U.S. patent application number 16/375243 was filed with the patent office on 2019-10-10 for systems and methods for data management of multiple cloud services.
The applicant listed for this patent is Veritas Technologies LLC. Invention is credited to Stuart Carter, Shailesh Dargude, Satish Grandhi, Rohini Kasturi, Srinivas Kavuri, Vibhu Pratap, Vijay Rajaram, Yogendra Singh.
Application Number | 20190310791 16/375243 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 66429545 |
Filed Date | 2019-10-10 |
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United States Patent
Application |
20190310791 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Kasturi; Rohini ; et
al. |
October 10, 2019 |
SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR DATA MANAGEMENT OF MULTIPLE CLOUD
SERVICES
Abstract
The disclosed computer-implemented method for data management of
multiple cloud services may include receiving, via a visibility
application, a command for managing data hosted on a plurality of
content sources. The commands from the visibility application may
be modified and indirectly routed to the plurality of content
sources. The method may include accessing, in response to the
command, the plurality of content sources, and collecting and
aggregating, from the plurality of content sources, metadata
associated with the data. The method may also include analyzing the
aggregated metadata. The method may further include providing, for
presentation by the visibility application, results of the metadata
analysis. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable
media are also disclosed.
Inventors: |
Kasturi; Rohini; (Santa
Clara, CA) ; Grandhi; Satish; (Santa Clara, CA)
; Dargude; Shailesh; (Santa Clara, CA) ; Pratap;
Vibhu; (Santa Clara, CA) ; Rajaram; Vijay;
(Santa Clara, CA) ; Kavuri; Srinivas; (Santa
Clara, CA) ; Carter; Stuart; (Santa Clara, CA)
; Singh; Yogendra; (Santa Clara, CA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Veritas Technologies LLC |
Santa Clara |
CA |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
66429545 |
Appl. No.: |
16/375243 |
Filed: |
April 4, 2019 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
62653541 |
Apr 5, 2018 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06F 3/0647 20130101;
G06F 16/907 20190101; G06F 3/0604 20130101; G06F 3/0652 20130101;
G06F 3/0659 20130101; G06F 3/067 20130101; G06F 9/5072
20130101 |
International
Class: |
G06F 3/06 20060101
G06F003/06; G06F 16/907 20060101 G06F016/907 |
Claims
1. A computer-implemented method for data management of multiple
cloud services, at least a portion of the method being performed by
a computing device comprising at least one processor, the method
comprising: receiving, via a visibility application, a command for
managing data hosted on a plurality of content sources, wherein
commands from the visibility application are modified and
indirectly routed to the plurality of content sources; accessing,
in response to the command, the plurality of content sources;
collecting and aggregating, from the plurality of content sources,
metadata associated with the data; analyzing the aggregated
metadata; and providing, for presentation by the visibility
application, results of the metadata analysis.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein collecting the metadata further
comprises collecting user metadata of users associated with the
data.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein collecting the metadata further
comprises access metadata corresponding to operation events
associated with the data.
4. The method of claim 1, further comprising verifying a user for
issuing commands, wherein the command is issued by the verified
user.
5. The method of claim 1, further comprising: receiving, in
response to the presentation of the results by the visibility
application, a second command for managing the data; and accessing
the plurality of content services to perform the second
command.
6. The method of claim 5, wherein the second command comprises a
command to move portions of the data through a storage hierarchy
based on the metadata analysis, wherein the storage hierarchy
prioritizes storage devices of the plurality of content sources
based on type of storage device.
7. The method of claim 5, wherein the second command comprises a
command to delete portions of the data based on the metadata
analysis.
8. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of content sources
comprises a cloud service.
9. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of content sources
comprises a private data server.
10. A system for data management of multiple cloud services, the
system comprising: at least one physical processor; physical memory
comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed by
the physical processor, cause the physical processor to: receive,
via a visibility application, a command for managing data hosted on
a plurality of content sources, wherein commands from the
visibility application are modified and indirectly routed to the
plurality of content sources; access, in response to the command,
the plurality of content sources; collect and aggregate, from the
plurality of content sources, metadata associated with the data;
analyze the aggregated metadata; and provide, for presentation by
the visibility application, results of the metadata analysis.
11. The system of claim 10, wherein collecting the metadata further
comprises collecting user metadata of users associated with the
data.
12. The system of claim 10, wherein collecting the metadata further
comprises access metadata corresponding to operation events
associated with the data.
13. The system of claim 10, wherein the instructions further
comprise instructions for verifying a user for issuing commands,
wherein the command is issued by the verified user.
14. The system of claim 10, wherein the instructions further
comprise instructions for: receiving, in response to the
presentation of the results by the visibility application, a second
command for managing the data; and accessing the plurality of
content services to perform the second command.
15. The system of claim 14, wherein the second command comprises a
command to move portions of the data through a storage hierarchy
based on the metadata analysis, wherein the storage hierarchy
prioritizes storage devices of the plurality of content sources
based on type of storage device.
16. The system of claim 14, wherein the second command comprises a
command to delete portions of the data based on the metadata
analysis.
17. The system of claim 10, wherein the plurality of content
sources comprises at least one of a cloud service and a private
data server.
18. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising one or
more computer-executable instructions that, when executed by at
least one processor of a computing device, cause the computing
device to: receive, via a visibility application, a command for
managing data hosted on a plurality of content sources, wherein
commands from the visibility application are modified and
indirectly routed to the plurality of content sources; access, in
response to the command, the plurality of content sources; collect
and aggregate, from the plurality of content sources, metadata
associated with the data; analyze the aggregated metadata; and
provide, for presentation by the visibility application, results of
the metadata analysis.
19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18,
wherein the instructions further comprise instructions for:
receiving, in response to the presentation of the results by the
visibility application, a second command for managing the data; and
accessing the plurality of content services to perform the second
command.
20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19,
wherein the second command comprises at least one of: a command to
move portions of the data through a storage hierarchy based on the
metadata analysis, wherein the storage hierarchy prioritizes
storage devices of the plurality of content sources based on type
of storage device; and a command to delete portions of the data
based on the metadata analysis.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional
Application No. 62/653,541, filed Apr. 5, 2018, the disclosure of
which is incorporated, in its entirety, by this reference.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Companies and end users increasingly store and use data
across an ever-growing number of platforms and locations, including
internally managed on-premise storage solutions, externally managed
cloud-based services, or a mixture of one or more of the same.
Unfortunately, data sources often utilize wildly different
taxonomies or techniques for storing, classifying, protecting, or
otherwise managing data. These differing approaches to managing
data can make it especially difficult for a company or an end user
to consistently and accurately manage data stored across disparate
data sources. For example, a company that utilizes a mixture of
on-premise and cloud-based data sources for its data may have
difficulty centrally managing data in a way that satisfies various
government regulations (such as the European Union's General Data
Protection Regulation) due to the differing ways in which these
data sources store, classify, protect, or otherwise manage such
data.
