Patent ID: 8661216

Claim:
A method for automatically transferring a storage resource from a first storage operation cell to a second storage operation cell, the method comprising: monitoring, with a first storage operation cell, primary data created by one or more client computers, the primary data stored on one or more primary storage devices, the first storage operation cell comprising at least a first storage manager and at least a first media agent; directing the first media agent to backup at least a first portion of the primary data by copying the first portion of the primary data to one or more secondary storage devices to create secondary data of the primary data, and wherein the first media agent creates a first index of the secondary data; monitoring, with a second storage operation cell, the primary data created by the one or more client computers, the second storage operation cell comprising at least a second storage manager and a second media agent; directing the second media agent to backup at least a second portion of the primary data by copying the second portion of the primary data to the one or more secondary storage devices to create the secondary data of the primary data, and wherein the second media agent creates a second index of the secondary data; monitoring a first operational characteristic of the first media agent in the first storage operation cell wherein the first operational characteristic has an associated first threshold; predicting future utilization of the first media agent based on monitoring the first operational characteristic of the first media agent; identifying that the second storage operation cell comprises a second storage resource having a second operational characteristic that does not exceed a second threshold; determining whether the first media agent may be transferred to the second storage operation cell such that the transfer is capable of causing the first operational characteristic to remain within the first threshold; and automatically transferring the first media agent to the second storage operation cell if predicting future utilization of the first media agent is near or exceeds the first threshold, reconstituting the first media agent and the first index in the second storage operation cell; wherein the second storage operation cell directs the first media agent to backup the first portion of the primary data and update the first index.