Patent ID: 7895295
Filing Date: 2011-02-22
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A data storage infrastructure for a communication network that produces a plurality of data flows of network data, the data storage infrastructure comprising: a plurality of data storage systems configured to store the network data, wherein each one of the data storage systems comprises a storage system tier of a plurality of storage system tiers; and a storage management system configured to identify characteristics for the data flows, score the characteristics for the data flows resulting in scores for the data flows, sum the scores to generate total scores for the data flows, and identify key variables for the data flows to determine a compatibility between each one of the data flows and a plurality of classes of service, wherein the classes of service comprise extremely critical, mission critical, business critical, and back-office, and wherein the key variables comprise access frequency, availability, policy enforcement, geographic diversity, business impact if data is lost, monitoring requirements, response time, and whether the network data is required for establishment and operation of communication paths for customers; and the storage management system further configured to select a class of service of the plurality of classes of service for each one of the data flows based on the total score and the key variables identified for each one of the data flows, and select one of the storage system tiers for each one of the data flows based on the selected class of service, wherein the data storage systems are configured to store the data flows in the selected ones of the storage system tiers.