Using an enhanced data agent to restore backed up data across autonomous storage management systems

Abstract

An exemplary system preserves the autonomy of two or more distinct storage management systems all the while enabling backed up data to be restored from a first storage management system (the “local system”) to a specially-configured client in a second storage management system (the “remote system”). For example, backed up data in the local system (e.g., a secondary copy of production data) may be transferred, in a restore operation, from secondary storage in the local storage management system, which originated the data, to a client of the remote storage management system (the “remote client”). As a specially-configured “restore-only client,” the remote client is limited to receiving backed up data from the local storage management system, via restore operation(s) managed by the local storage manager. The remote client remains a full-fledged client in its home system, the remote storage management system.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system comprising:
 a first computing device that executes a media agent, wherein the first computing device comprises one or more hardware processors and computer memory,
 wherein the media agent is a component of a first storage management system that is managed by a first storage manager, which comprises one or more hardware processors and computer memory, and 
 wherein a secondary copy of data was previously generated in the first storage management system; and 
   a second computing device that executes a data agent, wherein the second computing device comprises one or more hardware processors and computer memory, wherein the data agent is a component of a second storage management system that is managed by a second storage manager, which comprises one or more hardware processors and computer memory,   wherein the second storage manager is configured to:
 generate a registry key that associates the first storage management system with the second computing device as a restore-only client, and 
 transmit the registry key to the second computing device, 
   wherein the second computing device executing the data agent is configured to:
 based on using the registry key, participate in restoring the secondary copy of data from the second storage management system to the first storage management system, wherein the restoring is managed by the first storage manager. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1  wherein based on using the registry key, the second computing device is configured to operate as a restore only device in the second storage management system. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the second computing device executing the data agent as the restore-only client is configured to communicate directly with the first storage manager regarding restoring the secondary copy of data, based on an authentication certificate issued by the first storage manager and further based on the registry key. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the registry key associates the second computing device with the first storage manager. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the first storage management system and the second storage management system are autonomous from each other. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the first storage manager is configured to:
 before initiating the restoring of the secondary copy of data, issue an authentication certificate to the second storage manager, wherein the second storage manager is configured to transmit the authentication certificate to the second computing device. 
 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 6  wherein the second computing device is configured to store the authentication certificate and the registry key prior to restoring the secondary copy of the data. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 6  wherein based on the authentication certificate and the registry key, the second computing device to communicate directly with the first storage manager at least once during the restoring of the secondary copy of data. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the second storage manager is configured to:
 transmit to the first storage manager, configuration information about at least one of the data agent and the second computing device. 
 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9  wherein the first storage manager is configured to:
 issue an authentication certificate based on the configuration information, wherein the configuration information is requested by the second storage manager. 
 
     
     
         11 . A method for restoring a secondary copy of data generated in a first storage management system to a dent of a second storage management system, the method comprising:
 executing on a second computing device a data agent component of the second storage management system, wherein the data agent component is managed by a second storage manager;   generating, by the second storage manager, a registry key that associates the first storage management system with the second computing device as a restore-only client;   transmitting, by the second storage manager, the registry key to the second computing device; and   based on using the registry key, participating, by the second computing device, in restoring the secondary copy of data from the second storage management system to the first storage management system, wherein the restored data is accessible to the second computing device as primary data.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11  wherein based on using the registry key, the second computing device to operate as a restore only device in the second storage management system. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11  wherein the first storage management system and the second storage management system are autonomous from each other. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11  further comprising:
 executing on a first computing device a media agent component of the first storage management system managed by a first storage manager, wherein the restoring is managed by the first storage manager. 
 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14  wherein the registry key associates the second computing device with the first storage manager. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14  further comprising:
 before initiating the restoring of the secondary copy of data, issuing, by the first storage manager, an authentication certificate to the second storage manager; and 
 transmitting, by the second storage manager, the authentication certificate to the second computing device. 
 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16  further comprising:
 storing, by the second computing device, the authentication certificate and the registry key prior to restoring the secondary copy of the data. 
 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16  wherein based on the authentication certificate and the registry key, the second computing device to communicate directly with the first storage manager at least once during the restoring of the secondary copy of data. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 14  further comprising:
 transmitting, by the second storage manager to the first storage manager, configuration information about at least one of the data agent and the second computing device. 
 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19  further comprising:
 issuing, by the first storage manager, an authentication certificate based on the configuration information, wherein the configuration is requested by the second storage manager.