Lightweight data reconstruction based on backup data

Abstract

An information management system allows a user to search through a secondary copy of data, such as a backup, archive, or snapshot without first retrieving the secondary copy of data. Instead, the system constructs lightweight data that can be displayed to a user as a representation of the search results. Lightweight data may include metadata or other information that identifies data included in the secondary copy of data. The lightweight data may be perceived as being the secondary copy of data and allow a user to browse through search results. Once the user identifies a search result that is of interest, information in the lightweight data can be used to retrieve the secondary copy of data. Because lightweight data may have a smaller file size than the file size of the secondary copy of data, the latency of performing a search may be reduced.

1 . A system comprising:
 a first computing device that comprises one or more hardware processors, and wherein the first computing device is configured to:   receive filtering criteria;   identify one or more data objects that satisfy the filtering criteria,
 wherein the one or more data objects are stored in secondary storage in a backup format resulting from one or more secondary copy operations that stored the one or more data objects in the secondary storage, 
 wherein the one or more secondary copy operations stored other data objects, which do not satisfy the filtering criteria, into the secondary storage; 
   for a first data object among the one or more data objects that satisfy the filtering criteria, retrieve first metadata corresponding to the first data object;   construct first lightweight data that corresponds to the first data object,
 wherein the first lightweight data comprises the first metadata and indicates a location of the first data object in the secondary storage, 
 wherein the first lightweight data is constructed without restoring the one or more data objects that satisfy the filtering criteria; 
   receive a request to retrieve the first data object that corresponds to the first lightweight data; and   restore the first data object from the backup format into a primary data format that is different from a backup format of the one or more data object stored in the secondary storage.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the first computing device is further configured to: transmit the first data object, in the primary data format, to a second computing device that issued the request to retrieve the first data object. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the first computing device is further configured to: receive the filtering criteria from the second computing device. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the second computing device is configured to: present a graphical user interface that receives the filtering criteria as input from a user of the second computing device; and transmit the filtering criteria to the first computing device. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein the second computing device is further configured to: present at the graphical user interface, one or more indicators corresponding to the one or more data objects that satisfy the filtering criteria; and receive at the graphical user interface a selection of the first data object. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein the second computing device is further configured to: present at the graphical user interface, a choice between viewing the first data object and viewing the first lightweight data. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the first computing device is further configured to: perform, at least in part, the one or more secondary copy operations that stored the one or more data objects in the secondary storage. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising: a second computing device that comprises one or more hardware processors, wherein the second computing device is configured to: manage the one or more secondary copy operations. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein to restore the first data object, the first computing device is further configured to:
 identify, at the secondary storage, a first demarcation that separates a header of the first data object from first metadata of the first data object;   identify, at the secondary storage, a second demarcation that separates the first metadata from first payload data of the first data object; and   retrieve, from the secondary storage, at least part of the first metadata and at least part of the first payload data from the secondary storage.   
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the location of the first data object identifies a path to the first data object in the secondary storage. 
     
     
         11 . A computer-implemented method performed by a first computing device that comprises one or more hardware processors, the method comprising:
 receiving filtering criteria;   identifying one or more data objects that satisfy the filtering criteria,
 wherein the one or more data objects are stored in secondary storage in a backup format resulting from one or more secondary copy operations that stored the one or more data objects in the secondary storage, 
 wherein the one or more secondary copy operations stored other data objects, which do not satisfy the filtering criteria, into the secondary storage; 
   for a first data object among the one or more data objects that satisfy the filtering criteria, retrieving first metadata corresponding to the first data object;   constructing first lightweight data that corresponds to the first data object,
 wherein the first lightweight data comprises the first metadata and indicates a location of the first data object in the secondary storage, 
 wherein the first lightweight data is constructed without restoring the one or more data objects that satisfy the filtering criteria; 
   receiving a request to retrieve the first data object that corresponds to the first lightweight data; and   restoring the first data object from the backup format into a primary data format that is different from a backup format of the one or more data object stored in the secondary storage.   
     
     
         12 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 11 , further comprising: transmitting the first data object, in the primary data format, to a second computing device that issued the request to retrieve the first data object. 
     
     
         13 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 12 , further comprising: receiving the filtering criteria from the second computing device. 
     
     
         14 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 12 , wherein the second computing device comprises one or more hardware processors and is configured to: present a graphical user interface that receives the filtering criteria as input from a user of the second computing device; and transmit the filtering criteria to the first computing device. 
     
     
         15 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 14 , wherein the second computing device is further configured to: present at the graphical user interface, one or more indicators corresponding to the one or more data objects that satisfy the filtering criteria; and receive at the graphical user interface a selection of the first data object. 
     
     
         16 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 14 , wherein the second computing device is further configured to: present at the graphical user interface, a choice between viewing the first data object and viewing the first lightweight data. 
     
     
         17 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 11 , further comprising: perform, at least in part, the one or more secondary copy operations that stored the one or more data objects in the secondary storage. 
     
     
         18 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 11 , further comprising: a second computing device that comprises one or more hardware processors, wherein the second computing device is configured to: manage the one or more secondary copy operations. 
     
     
         19 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 identifying, at the secondary storage, a first demarcation that separates a header of the first data object from first metadata of the first data object;   identifying, at the secondary storage, a second demarcation that separates the first metadata from first payload data of the first data object; and   retrieving, from the secondary storage, at least part of the first metadata and at least part of the first payload data from the secondary storage.   
     
     
         20 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 11 , wherein the location of the first data object identifies a path to the first data object in the secondary storage.