[0003] The present disclosure, therefore, identifies and addresses
a need for systems and methods for data management of multiple
cloud services.
SUMMARY
[0004] As will be described in greater detail below, the present
disclosure describes various systems and methods for data
management of multiple cloud services.
[0005] In one example, a method for data management of multiple
cloud services may include (i) receiving, via a visibility
application, a command for managing data hosted on a plurality of
content sources, wherein commands from the visibility application
are modified and indirectly routed to the plurality of content
sources, (ii) accessing, in response to the command, the plurality
of content sources, (iii) collecting and aggregating, from the
plurality of content sources, metadata associated with the data,
(iv) analyzing the aggregated metadata, and (v) providing, for
presentation by the visibility application, results of the metadata
analysis.
[0006] In some examples, collecting the metadata may further
comprise collecting user metadata of users associated with the
data. In some examples, collecting the metadata may further
comprise access metadata corresponding to operation events
associated with the data. In some examples, the method may further
comprise verifying a user for issuing commands. The command may be
issued by the verified user.
[0007] In some examples, the method may further comprise (a)
receiving, in response to the presentation of the results by the
visibility application, a second command for managing the data, and
(b) accessing the plurality of content services to perform the
second command. The second command may comprise a command to move
portions of the data through a storage hierarchy based on the
metadata analysis. The storage hierarchy may prioritize storage
devices of the plurality of content sources based on type of
storage device. The second command may comprise a command to delete
portions of the data based on the metadata analysis.
[0008] In some examples, the plurality of content sources may
comprise a cloud service. In some examples, the plurality of
content sources may comprise a private data server.
[0009] In one embodiment, a system for data management of multiple
cloud services may include at least one physical processor and
physical memory that includes computer-executable instructions
that, when executed by the physical processor, cause the physical
processor to (i) receive, via a visibility application, a command
for managing data hosted on a plurality of content sources, wherein
commands from the visibility application are modified and
indirectly routed to the plurality of content sources, (ii) access,
in response to the command, the plurality of content sources, (iii)
collect and aggregate, from the plurality of content sources,
metadata associated with the data, (iv) analyze the aggregated
metadata, and (v) provide, for presentation by the visibility
application, results of the metadata analysis.
[0010] In some examples, collecting the metadata may further
comprise collecting user metadata of users associated with the
data. In some examples, collecting the metadata may further
comprise access metadata corresponding to operation events
associated with the data. In some examples, the instructions may
further comprise instructions for verifying a user for issuing
commands. The command may be issued by the verified user.
[0011] In some examples, the instructions may further comprise
instructions for (a) receiving, in response to the presentation of
the results by the visibility application, a second command for
managing the data, and (b) accessing the plurality of content
services to perform the second command. The second command may
comprise a command to move portions of the data through a storage
hierarchy based on the metadata analysis. The storage hierarchy may
prioritize storage devices of the plurality of content sources
based on type of storage device. The second command may comprise a
command to delete portions of the data based on the metadata
analysis. In some examples, the plurality of content sources may
comprise at least one of a cloud service and a private data
server.
[0012] In some examples, the above-described method may be encoded
as computer-readable instructions on a non-transitory
computer-readable medium. For example, a computer-readable medium
may include one or more computer-executable instructions that, when
executed by at least one processor of a computing device, may cause
the computing device to (i) receive, via a visibility application,
a command for managing data hosted on a plurality of content
sources, wherein commands from the visibility application are
modified and indirectly routed to the plurality of content sources,
(ii) access, in response to the command, the plurality of content
sources, (iii) collect and aggregate, from the plurality of content
sources, metadata associated with the data, (iv) analyze the
aggregated metadata, and (v) provide, for presentation by the
visibility application, results of the metadata analysis.
[0013] In some examples, the instructions may further comprise
instructions for (a) receiving, in response to the presentation of
the results by the visibility application, a second command for
managing the data, and (b) accessing the plurality of content
services to perform the second command. In some examples, the
second command may comprise at least one of a command to move
portions of the data through a storage hierarchy based on the
metadata analysis, wherein the storage hierarchy prioritizes
storage devices of the plurality of content sources based on type
of storage device, and a command to delete portions of the data
based on the metadata analysis.
[0014] Features from any of the embodiments described herein may be
used in combination with one another in accordance with the general
principles described herein. These and other embodiments, features,
and advantages will be more fully understood upon reading the
following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying
drawings and claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0015] The accompanying drawings illustrate a number of example
embodiments and are a part of the specification. Together with the
following description, these drawings demonstrate and explain
various principles of the present disclosure.
[0016] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an example system for data
management of multiple cloud services.
[0017] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an additional example system
for data management of multiple cloud services.
[0018] FIG. 3 is a flow diagram of an example method for data
management of multiple cloud services.
[0019] FIG. 4 is a block diagram of an example platform
architecture for data management of multiple cloud services.
[0020] FIG. 5 is an example workflow of a platform architecture for
data management of multiple cloud services.
[0021] FIG. 6 is a block diagram of an example computing system
capable of implementing one or more of the embodiments described
and/or illustrated herein.
[0022] FIG. 7 is a block diagram of an example computing network
capable of implementing one or more of the embodiments described
and/or illustrated herein.
[0023] Throughout the drawings, identical reference characters and
descriptions indicate similar, but not necessarily identical,
elements. While the example embodiments described herein are
susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms,
specific embodiments have been shown by way of example in the
drawings and will be described in detail herein. However, the
example embodiments described herein are not intended to be limited
to the particular forms disclosed. Rather, the present disclosure
covers all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling
within the scope of the appended claims.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS
[0024] The present disclosure is generally directed to systems and
methods for data management of multiple cloud services. As
organizations require increasing data storage demands, they may
rely on various data storage solutions, including externally
managed cloud-based services and/or internally managed on-premise
storage solutions. Without a pre-defined data model and/or due to
various incompatibilities between the storage solutions, an amount
of unstructured data may grow to be prohibitively unmanageable. As
will be explained in greater detail below, a platform for
multi-cloud data management may access multiple content sources
storing data, and aggregating and analyzing metadata associated
with the data. The platform may provide an application programming
interface (API) for a visibility application which may present
analysis results and present a user interface for a user to issue
commands to the platform. The platform may provide, via the
visibility application, tools to better manage unstructured data.
For example, stale data may be deleted or archived to cheaper
storage solutions. The systems and methods described herein may
improve use of computing and other resources needed for data
storage. This may allow businesses to better control data and to
better manage costs and overhead associated with data storage.
[0025] In addition, the systems and methods described herein may
improve the functioning of a computing device by analyzing data to
more efficiently store the data, and providing interfaces to enable
efficient data management. These systems and methods may also
improve the field of data management by providing a platform
enabling efficient data storage.
