Patent ID: 9658904
Date: 2017-05-23
CPC Classifications: G06F

Claim:
1. A machine implemented method, comprising: generating a first discovery request for a first plug-associated with a first application executed by a first computing system having access to a networked storage system for executing a storage service operation including at least one or more of a backup, cloning and restore operation for data managed by the first application; wherein the first plug-in is customized for the first application that performs a first function associated with the data managed by the first application; acquiring metadata by the first plug-in for the storage service operation and storing the metadata at a first location and at a second location, where the second location is at a storage device remote to the first computing system managed by a storage interface module that co-ordinates completion of the storage service operation; wherein the metadata acquired by the first plug-in identifies the data for the storage service operation and provides location information of where the data is stored; acquiescing the first application to prevent any change to the data for the storage service operation; generating a second discovery request for a second plug-in for a second application for the storage service operation; wherein the second plug-in is customized for the second application that performs a second function different from the first function and associated with a storage system used for storing the data for the first application; acquiring additional metadata by the second plug-in for the storage service operation using the metadata acquired by the first plug-in and updating the metadata stored at the first location and the second location by the additional metadata; wherein the additional metadata identifies a storage volume where the data is stored and an identity of the storage system that manages the storage volume; selecting the updated metadata that includes metadata acquired by the first plug-in and the additional metadata acquired by the second plug-in from the first location when the first plug-in and the second plug-in application are executed by the first computing system; selecting the updated metadata that includes metadata acquired by the first plug-in and the additional metadata acquired by the second plug-in from the second location when the first plug-in and the second plug-in application are executed by different computing systems; and completing the storage service operation using the selected updated metadata.