Systems and methods for database archiving

Abstract

A data storage system according to certain aspects can archive database data associated with different database applications. The data storage system according to certain aspects may provide database archiving modules that include logic incorporating and/or based on the native schema and/or native commands specific to particular database applications. The database archiving modules according to certain aspects may determine the relationship between tables associated with corresponding database applications and archive selected database data based on the native schema and native commands.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . A method of archiving database data, the method comprising:
 one or more data agents that monitor data storage operations associated with at least a first database application and a second database application, the one or more data agents executing on one or more computer processors:
 receiving instructions from a user interface to archive data that is stored in the first and second database applications wherein the first and second database applications use different schemas to store the data in different formats in a primary storage subsystem; 
 automatically generating a first set of instructions to extract a first portion of the data from the first database application based on a native schema of the first database application; 
 automatically generating a second set of instructions to extract a second portion of the data from the second database application based on a native schema of the second database application; 
 automatically obtaining the first and second portions of the data from the first and second database applications with the first and second sets of instructions and adding the first and second portions of data to an aggregated group of data stored in a native format in the primary storage subsystem; 
   with a secondary storage controller computer, copying the aggregated group of data from the primary storage subsystem to generate a secondary copy of the aggregated group of data stored in a backup format on one or more secondary storage devices, the backup format different than the native format.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein said first and second set of instructions are generated based on table relationships in the first and second database applications. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein automatically obtaining comprises using native commands of the first database application to obtain the first portion of data. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising deleting at least the first portion of data from the first database application and retaining the second portion of data in the second database application. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the aggregated group of data resides in a temporary staging area. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the temporary staging area resides on one or more primary storage devices in the primary storage subsystem. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the secondary storage devices are in networked communication with a primary storage system. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the first portion of data from the first database application is pruned based on user-defined rules. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the first portion of data from the first database application is pruned from the first database application after the aggregated group of data is transferred to the one or more secondary storage devices. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the first portion of data from the first database application is deleted from the first database application in a dependency-aware fashion. 
     
     
         12 . A data storage system configured to archive data generated by one or more database applications, the data storage system comprising:
 one or more first storage devices residing in a primary storage subsystem and one or more secondary storage devices residing in a secondary storage subsystem;   one or more data agents executing on at least one or more computer processors, the one or more data agents monitor data storage operations associated with at least a first database application and a second database application and are configured to:
 receive instructions from a user interface to archive data that is stored in the first and second database applications wherein the first and second database applications use different schemas to store the data in different formats in a primary storage subsystem; 
 automatically generate a first set of instructions to extract a first portion of the data from the first database application based on a native schema of the first database application; 
 automatically generate a second set of instructions to extract a second portion of the data from the second database application based on a native schema of the second database application; 
 automatically obtain the first and second portions of the data from the first and second database applications with the first and second set of instructions and add the first and second portions of data to an aggregated group of data stored in a native format in the primary storage subsystem; 
   one or more secondary storage controller computers configured to generate a secondary copy of the aggregated group of data stored in a backup format on one or more secondary storage devices in the secondary storage subsystem, the backup format different than the native format.   
     
     
         13 . The data storage system of  claim 12 , wherein said first and second set of instructions are generated based on table relationships in the first and second database applications. 
     
     
         14 . The data storage system of  claim 12 , wherein automatic obtain comprises using native commands of the first database application to obtain the first portion of data. 
     
     
         15 . The data storage system of  claim 12 , further comprising deleting at least the first portion of data from the first database application and retaining the second portion of data in the second database application. 
     
     
         16 . The data storage system of  claim 12 , wherein the aggregated group of data resides in a temporary staging area. 
     
     
         17 . The data storage system of  claim 16 , wherein the temporary staging area resides on one or more primary storage devices in the primary storage subsystem. 
     
     
         18 . The data storage system of  claim 12 , wherein the secondary storage subsystem is in networked communication with the primary storage subsystem. 
     
     
         19 . The data storage system of  claim 12 , wherein the first portion of data from the first database application is pruned based on user-defined rules. 
     
     
         20 . The data storage system of  claim 12 , wherein the first portion of data from the first database application is pruned from the first database application after the aggregated group of data is transferred to the one or more secondary storage devices. 
     
     
         21 . The data storage system of  claim 12 , wherein the first portion of data from the first database application is deleted from the first database application in a dependency-aware fashion.