[0026] The following will provide, with reference to FIGS. 1-2,
detailed descriptions of example systems for data management of
multiple cloud services. Detailed descriptions of corresponding
computer-implemented methods will also be provided in connection
with FIG. 3. Detailed descriptions of an example platform
architecture for data management of multiple cloud services will be
provided in connection with FIG. 4. Detailed descriptions of an
example workflow for data management of multiple cloud services
will be provided in connection with FIG. 5. In addition, detailed
descriptions of an example computing system and network
architecture capable of implementing one or more of the embodiments
described herein will be provided in connection with FIGS. 6 and 7,
respectively.
[0027] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an example system 100 for data
management of multiple cloud services. As illustrated in this
figure, example system 100 may include one or more modules 102 for
performing one or more tasks. As will be explained in greater
detail below, modules 102 may include a receiving module 104, a
accessing module 106, a collecting module 108, an analysis module
110, and a providing module 112. Although illustrated as separate
elements, one or more of modules 102 in FIG. 1 may represent
portions of a single module or application.
[0028] In certain embodiments, one or more of modules 102 in FIG. 1
may represent one or more software applications or programs that,
when executed by a computing device, may cause the computing device
to perform one or more tasks. For example, and as will be described
in greater detail below, one or more of modules 102 may represent
modules stored and configured to run on one or more computing
devices, such as the devices illustrated in FIG. 2 (e.g., computing
device 202 and/or servers 206A-B). One or more of modules 102 in
FIG. 1 may also represent all or portions of one or more
special-purpose computers configured to perform one or more
tasks.
[0029] As illustrated in FIG. 1, example system 100 may also
include one or more memory devices, such as memory 140. Memory 140
generally represents any type or form of volatile or non-volatile
storage device or medium capable of storing data and/or
computer-readable instructions. In one example, memory 140 may
store, load, and/or maintain one or more of modules 102. Examples
of memory 140 include, without limitation, Random Access Memory
(RAM), Read Only Memory (ROM), flash memory, Hard Disk Drives
(HDDs), Solid-State Drives (SSDs), optical disk drives, caches,
variations or combinations of one or more of the same, and/or any
other suitable storage memory.
[0030] As illustrated in FIG. 1, example system 100 may also
include one or more physical processors, such as physical processor
130. Physical processor 130 generally represents any type or form
of hardware-implemented processing unit capable of interpreting
and/or executing computer-readable instructions. In one example,
physical processor 130 may access and/or modify one or more of
modules 102 stored in memory 140. Additionally or alternatively,
physical processor 130 may execute one or more of modules 102 to
facilitate data management of multiple cloud services. Examples of
physical processor 130 include, without limitation,
microprocessors, microcontrollers, Central Processing Units (CPUs),
Field-Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) that implement softcore
processors, Application-Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs),
portions of one or more of the same, variations or combinations of
one or more of the same, and/or any other suitable physical
processor.
[0031] As illustrated in FIG. 1, example system 100 may also
include one or more additional elements, such as metadata 120.
Metadata 120 generally represents any type or form of metadata
associated with data (e.g., data 228 in FIG. 2) hosted on content
sources (e.g., servers 206A-B in FIG. 2). The data may be, for
instance, files, documents, photos, videos, content, etc. Metadata
120 may represent information about the data, such as various
attributes and properties, in one example, metadata 120 may include
specific types of metadata, such as content metadata 122, user
metadata 124, and access metadata 126. Content metadata 122 may
represent metadata closely associated with the data, such as file
types, file sizes, file locations, etc. User metadata 124 may
represent metadata associated with users who may access the data,
such as user identification, user profile information (e.g.,
department, manager, email address, etc.), permissions, group
memberships, etc. Access metadata 126 may represent metadata of
operation events associated with the data, including details of
file operations on the data. Examples of access metadata 126 may
include, without limitation, timestamps, users performing
operations, types of operations (e.g., file creation, modification,
moving, etc.), and other related details.
[0032] Example system 100 in FIG. 1 may be implemented in a variety
of ways. For example, all or a portion of example system 100 may
represent portions of example system 200 in FIG. 2. As shown in
FIG. 2, system 200 may include a computing device 202 in
communication with servers 206A-B via a network 204. In one
example, all or a portion of the functionality of modules 102 may
be performed by computing device 202, servers 206A-B, and/or any
other suitable computing system. As will be described in greater
detail below, one or more of modules 102 from FIG. 1 may, when
executed by at least one processor of computing device 202 and/or
server 206, enable computing device 202 and/or servers 206A-B to
manage data from multiple cloud services. For example, and as will
be described in greater detail below, one or more of modules 102
may cause computing device 202 and/or servers 206A-B to recite
steps of method claim using FIG. 2
[0033] Computing device 202 generally represents any type or form
of computing device capable of reading computer-executable
instructions. Computing device 202 may be a platform server which
may be a backend server hosting a platform for multi-cloud data
management as will be described below. Additional examples of
computing device 202 include, without limitation, laptops, tablets,
desktops, servers, cellular phones, Personal Digital Assistants
(PDAs), multimedia players, embedded systems, wearable devices
(e.g., smart watches, smart glasses, etc.), smart vehicles, smart
packaging (e.g., active or intelligent packaging), gaming consoles,
so-called Internet-of-Things devices (e.g., smart appliances,
etc.), variations or combinations of one or more of the same,
and/or any other suitable computing device.
[0034] Servers 206A-B generally represent any type or form of
computing device that is capable of hosting content such as data
228. Servers 206A-B may be cloud servers or servers hosting cloud
services and/or other private data hosting services. Additional
examples of server 206 include, without limitation, backend
servers, application servers, web servers, storage servers, and/or
database servers configured to run certain software applications
and/or provide various web, storage, and/or database services.
Although illustrated as two entities in FIG. 2, servers 206A-B may
include and/or represent a plurality of servers that work and/or
operate in conjunction with one another.
[0035] Data 228 generally represents any type or form of data.
Examples of data 228 may include, without limitation, files,
documents, photos, videos, digital representations of information,
etc. Data 228 may be stored across and accessed from multiple
servers, such as servers 206A-B. Data 228 may be unstructured data.
The term "unstructured data," as used herein, generally refers to
data which may not be organized in a pre-defined manner or
otherwise does not have a pre-defined data model. Unstructured
data, particularly unstructured data hosted on various
noncollaborative cloud services, may be difficult to manage as it
scales in size and/or amount.
[0036] Network 204 generally represents any medium or architecture
capable of facilitating communication or data transfer. In one
example, network 204 may facilitate communication between computing
device 202 and server 206. In this example, network 204 may
facilitate communication or data transfer using wireless and/or
wired connections. Examples of network 204 include, without
limitation, an intranet, a Wide Area Network (WAN), a Local Area
Network (LAN), a Personal Area Network (PAN), the Internet, Power
Line Communications (PLC), a cellular network (e.g., a Global
System for Mobile Communications (GSM) network), portions of one or
more of the same, variations or combinations of one or more of the
same, and/or any other suitable network.
