Method, system, and apparatus for creating saved searches and auto discovery groups for a data protection system

1. A method for detecting changes to a production location, comprising:

receiving a selection of a portion of the production location that is to be protected;

identifying a larger portion of the production location that contains the selected portion of the production location;

mapping the selected portion to a protectable object contained within the production location;

creating a routine for evaluating the identified larger portion of the production location for changes, wherein creating a routine includes creating an auto discovery group including an auto discovery group search parameter and the mapped protectable object;

identifying the mapped protectable object and the status of the mapped protectable object, wherein the status of the mapped protectable object identifies a protection by plan status, a pending status or an excluded status of the mapped protectable object;

performing the created routine;

monitoring the group for changes;

detecting an addition of a second protectable object to the mapping of the auto discovery group search parameter; and

automatically adding an identity of the second protectable object to the auto discovery group table and including a status of the second protectable object, wherein the status of the second mapped protectable object identifies a protection by plan status, a pending status or an excluded status of the second mapped protectable object.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the larger portion of the production location is a portion of the production location that is not selected for protection.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the selected portion of the production location is a selection of a Namespace Element.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the larger portion of the production location is identified by a Namespace.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the selected portion of the production location is a selection of a Namespace Element; and

wherein the larger portion of the production location is identified by a Namespace.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the selected portion of the production location is a server.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the selected portion of the production location is a server and the larger portion of the production location is the entire production location.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the entire production location is a domain.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the selected portion of the production location is a Namespace Element that represents a volume, and the larger portion of the production location is a server containing the volume.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein performing the created routine includes:

determining if the larger portion of the production location has changed; including in a table a creation detection time for any object that is detected as being added to the larger portion of the production location; and

including in the table a removal detection time for any object that is detected as being removed from the larger portion of the production location.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein performing the created routine includes:

determining if the larger portion of the production location has changed; and

alerting a user if it is determined that the larger portion of the production location has changed.

12. A method for detecting changes to a portion of a production location that is identified for protection, comprising:

receiving a selection of a Namespace Element representative of the portion of the production location identified for protection;

mapping the selected Namespace Element to a protectable object contained within the production location;

creating an auto discovery group including an auto discovery group search parameter and the mapped protectable object;

identifying the mapped protectable object and the status of the mapped protectable object, wherein the status of the mapped protectable object identifies a protection by plan status, a pending status or an excluded status of the mapped protectable object;

remapping the auto discovery group search parameters to the protectable object on the production location;

monitoring the group for changes;

detecting an addition of a second protectable object to the mapping of the auto discovery group search parameter; and

automatically adding an identity of the second protectable object to the auto discovery group table and including a status of the second protectable object, wherein the status of the second mapped protectable object identifies a protection by plan status, a pending status or an excluded status of the second mapped protectable object.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the auto discovery group search parameter encompasses a larger portion of the production location then the portion of the production location identified for protection.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the status of the mapped protectable object identifies a protection by user status of the mapped protectable object.

15. The method of claim 12 , wherein the status of the mapped protectable object identifies a protection by plan status of the mapped protectable object.

16. The method of claim 12 , wherein the status of the mapped protectable object identifies a pending status of the mapped protectable object.

17. The method of claim 12 , wherein the status of the mapped protectable object identifies an excluded status of the mapped protectable object.

18. The method of claim 12 , wherein the auto discovery group table is updated in response to comparing the auto discovery group table and the auto discovery group results to contain the second protectable object and a status of the second protectable object.

19. The method of claim 12 , wherein monitoring the group for changes includes: determining if a mapping between the auto discovery group search parameter and the protectable object has changed.

20. The method of claim 12 , wherein monitoring the group includes:

determining if an additional protectable object maps to the auto discovery group search parameter.

21. The method of claim 12 , further comprising: generating an alert identifying a change in the mapping of the auto discovery group search parameter.

22. The method of claim 21 , further comprising: receiving a response to the alert to modify the group.

23. The method of claim 12 , further comprising: adding the created group to a protection scheme.

24. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:

in response to monitoring the group for changes, detecting a removal of the protectable object from the mapping of the auto discovery group search parameter; and generating an alert identifying the removal of the protectable object.

25. A computer readable medium having stored thereon computer-executable components for detecting a change on a production location, the components comprising:

an auto discovery group, automatically generated in response to an indication to protect at least a portion of the production location;

an auto discovery group table, including an identification of a protectable object contained within the production location and a status of the protectable object, wherein the status of the protectable object identifies a protection by plan status, a pending status or an excluded status of the protectable object; and

an auto discovery routine, configured to identify the addition of a new protectable object to the production location, including an identification of the new protectable object contained within the production location and a status of the protectable object, wherein the status of the new protectable object identifies a protection by plan status, a pending status or an excluded status of the new protectable object.

26. The computer readable medium of claim 25 , wherein the auto discovery group includes an auto discovery group search parameter; and identifies a mapping between the auto discovery group search parameter and at least one protectable object.

27. The computer readable medium of claim 25 , wherein the indication to protect at least a portion of the production location is a selection of a Namespace Element representing a portion of the production location.

28. The computer readable medium of claim 25 , wherein the indication to protect at least a portion of the production location is a creation of a protected group.

29. The computer readable medium of claim 28 , wherein the auto discovery group identifies a plurality of Namespace Elements.

30. The computer readable medium of claim 25 , wherein the auto discovery group table identifies whether the protectable object is currently protected by a user.

31. The computer readable medium of claim 25 , wherein the auto discovery group table identifies whether the protectable object is currently protected by a plan.

32. The computer readable medium of claim 25 , wherein the auto discovery group table identifies whether the protectable object is excluded from protection.

33. The computer readable medium of claim 25 , wherein the auto discovery group table identifies whether the protectable object is pending approval for protection.

34. The computer readable medium of claim 25 , wherein the auto discovery group table includes a protectable object that does not match the auto discovery group.

35. A computer readable medium having stored thereon computer-executable components that perform a method for detecting changes to a portion of a production location that is identified for protection, the method comprising:

receiving a selection of a Namespace Element representative of the portion of the production location identified for protection;

mapping the selected Namespace Element to a protectable object contained within the production location;

creating an auto discovery group including an auto discovery group search parameter and the mapped protectable object;

identifying the mapped protectable object and the status of the mapped protectable object, wherein the status of the mapped protectable object identifies a protection by plan status, a pending status or an excluded status of the mapped protectable object;

remapping the auto discovery group search parameters to the protectable object on the production location;

monitoring the group for changes;

detecting an addition of a second protectable object to the mapping of the auto discovery group search parameter; and

automatically adding an identity of the second protectable object to the auto discovery group table and including a status of the second protectable object, wherein the status of the second mapped protectable object identifies a protection by plan status, a pending status or an excluded status of the second mapped protectable object.

36. The computer readable medium of claim 35 , wherein the auto discovery group search parameter encompasses a larger portion of the production location then the portion of the production location identified for protection.