Offline messaging between a repository storage operation cell and remote storage operation cells via an intermediary media agent

Abstract

Offline messaging between a repository storage operation cell and one or more mobile/remote storage operation cells is disclosed. The repository cell is managed by a repository storage manager that communicates to and from the remote cell via a specially-configured media agent. The illustrative intermediary media agent is configured to: queue messages directed to the remote cell, process them according to applicable parameters (e.g., time-to-live constraints, updates, cancellations, etc.), and transmit the processed messages to the remote cell when connectivity is available. The intermediary media agent also relays messages from the remote cell to the repository, including responses by the remote to the processed messages received from the repository via the intermediary media agent.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system comprising:
 a computing device comprising one or more hardware processors and computer memory, wherein the computing device executes an intermediary media agent;   wherein the computing device executing the intermediary media agent is configured to:   communicate with a first storage manager that manages a first storage operation cell and with a second storage manager that manages a second storage operation cell,
 wherein the first storage manager and the second storage manager are not in direct communication with each other, 
 wherein each of the first storage manager and the second storage manager executes on a computing device comprising one or more hardware processors and computer memory; 
   while out of communication with the first storage manager, receive from the second storage manager a first message directed to the first storage manager in regard to one or more data storage operations of the first storage operation cell;   based on being out of communication with the first storage manager, queue the first message received from the second storage manager in a message queue at the intermediary media agent;   based on being out of communication with the first storage manager, process the first message in the message queue at a first time; and   while in communication with the first storage manager, transmit the processed first message to the first storage manager.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the computing device executing the intermediary media agent is configured to:
 based on being out of communication with the first storage manager, queue the processed first message in the message queue at the intermediary media agent; and while in communication with the first storage manager, transmit the processed first message from the message queue to the first storage manager. 
 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the computing device executing the intermediary media agent is configured to:
 generate a resulting first message based on processing of the first message in the message queue at the first time; and 
 based on being in communication with the first storage manager, process the resulting first message at a second time, wherein the second time is different from the first time. 
 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the computing device executing the intermediary media agent is configured to:
 generate a resulting first message based on processing of the first message in the message queue at the first time; and 
 based on being in communication with the first storage manager, process the resulting first message at a second time, wherein the second time occurs after the first time. 
 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1  wherein to process the first message in the message queue at a first time, the computing device executing the intermediary media agent is configured to one or more of: cancel the first message for the first storage manager, update the first message for the first storage manager, replace the first message for the first storage manager, and generate a second message for the first storage manager based on the first message, wherein the second message is different from the first message. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the computing device executing the intermediary media agent is configured to process the first message based at least in part on operational parameters associated with the first message. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the computing device executing the intermediary media agent is configured to:
 generate a communication failure message while out of communication with the first storage manager; and 
 transmit the communication failure message to the second storage manager. 
 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the computing device executing the intermediary media agent is further configured to: execute a first instance of media agent software for communicating with the first storage manager and execute a second instance of the media agent software for communicating with the second storage manager. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the first message received from the second storage manager comprises one or more of:
 a) a message requiring no response;   b) a status request;   c) a command;   d) a message cancelling one or more previous messages received from the second storage manager;   e) a message updating one or more previous messages received from the second storage manager; and   f) a message replacing one or more previous messages received from the second storage manager.   
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the first storage manager comprising one or more hardware processors and computer memory is configured to manage storage operations in the first storage operation cell, wherein the storage operations in the first storage operation cell comprise one or more of: copying data, archiving data, migrating data, replicating data, and restoring data from backup. 
     
     
         11 . A method comprising:
 communicating, by a computing device comprising one or more hardware processors and computer memory, with a first storage manager that manages a first storage operation cell and with a second storage manager that manages a second storage operation cell, wherein the computing device executes an intermediary media agent, wherein the first storage manager and the second storage manager are not in direct communication with each other, and wherein each of the first storage manager and the second storage manager executes on a computing device comprising one or more hardware processors and computer memory;   while out of communication with the first storage manager, receiving, by the computing device executing the intermediary media agent, from the second storage manager a first message directed to the first storage manager in regard to one or more data storage operations of the first storage operation cell;   based on being out of communication with the first storage manager, queueing, by the computing device executing the intermediary media agent, the first message received from the second storage manager in a message queue at the intermediary media agent;   based on being out of communication with the first storage manager, retrieving, by the computing device executing the intermediary media agent, the first message from the message queue;   processing, by the computing device executing the intermediary media agent, the first message at a first time; and   while in communication with the first storage manager, transmitting, by the computing device executing the intermediary media agent, the processed first message to the first storage manager.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11  further comprising:
 based on being out of communication with the first storage manager, queueing by the computing device executing the intermediary media agent, the processed first message in the message queue prior to transmitting the processed first message to the first storage manager. 
 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11  further comprising:
 generating a resulting first message based on the processing of the first message at the first time; and 
 based on being in communication with the first storage manager, processing, by the computing device executing the intermediary media agent, the resulting first message at a second time, wherein the second time is different from the first time. 
 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11  further comprising:
 generating a resulting first message based on processing of the first message in at the first time; and 
 based on being in communication with the first storage manager, processing, by the computing device executing the intermediary media agent, the resulting first message at a second time, wherein the second time occurs after the first time. 
 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11  wherein processing the first message in the message queue at the first time further comprises executing, by the computing device executing the intermediary media agent, one or more of: cancelling the first message for the first storage manager, updating the first message for the first storage manager, replacing the first message for the first storage manager, and generating a second message for the first storage manager based on the first message, wherein the second message is different from the first message. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 11  wherein processing the first message further comprises processing, by the computing device executing the intermediary media agent, the first message based at least in part on operational parameters associated with the first message. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 11  further comprising:
 generating, by the computing device executing the intermediary media agent, a communication failure message while out of communication with the first storage manager; and 
 transmitting, by the computing device executing the intermediary media agent, the communication failure message to the second storage manager. 
 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 11  further comprising:
 executing, by the computing device executing the intermediary media agent, a first instance of media agent software for communicating with the first storage manager; and 
 executing, by the computing device executing the intermediary media agent, a second instance of the media agent software for communicating with the second storage manager. 
 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the first message received from the second storage manager comprises one or more of:
 a) a message requiring no response;   b) a status request;   c) a command;   d) a message cancelling one or more previous messages received from the second storage manager;   e) a message updating one or more previous messages received from the second storage manager; and   f) a message replacing one or more previous messages received from the second storage manager.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 11  further comprising:
 managing, by the first storage manager comprising one or more hardware processors and computer memory, storage operations in the first storage operation cell, wherein the storage operations in the first storage operation cell comprise one or more of: copying data, archiving data, migrating data, replicating data, and restoring data from backup.