[0037] FIG. 3 is a flow diagram of an example computer-implemented
method 300 for data management of multiple cloud services. The
steps shown in FIG. 3 may be performed by any suitable
computer-executable code and/or computing system, including system
100 in FIG. 1, system 200 in FIG. 2, and/or variations or
combinations of one or more of the same. In one example, each of
the steps shown in FIG. 3 may represent an algorithm whose
structure includes and/or is represented by multiple sub-steps,
examples of which will be provided in greater detail below.
[0038] As illustrated in FIG. 3, at step 302 one or more of the
systems described herein may receive, via a visibility application,
a command for managing data hosted on a plurality of content
sources, wherein commands from the visibility application are
modified and indirectly routed to the plurality of content sources.
For example, receiving module 104 may, as part of computing device
202 in FIG. 2, receive a command for managing data 228.
[0039] The term "visibility application," as used herein, generally
refers to an application which may be used for monitoring
application performance. Examples of visibility applications
include, without limitation, diagnostic applications, security
applications, administrative tools, etc. In some examples,
visibility applications may refer more generally to an application
which may be client-facing in order to provide a user interface and
accesses an underlying platform and/or backend service such that
the user may not directly access the platform.
[0040] FIG. 4 illustrates a platform environment 400 including a
visibility application 462, a presentation layer 460, a control
plane 470, an analytics plane 480, a data plane 490, and content
sources 406A-B. Visibility application 462 may be a visibility
application which interfaces with presentation layer 460, although
in some implementations presentation layer 460 may include or
otherwise integrate visibility application 462. A platform 450 may
be a multi-cloud data management platform that may include various
microservices whose architecture may be represented by presentation
layer 460, control plane 470, analytics plane 480, and data plane
490. The multi-cloud data management platform may be implemented
with, for example, computing device 202. Content sources 406A-B may
correspond to various cloud service and may be implanted with
servers 206A-B.
[0041] Presentation layer 460 may provide an API for visibility
application 462 to interface with platform 450. Presentation layer
460 may allow various applications capable of interfacing with
platform 450 to be developed. These applications may leverage the
data management functionalities provided by platform 450 without
needing to directly access cloud services such as content sources
406A-B. Visibility application 462 may provide a user interface to
the user to allow the user to issue commands and see results.
[0042] Control plane 470 may provide a control logic for
coordinating actions amongst the various layers of platform 450.
For instance, control plane 470 may receive commands from the user
via visibility application 462 and presentation layer 460. Control
plane 470 may accordingly modify the received commands and issue
appropriate commands to analytics plane 480 and/or data plane 490
as needed to perform the received commands. Control plane 470 may
further send or facilitate sending results of the performed
commands to presentation layer 460.
[0043] Analytics plane 480 may provide analysis logic for
performing analysis on data stored in content sources 406A-B.
Analytics plane 480 may utilize one or more machine learning
systems and/or other analytics tools to perform analysis.
[0044] Data plane 490 may provide an interface for accessing
content sources 406A-B. Data plane 490 may be configured to access
various types of data storage solutions, such as cloud services,
private data servers, database servers, etc. Data plane 490 may
facilitate communication between platform 450 and content sources
406A-B.
[0045] In some implementations, platform 450 may be deployed on a
single server or computing device. In other implementations,
platform 450 may be deployed across multiple servers. For example,
data plane 490 may be deployed close to data 228, such as on the
cloud service and/or private data server (e.g., server 206A and/or
server 206B). Analytics plane 480 may also be deployed close to
data 228. In some implementations, multiple iterations of analytics
plane 480 and/or data plane 490 may be deployed, such as on each
cloud service and/or private data server. Control plane 470 may be
deployed in a centralized location which may be close to the user,
such as on a client computing device or company server.
[0046] Returning to FIG. 3, the systems described herein may
perform step 302 in a variety of ways. In one example, the command
may be a general command, such as a command to begin analysis of
data (e.g., data 228) and/or to continue ongoing analysis. In one
example, the command may be a broad command, such as a command to
reorganize the data. In one example, the command may be a specific
command, such as a command to move and/or delete a particular file.
In other examples, the command may not be a direct command from the
user but rather a command in response to the user initiating
visibility application 462 and/or platform 450 in general.
[0047] In addition, the user may first be verified such that the
command is issued by the verified user. Turning to FIG. 5, FIG. 5
illustrates a workflow 500 of using a multi-cloud data management
platform such as platform 450. At 502, a user may log into a
visibility application such as visibility application 462. At 504,
the user may issue a command to the platform.
[0048] Returning to FIG. 3, at step 304 one or more of the systems
described herein may access, in response to the command, the
plurality of content sources. For example, accessing module 106
may, as part of computing device 202 in FIG. 2, access servers
206A-B.
[0049] The systems described herein may perform step 304 in a
variety of ways. In one example, data plane 490 may access content
sources 406A-B. Data plane 490 may be controlled by control plane
470 to access content sources 406A-B in response to the command
received from visibility application 462 via presentation layer
460.
[0050] As illustrated in FIG. 5, at 506 the control plane may issue
a command to the data plane in response to the received command.
The received command may be a command to initiate data analysis
which may comprise one or more subcommands coordinated by control
plane 470. For example, the data analysis may require collecting
and aggregating metadata of the data, analyzing the metadata, and
providing the analysis results for presentation. In other examples
the received command may be a specific command to create, modify,
move, and/or delete data, which control plane 470 may accordingly
modify to send appropriate commands to data plane 490. For
instance, control plane 470 may specify to data plane 490 which of
content source 406A and/or content source 406B to access and what
operations to perform.
[0051] Turning back to FIG. 3, at step 306 one or more of the
systems described herein may collect and aggregate, from the
plurality of content sources, metadata associated with the data.
For example, collecting module 108 may, as part of computing device
202 in FIG. 2, may collect and aggregate metadata 120, which may
include content metadata 122, user metadata 124, and/or access
metadata 126 associated with data 228.
[0052] The systems described herein may perform step 306 in a
variety of ways. In one example, metadata 120 may be stored with
data 228. In another example, metadata 120 may be derived from data
228, such as by examining and/or determining properties of data
228. Portions of metadata 120, such as user metadata 124, may be
stored separately from data 228 and may instead be available from
another server storing user information, such as computing device
202.
[0053] As described above, content metadata 122 may represent
attributes and/or properties directly relating to data 228. User
metadata 124 may represent attributes and/or properties relating to
users who may access data 228. Access metadata 126 may represent a
history of actions and/or events relating to data 228. Collecting
and aggregating content metadata 122, user metadata 124, and access
metadata 126 may provide a more complete set of metadata
corresponding to data 228 than metadata from a single source.
[0054] As illustrated in FIG. 5, at 508 the command issued by the
data plane may be performed at the cloud services. For example,
data plane 490 may access content source 406A and/or content source
406B to collect available metadata (e.g., content metadata 122
and/or access metadata 126). Data plane 490 may also collect
metadata (e.g., user metadata 124) from other sources as needed,
such as from platform 450. In some examples, metadata 120 may
include a subset of content metadata 122, user metadata 124, and/or
access metadata 126. For instance, one or more of content metadata
122, user metadata 124, and/or access metadata 126 may be
unavailable.
