storage device;

wherein the agent cooperates with a second agent operating on the second host to transfer the data.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein configuring the request includes generating configuration information based on the input received in the user interface, wherein the configuration information is collected in response to the workflow.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein configuring a request further comprises selecting the first host in the workflow and selecting the second host as a destination for the data transfer.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein configuring a request further comprises selecting the data.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the data is transferred randomly or in pieces.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the data control process further includes: logging the request for auditing.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein configuring the request further comprises identifying a place in the requested data to access first.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the requested data is copied to a local storage of the second host.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the requested data comprises one of current data or backed up data.

10. A storage device having stored therein computer-executable instructions which, when executed by one or more hardware processors of a computing system, implement a method for requesting data in the system with a data protection system, the method comprising:

initiating a request to transfer data from a first host to a second host;

displaying a user interface on the first host in response to the request to transfer data, the user interface provided by the data protection system and including a workflow, wherein the workflow is effective to configure a data transfer operation using an infrastructure of a data protection system configured to perform data protection operations including backup operations, the infrastructure including a data control process;

receiving input through the user interface, wherein the data transfer operation is based on the input;

configuring the data transfer by selecting data for transfer from the second host in the user interface and identifying a destination of the data transfer in the user interface, wherein a pluggable framework is used to adapt the user interface to the data being transferred, to a type of the data, and to the first host;

perform a data control process of the data protection system in response to the request to transfer data without performing a backup or restore operation on the data associated with the data transfer operation, wherein the data control process includes authenticating a user requesting the data transfer, determining whether the user is authorized to access the data, and performing access control; and

performing the request to transfer data by transferring the data to the second host in accordance with the data control process of the data protection system, wherein the first host is associated with a first storage device and the second host is associated with a second storage device and the transferred data is stored on the second storage device;

wherein an agent operating on the first host cooperates with a second agent operating on the second host to transfer the data.

11. The storage device of claim 10 , wherein configuring the request includes generating configuration information based on input received in the workflow.

12. The storage device of claim 10 , wherein configuring a request further comprises transferring the data randomly or in pieces or based on a start location determined from the configuration of the data transfer.

13. The storage device of claim 10 , wherein configuring the request further comprises identifying a place in the requested data to access first when transferring the requested data.

14. The storage device of claim 10 , wherein the data control process further includes:

logging the request for auditing.

15. The storage device of claim 10 , wherein the requested data is copied to a local storage of the destination, wherein the destination is the first host.

16. The storage device of claim 10 , wherein the requested data comprises one of current data or backed up data.

17. The storage device of claim 10 , further comprising an agent on the first host performing tasks determined in the workflow for transferring the data.

18. A host comprising:

a module including computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, are configured to configure a perform a data transfer operation using an infrastructure of a data protection system in response to a data transfer request, the module including:

a user interface component provided by the data protection system, wherein the user interface component presents a workflow for transferring data using an infrastructure of the data protection system without performing a backup operation on the data to be transferred, wherein the user interface component includes a pluggable framework; and

an agent on that is configured to perform tasks associated with the workflow displayed in the user interface, wherein the workflow presented in the user interface is adapted to account for the data being transferred, and a type of the data, wherein the user interface component generates a user interface, wherein input is received through the user interface and wherein the workflow to perform the data transfer operation is configured based on the input;

wherein the workflow is effective to configure the data transfer operation based on configuration information identified in the input, the configuration information identifying the data, a host that stores the data, and a destination host of the data;

wherein the workflow is effective to perform a data control process of the data protection system to authenticate a user and to determine whether the user is authorized to access the data to be transferred and perform access control; and

wherein an agent operating on the host cooperates with a second agent operating on the destination host to perform the transfer of the data based on the data control process of the data protection system, wherein the data is transferred from a first storage device to a second storage device, wherein the host is associated with the first storage device and the destination host is associated with the second storage device.

19. The host of claim 18 , wherein the data control process further includes logging the request to transfer data for auditing.

20. The host of claim 18 , wherein the data is transferred in pieces or randomly, or based on a start position identified in the configuration information.