초록 ▼

The invention is a hierarchical backup system. The interconnected network computing devices are put into groups of backup cells. A backup cell has a manager software agent responsible maintaining and initiating a backup regime for the network computing devices in the backup cell. The backups are dir

The invention is a hierarchical backup system. The interconnected network computing devices are put into groups of backup cells. A backup cell has a manager software agent responsible maintaining and initiating a backup regime for the network computing devices in the backup cell. The backups are directed to backup devices within the backup cell. Several backup cells can be defined. A manager software agent for a particular cell may be placed into contact with the manager software agent of another cell, by which information about the cells may be passed back and forth. Additionally, one of the software agents may be given administrative control over another software agent with which it is in communication.

대표청구항 ▼

What is claimed is: 1. A hierarchical storage management system for storing data in a network environment, the storage management system comprising:a plurality of backup cells, each of the plurality of backup cells being coupled to another of the plurality of backup cells, and wherein at least one o

What is claimed is: 1. A hierarchical storage management system for storing data in a network environment, the storage management system comprising:a plurality of backup cells, each of the plurality of backup cells being coupled to another of the plurality of backup cells, and wherein at least one of the plurality of backup cells further comprises:a media component configured to execute on a first network computing device of a plurality of network computing devices and being communicatively coupled to at least one storage device to store data to the at least one storage device,a client component configured to execute on a second network computing device of the plurality of network computing devices and to obtain the data from at least one of the plurality of network computing devices according to first parameters maintained by the client component, the client component being further configured to transmit the data to the media component, anda first manager component configured to execute on a third network computing device of the plurality of network computing devices and to direct the client component to obtain the data according to second parameters maintained by the first manager component; anda second manager component of at least one other of the plurality of backup cells, wherein the second manager component is configured to control the first manager component of the at least one backup cell of the plurality of backup cells.