[0055] At 510, the control plane may collect the response from 508.
For example, control plane 470 may collect and aggregate metadata
120 using data plane 490. In some examples, aggregating metadata
120 may include combining with prior aggregations of metadata
120.
[0056] Returning to FIG. 3, at step 308 one or more of the systems
described herein may analyze the aggregated metadata. For example,
analysis module 110 may, as part of computing device 202 in FIG. 2,
analyze metadata 120, including content metadata 122, user metadata
124, and/or access metadata 126.
[0057] The systems described herein may perform step 308 in a
variety of ways. In one example, at 512 of FIG. 5, the analytics
plane may analyze the response collected at 510. For instance,
control plane 470 may command analytics plane 480 to analyze
metadata 120.
[0058] The results of the analysis may reveal various
characteristics of data 120. For instance, portions of data 120 may
be prioritized based on various factors. Data which may be accessed
often may be given higher priority over data that may not be
accessed often or is otherwise stale data. Data accessed by higher
level members of the business, such as managers, administrators,
team leaders, etc., may be given higher priority over data that is
not accessed by higher level members. Data labeled as important,
confidential, protected, etc., may be given higher priority. Data
integrity may also be considered. For instance, corrupt or
incomplete data may be given lower priority or flagged for removal.
Other usage characteristics and heuristics may further be
revealed.
[0059] Returning to FIG. 3, at step 310 one or more of the systems
described herein may provide, for presentation by the visibility
application, results of the metadata analysis. For example,
providing module 112 may, as part of computing device 202 in FIG.
2, provide the results for presentation.
[0060] The systems described herein may perform step 310 in a
variety of ways. In one example, at 514 in FIG. 5, the presentation
layer may present the results. For instance, presentation layer 460
may present the results via visibility application 462. Control
plane 470 may command presentation layer 460 to present the
results. In some examples, control plane 470 may further take
action to manage data 228. For instance, control plane 470 may
clean stale data through deletion and/or archiving.
[0061] Control plane 470 may move portions of data 228 to different
storage devices of content source 406A and/or content source 406B
based on priority. The storage devices of content source 406A-B may
be organized in a storage hierarchy which may prioritize storage
devices. The storage devices may be prioritized in the storage
hierarchy, for example, based on type of storage device,
performance, cost, bandwidth, etc. For instance, flash-based
storage devices may be higher in the hierarchy than disk-based
storage devices due to performance, but may come at an increased
cost to obtain and/or maintain.
[0062] In some examples, the user may send a subsequent command.
For example, receiving module 104 may, as part of computing device
202 in FIG. 2, receive, in response to the presentation of the
results by the visibility application, a second command for
managing the data. Accessing module 106 may accessing the plurality
of content services to perform the second command. As illustrated
in FIG. 5, at 516 the user may respond to the presentation of
results at 514. The user may issue another command, returning to
504 and repeating portions of workflow 500 based on the
command.
[0063] In some examples, the second command may comprise a command
to move portions of the data through the storage hierarchy based on
the metadata analysis. For instance, high priority data may be
moved up the storage hierarchy whereas low priority data may be
moved down the storage hierarchy.
[0064] In some examples, the second command may comprise a command
to delete portions of the data based on the metadata analysis. For
instance, data that is unused, labeled unimportant, incomplete,
corrupt, or otherwise marked for deletion may be deleted so as to
free up storage resources.
[0065] As explained above in connection with example method 300 and
workflow 500, a multi-cloud data management platform may allow
multiple services, such as backup, copy data management, etc., to
be built within the same technical framework. The platform may
provide a singular point of control and a unified user-experience
for an enterprise customer's workload, data, and information
management services. The platform may leverage a comprehensive and
uniform view and state of the customer's infrastructure and
information assets. The platform may further provide a business
framework that may support new business models to be built and
supported. The platform may include a control plane which includes
a state machine having knowledge of the various services during
different lifecycle phases, such as development, deployment,
runtime, etc. The platform may have a separation of various planes
(e.g., data, control, analytics, etc.) with a distributed
architecture. The platform may support multiple tenants and may
allow customers to manage hybrid clouds. The platform may allow
multiple applications to contribute and share a common asset model
which may help derive and execute higher level business policies
and objectives.
[0066] FIG. 6 is a block diagram of an example computing system 610
capable of implementing one or more of the embodiments described
and/or illustrated herein. For example, all or a portion of
computing system 610 may perform and/or be a means for performing,
either alone or in combination with other elements, one or more of
the steps described herein (such as one or more of the steps
illustrated in FIG. 3). All or a portion of computing system 610
may also perform and/or be a means for performing any other steps,
methods, or processes described and/or illustrated herein.
[0067] Computing system 610 broadly represents any single or
multi-processor computing device or system capable of executing
computer-readable instructions. Examples of computing system 610
include, without limitation, workstations, laptops, client-side
terminals, servers, distributed computing systems, handheld
devices, or any other computing system or device. In its most basic
configuration, computing system 610 may include at least one
processor 614 and a system memory 616.
[0068] Processor 614 generally represents any type or form of
physical processing unit (e.g., a hardware-implemented central
processing unit) capable of processing data or interpreting and
executing instructions. In certain embodiments, processor 614 may
receive instructions from a software application or module. These
instructions may cause processor 614 to perform the functions of
one or more of the example embodiments described and/or illustrated
herein.
[0069] System memory 616 generally represents any type or form of
volatile or non-volatile storage device or medium capable of
storing data and/or other computer-readable instructions. Examples
of system memory 616 include, without limitation, Random Access
Memory (RAM), Read Only Memory (ROM), flash memory, or any other
suitable memory device. Although not required, in certain
embodiments computing system 610 may include both a volatile memory
unit (such as, for example, system memory 616) and a non-volatile
storage device (such as, for example, primary storage device 632,
as described in detail below). In one example, one or more of
modules 102 from FIG. 1 may be loaded into system memory 616.
[0070] In some examples, system memory 616 may store and/or load an
operating system 640 for execution by processor 614. In one
example, operating system 640 may include and/or represent software
that manages computer hardware and software resources and/or
provides common services to computer programs and/or applications
on computing system 610. Examples of operating system 640 include,
without limitation, LINUX, JUNOS, MICROSOFT WINDOWS, WINDOWS
MOBILE, MAC OS, APPLE'S IOS, UNIX, GOOGLE CHROME OS, GOOGLE'S
ANDROID, SOLARIS, variations of one or more of the same, and/or any
other suitable operating system.
[0071] In certain embodiments, example computing system 610 may
also include one or more components or elements in addition to
processor 614 and system memory 616. For example, as illustrated in
FIG. 6, computing system 610 may include a memory controller 618,
an Input/Output (I/O) controller 620, and a communication interface
622, each of which may be interconnected via a communication
infrastructure 612. Communication infrastructure 612 generally
represents any type or form of infrastructure capable of
facilitating communication between one or more components of a
computing device. Examples of communication infrastructure 612
include, without limitation, a communication bus (such as an
Industry Standard Architecture (ISA), Peripheral Component
Interconnect (PCI), PCI Express (PCle), or similar bus) and a
network.
