Patent ID: 7877351

Claim:
A hierarchical storage management system for storing data in a network environment, the storage management system comprising: a plurality of backup cells, each of the plurality of backup cells being coupled to another of the plurality of backup cells, and wherein at least one of the plurality of backup cells further comprises: a media component configured to execute on a first network computing device of a plurality of network computing devices and being communicatively coupled to at least one storage device to store data to the at least one storage device, a client component configured to execute on a second network computing device of the plurality of network computing devices and to obtain the data from at least one of the plurality of network computing devices according to first parameters maintained by the client component, the client component being further configured to transmit the data to the media component, and a first manager component configured to execute on a third network computing device of the plurality of network computing devices and to direct the client component to obtain the data according to second parameters maintained by the first manager component; and a second manager component of at least one other of the plurality of backup cells, wherein the second manager component is configured to control the first manager component of the at least one backup cell of the plurality of backup cells.