[0072] Memory controller 618 generally represents any type or form
of device capable of handling memory or data or controlling
communication between one or more components of computing system
610. For example, in certain embodiments memory controller 618 may
control communication between processor 614, system memory 616, and
i/O controller 620 via communication infrastructure 612.
[0073] I/O controller 620 generally represents any type or form of
module capable of coordinating and/or controlling the input and
output functions of a computing device. For example, in certain
embodiments I/O controller 620 may control or facilitate transfer
of data between one or more elements of computing system 610, such
as processor 614, system memory 616, communication interface 622,
display adapter 626, input interface 630, and storage interface
634.
[0074] As illustrated in FIG. 6, computing system 610 may also
include at least one display device 624 coupled to I/O controller
620 via a display adapter 626. Display device 624 generally
represents any type or form of device capable of visually
displaying information forwarded by display adapter 626. Similarly,
display adapter 626 generally represents any type or form of device
configured to forward graphics, text, and other data from
communication infrastructure 612 (or from a frame buffer, as known
in the art) for display on display device 624.
[0075] As illustrated in FIG. 6, example computing system 610 may
also include at least one input device 628 coupled to I/O
controller 620 via an input interface 630. Input device 628
generally represents any type or form of input device capable of
providing input, either computer or human generated, to example
computing system 610. Examples of input device 628 include, without
limitation, a keyboard, a pointing device, a speech recognition
device, variations or combinations of one or more of the same,
and/or any other input device.
[0076] Additionally or alternatively, example computing system 610
may include additional I/O devices. For example, example computing
system 610 may include I/O device 636. In this example, I/O device
636 may include and/or represent a user interface that facilitates
human interaction with computing system 610. Examples of I/O device
636 include, without limitation, a computer mouse, a keyboard, a
monitor, a printer, a modem, a camera, a scanner, a microphone, a
touchscreen device, variations or combinations of one or more of
the same, and/or any other I/O device.
[0077] Communication interface 622 broadly represents any type or
form of communication device or adapter capable of facilitating
communication between example computing system 610 and one or more
additional devices. For example, in certain embodiments
communication interface 622 may facilitate communication between
computing system 610 and a private or public network including
additional computing systems. Examples of communication interface
622 include, without limitation, a wired network interface (such as
a network interface card), a wireless network interface (such as a
wireless network interface card), a modem, and any other suitable
interface. In at least one embodiment, communication interface 622
may provide a direct connection to a remote server via a direct
link to a network, such as the Internet. Communication interface
622 may also indirectly provide such a connection through, for
example, a local area network (such as an Ethernet network), a
personal area network, a telephone or cable network, a cellular
telephone connection, a satellite data connection, or any other
suitable connection.
[0078] In certain embodiments, communication interface 622 may also
represent a host adapter configured to facilitate communication
between computing system 610 and one or more additional network or
storage devices via an external bus or communications channel.
Examples of host adapters include, without limitation, Small
Computer System Interface (SCSI) host adapters, Universal Serial
Bus (UJSB) host adapters, Institute of Electrical and Electronics
Engineers (IEEE) 1394 host adapters, Advanced Technology Attachment
(ATA), Parallel ATA (PATA), Serial ATA (SATA), and External SATA
(eSATA) host adapters, Fibre Channel interface adapters, Ethernet
adapters, or the like. Communication interface 622 may also allow
computing system 610 to engage in distributed or remote computing.
For example, communication interface 622 may receive instructions
from a remote device or send instructions to a remote device for
execution.
[0079] In some examples, system memory 616 may store and/or load a
network communication program 638 for execution by processor 614.
In one example, network communication program 638 may include
and/or represent software that enables computing system 610 to
establish a network connection 642 with another computing system
(not illustrated in FIG. 6) and/or communicate with the other
computing system by way of communication interface 622. In this
example, network communication program 638 may direct the flow of
outgoing traffic that is sent to the other computing system via
network connection 642. Additionally or alternatively, network
communication program 638 may direct the processing of incoming
traffic that is received from the other computing system via
network connection 642 in connection with processor 614.
[0080] Although not illustrated in this way in FIG. 6, network
communication program 638 may alternatively be stored and/or loaded
in communication interface 622. For example, network communication
program 638 may include and/or represent at least a portion of
software and/or firmware that is executed by a processor and/or
Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) incorporated in
communication interface 622.
[0081] As illustrated in FIG. 6, example computing system 610 may
also include a primary storage device 632 and a backup storage
device 633 coupled to communication infrastructure 612 via a
storage interface 634. Storage devices 632 and 633 generally
represent any type or form of storage device or medium capable of
storing data and/or other computer-readable instructions. For
example, storage devices 632 and 633 may be a magnetic disk drive
(e.g., a so-called hard drive), a solid state drive, a floppy disk
drive, a magnetic tape drive, an optical disk drive, a flash drive,
or the like. Storage interface 634 generally represents any type or
form of interface or device for transferring data between storage
devices 632 and 633 and other components of computing system 610.
In one example, metadata 120 from FIG. 1 may be stored and/or
loaded in primary storage device 632.
[0082] In certain embodiments, storage devices 632 and 633 may be
configured to read from and/or write to a removable storage unit
configured to store computer software, data, or other
computer-readable information. Examples of suitable removable
storage units include, without limitation, a floppy disk, a
magnetic tape, an optical disk, a flash memory device, or the like.
Storage devices 632 and 633 may also include other similar
structures or devices for allowing computer software, data, or
other computer-readable instructions to be loaded into computing
system 610. For example, storage devices 632 and 633 may be
configured to read and write software, data, or other
computer-readable information. Storage devices 632 and 633 may also
be a part of computing system 610 or may be a separate device
accessed through other interface systems.
[0083] Many other devices or subsystems may be connected to
computing system 610. Conversely, all of the components and devices
illustrated in FIG. 6 need not be present to practice the
embodiments described and/or illustrated herein. The devices and
subsystems referenced above may also be interconnected in different
ways from that shown in FIG. 6. Computing system 610 may also
employ any number of software, firmware, and/or hardware
configurations. For example, one or more of the example embodiments
disclosed herein may be encoded as a computer program (also
referred to as computer software, software applications,
computer-readable instructions, or computer control logic) on a
computer-readable medium. The term "computer-readable medium," as
used herein, generally refers to any form of device, carrier, or
medium capable of storing or carrying computer-readable
instructions. Examples of computer-readable media include, without
limitation, transmission-type media, such as carrier waves, and
non-transitory-type media, such as magnetic-storage media (e.g.,
hard disk drives, tape drives, and floppy disks), optical-storage
media (e.g., Compact Disks (CDs), Digital Video Disks (DVDs), and
BLU-RAY disks), electronic-storage media (e.g., solid-state drives
and flash media), and other distribution systems.
[0084] The computer-readable medium containing the computer program
may be loaded into computing system 610. All or a portion of the
computer program stored on the computer-readable medium may then be
stored in system memory 616 and/or various portions of storage
devices 632 and 633. When executed by processor 614, a computer
program loaded into computing system 610 may cause processor 614 to
perform and/or be a means for performing the functions of one or
more of the example embodiments described and/or illustrated
herein. Additionally or alternatively, one or more of the example
embodiments described and/or illustrated herein may be implemented
in firmware and/or hardware. For example, computing system 610 may
be configured as an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC)
adapted to implement one or more of the example embodiments
disclosed herein.
[0085] FIG. 7 is a block diagram of an example network architecture
700 in which client systems 710, 720, and 730 and servers 740 and
745 may be coupled to a network 750. As detailed above, all or a
portion of network architecture 700 may perform and/or be a means
for performing, either alone or in combination with other elements,
one or more of the steps disclosed herein (such as one or more of
the steps illustrated in FIG. 3). All or a portion of network
architecture 700 may also be used to perform and/or be a means for
performing other steps and features set forth in the present
disclosure.
[0086] Client systems 710, 720, and 730 generally represent any
type or form of computing device or system, such as example
computing system 610 in FIG. 6. Similarly, servers 740 and 745
generally represent computing devices or systems, such as
application servers or database servers, configured to provide
various database services and/or run certain software applications.
Network 750 generally represents any telecommunication or computer
network including, for example, an intranet, a WAN, a LAN, a PAN,
or the Internet. In one example, client systems 710, 720, and/or
730 and/or servers 740 and/or 745 may include all or a portion of
system 100 from FIG. 1.
[0087] As illustrated in FIG. 7, one or more storage devices
760(1)-(N) may be directly attached to server 740. Similarly, one
or more storage devices 770(1)-(N) may be directly attached to
server 745. Storage devices 760(1)-(N) and storage devices
770(1)-(N) generally represent any type or form of storage device
or medium capable of storing data and/or other computer-readable
instructions. In certain embodiments, storage devices 760(1)-(N)
and storage devices 770(1)-(N) may represent Network-Attached
Storage (NAS) devices configured to communicate with servers 740
and 745 using various protocols, such as Network File System (NFS),
Server Message Block (SMB), or Common Internet File System
(CIFS).
[0088] Servers 740 and 745 may also be connected to a Storage Area
Network (SAN) fabric 780. SAN fabric 780 generally represents any
type or form of computer network or architecture capable of
facilitating communication between a plurality of storage devices.
SAN fabric 780 may facilitate communication between servers 740 and
745 and a plurality of storage devices 790(1)-(N) and/or an
intelligent storage array 795. SAN fabric 780 may also facilitate,
via network 750 and servers 740 and 745, communication between
client systems 710, 720, and 730 and storage devices 790(1)-(N)
and/or intelligent storage array 795 in such a manner that devices
790(1)-(N) and array 795 appear as locally attached devices to
client systems 710, 720, and 730. As with storage devices
760(1)-(N) and storage devices 770(1)-(N), storage devices
790(1)-(N) and intelligent storage array 795 generally represent
any type or form of storage device or medium capable of storing
data and/or other computer-readable instructions.
[0089] In certain embodiments, and with reference to example
computing system 610 of FIG. 6, a communication interface, such as
communication interface 622 in FIG. 6, may be used to provide
connectivity between each client system 710, 720, and 730 and
network 750. Client systems 710, 720, and 730 may be able to access
information on server 740 or 745 using, for example, a web browser
or other client software. Such software may allow client systems
710, 720, and 730 to access data hosted by server 740, server 745,
storage devices 760(1)-(N), storage devices 770(1)-(N), storage
devices 790(1)-(N), or intelligent storage array 795. Although FIG.
7 depicts the use of a network (such as the Internet) for
exchanging data, the embodiments described and/or illustrated
herein are not limited to the Internet or any particular
network-based environment.
[0090] In at least one embodiment, all or a portion of one or more
of the example embodiments disclosed herein may be encoded as a
computer program and loaded onto and executed by server 740, server
745, storage devices 760(1)-(N), storage devices 770(1)-(N),
storage devices 790(1)-(N), intelligent storage array 795, or any
combination thereof. All or a portion of one or more of the example
embodiments disclosed herein may also be encoded as a computer
program, stored in server 740, run by server 745, and distributed
to client systems 710, 720, and 730 over network 750.
[0091] As detailed above, computing system 610 and/or one or more
components of network architecture 700 may perform and/or be a
means for performing, either alone or in combination with other
elements, one or more steps of an example method for data
management of multiple cloud services.
[0092] While the foregoing disclosure sets forth various
embodiments using specific block diagrams, flowcharts, and
examples, each block diagram component, flowchart step, operation,
and/or component described and/or illustrated herein may be
implemented, individually and/or collectively, using a wide range
of hardware, software, or firmware (or any combination thereof)
configurations. In addition, any disclosure of components contained
within other components should be considered example in nature
since many other architectures can be implemented to achieve the
same functionality.
[0093] In some examples, all or a portion of example system 100 in
FIG. 1 may represent portions of a cloud-computing or network-based
environment. Cloud-computing environments may provide various
services and applications via the Internet. These cloud-based
services (e.g., software as a service, platform as a service,
infrastructure as a service, etc.) may be accessible through a web
browser or other remote interface. Various functions described
herein may be provided through a remote desktop environment or any
other cloud-based computing environment.
[0094] In various embodiments, all or a portion of example system
100 in FIG. 1 may facilitate multi-tenancy within a cloud-based
computing environment. In other words, the software modules
described herein may configure a computing system (e.g., a server)
to facilitate multi-tenancy for one or more of the functions
described herein. For example, one or more of the software modules
described herein may program a server to enable two or more clients
(e.g., customers) to share an application that is running on the
server. A server programmed in this manner may share an
application, operating system, processing system, and/or storage
system among multiple customers (i.e., tenants). One or more of the
modules described herein may also partition data and/or
configuration information of a multi-tenant application for each
customer such that one customer cannot access data and/or
configuration information of another customer.
[0095] According to various embodiments, all or a portion of
example system 100 in FIG. 1 may be implemented within a virtual
environment. For example, the modules and/or data described herein
may reside and/or execute within a virtual machine. As used herein,
the term "virtual machine" generally refers to any operating system
environment that is abstracted from computing hardware by a virtual
machine manager (e.g., a hypervisor). Additionally or
alternatively, the modules and/or data described herein may reside
and/or execute within a virtualization layer. As used herein, the
term "virtualization layer" generally refers to any data layer
and/or application layer that overlays and/or is abstracted from an
operating system environment. A virtualization layer may be managed
by a software virtualization solution (e.g., a file system filter)
that presents the virtualization layer as though it were part of an
underlying base operating system. For example, a software
virtualization solution may redirect calls that are initially
directed to locations within a base file system and/or registry to
locations within a virtualization layer.
[0096] In some examples, all or a portion of example system 100 in
FIG. 1 may represent portions of a mobile computing environment.
Mobile computing environments may be implemented by a wide range of
mobile computing devices, including mobile phones, tablet
computers, e-book readers, personal digital assistants, wearable
computing devices (e.g., computing devices with a head-mounted
display, smartwatches, etc.), and the like. In some examples,
mobile computing environments may have one or more distinct
features, including, for example, reliance on battery power,
presenting only one foreground application at any given time,
remote management features, touchscreen features, location and
movement data (e.g., provided by Global Positioning Systems,
gyroscopes, accelerometers, etc.), restricted platforms that
restrict modifications to system-level configurations and/or that
limit the ability of third-party software to inspect the behavior
of other applications, controls to restrict the installation of
applications (e.g., to only originate from approved application
stores), etc. Various functions described herein may be provided
for a mobile computing environment and/or may interact with a
mobile computing environment.
[0097] The computing devices and systems described and/or
illustrated herein broadly represent any type or form of computing
device or system capable of executing computer-readable
instructions, such as those contained within the modules described
herein. In their most basic configuration, these computing
device(s) may each include at least one memory device and at least
one physical processor.
[0098] In some examples, the term "memory device" generally refers
to any type or form of volatile or non-volatile storage device or
medium capable of storing data and/or computer-readable
instructions. In one example, a memory device may store, load,
and/or maintain one or more of the modules described herein.
Examples of memory devices include, without limitation, Random
Access Memory (RAM), Read Only Memory (ROM), flash memory, Hard
Disk Drives (HDDs), Solid-State Drives (SSDs), optical disk drives,
caches, variations or combinations of one or more of the same, or
any other suitable storage memory.
[0099] In some examples, the term "physical processor" generally
refers to any type or form of hardware-implemented processing unit
capable of interpreting and/or executing computer-readable
instructions. In one example, a physical processor may access
and/or modify one or more modules stored in the above-described
memory device. Examples of physical processors include, without
limitation, microprocessors, microcontrollers, Central Processing
Units (CPUs), Field-Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) that implement
softcore processors, Application-Specific Integrated Circuits
(ASICs), portions of one or more of the same, variations or
combinations of one or more of the same, or any other suitable
physical processor.
[0100] The process parameters and sequence of steps described
and/or illustrated herein are given by way of example only and can
be varied as desired. For example, while the steps illustrated
and/or described herein may be shown or discussed in a particular
order, these steps do not necessarily need to be performed in the
order illustrated or discussed. The various example methods
described and/or illustrated herein may also omit one or more of
the steps described or illustrated herein or include additional
steps in addition to those disclosed.
[0101] While various embodiments have been described and/or
illustrated herein in the context of fully functional computing
systems, one or more of these example embodiments may be
distributed as a program product in a variety of forms, regardless
of the particular type of computer-readable media used to actually
carry out the distribution. The embodiments disclosed herein may
also be implemented using software modules that perform certain
tasks. These software modules may include script, batch, or other
executable files that may be stored on a computer-readable storage
medium or in a computing system. In some embodiments, these
software modules may configure a computing system to perform one or
more of the example embodiments disclosed herein.
[0102] Although illustrated as separate elements, the modules
described and/or illustrated herein may represent portions of a
single module or application. In addition, in certain embodiments
one or more of these modules may represent one or more software
applications or programs that, when executed by a computing device,
may cause the computing device to perform one or more tasks. For
example, one or more of the modules described and/or illustrated
herein may represent modules stored and configured to run on one or
more of the computing devices or systems described and/or
illustrated herein. One or more of these modules may also represent
all or portions of one or more special-purpose computers configured
to perform one or more tasks.
[0103] In addition, one or more of the modules described herein may
transform data, physical devices, and/or representations of
physical devices from one form to another. For example, one or more
of the modules recited herein may receive metadata to be
transformed, transform the metadata, output a result of the
transformation to present analysis, use the result of the
transformation to manage associated data, and store the result of
the transformation to perform data management functions.
Additionally or alternatively, one or more of the modules recited
herein may transform a processor, volatile memory, non-volatile
memory, and/or any other portion of a physical computing device
from one form to another by executing on the computing device,
storing data on the computing device, and/or otherwise interacting
with the computing device.
[0104] In some embodiments, the term "computer-readable medium"
generally refers to any form of device, carrier, or medium capable
of storing or carrying computer-readable instructions. Examples of
computer-readable media include, without limitation,
transmission-type media, such as carrier waves, and
non-transitory-type media, such as magnetic-storage media (e.g.,
hard disk drives, tape drives, and floppy disks), optical-storage
media (e.g., Compact Disks (CDs), Digital Video Disks (DVDs), and
BLU-RAY disks), electronic-storage media (e.g., solid-state drives
and flash media), and other distribution systems.
[0105] While the foregoing disclosure sets forth various
embodiments using specific block diagrams, flowcharts, and
examples, each block diagram component, flowchart step, operation,
and/or component described and/or illustrated herein may be
implemented, individually and/or collectively, using a wide range
of hardware, software, or firmware (or any combination thereof)
configurations. In addition, any disclosure of components contained
within other components should be considered example in nature
since many other architectures can be implemented to achieve the
same functionality.
[0106] The process parameters and sequence of steps described
and/or illustrated herein are given by way of example only and can
be varied as desired. For example, while the steps illustrated
and/or described herein may be shown or discussed in a particular
order, these steps do not necessarily need to be performed in the
order illustrated or discussed. The various example methods
described and/or illustrated herein may also omit one or more of
the steps described or illustrated herein or include additional
steps in addition to those disclosed.
[0107] While various embodiments have been described and/or
illustrated herein in the context of fully functional computing
systems, one or more of these example embodiments may be
distributed as a program product in a variety of forms, regardless
of the particular type of computer-readable media used to actually
carry out the distribution. The embodiments disclosed herein may
also be implemented using modules that perform certain tasks. These
modules may include script, batch, or other executable files that
may be stored on a computer-readable storage medium or in a
computing system. In some embodiments, these modules may configure
a computing system to perform one or more of the example
embodiments disclosed herein.
[0108] The preceding description has been provided to enable others
skilled in the art to best utilize various aspects of the example
embodiments disclosed herein. This example description is not
intended to be exhaustive or to be limited to any precise form
disclosed. Many modifications and variations are possible without
departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. The
embodiments disclosed herein should be considered in all respects
illustrative and not restrictive. Reference should be made to the
appended claims and their equivalents in determining the scope of
the present disclosure.
[0109] Unless otherwise noted, the terms "connected to" and
"coupled to" (and their derivatives), as used in the specification
and claims, are to be construed as permitting both direct and
indirect (i.e., via other elements or components) connection. In
addition, the terms "a" or "an," as used in the specification and
claims, are to be construed as meaning "at least one of." Finally,
for ease of use, the terms "including" and "having" (and their
derivatives), as used in the specification and claims, are
interchangeable with and have the same meaning as the word
"comprising."
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