Patent ID: 8229897

Claim:
A method for implementing policy-aware backup and restore capability in a tiered storage file system, comprising: said tiered storage file system managing hierarchical data storage tiers of a tiered storage system wherein the storage tiers represent different classes of storage based on device cost and associated capabilities and include at least one high value storage tier and one low value storage tier, said high value storage tier having higher cost and associated capabilities than said low value storage tier, said high value storage tier storing data of higher data value than said low value storage tier; said tiered storage file system maintaining Information Lifecycle Management (ILM) metadata for data sets stored in said tiered storage system, said ILM metadata identifying a data set's storage tier assignment; said storage tier assignment being determined by an ILM policy rule that determines a storage tier where a data set should be placed in said tiered storage system according to a value associated with said data set; performing a data set backup that backs up a data set independently of said ILM metadata for said data set from said tiered storage file system to a backup storage system to create a backed up data set; said data set backup including a backup/restore application storing said backed up data set on said backup storage system without use of said ILM metadata for said backed up data set, said backup/restore application acting as a client of said tiered storage file system; independently performing an ILM metadata backup that backs up said ILM metadata for said backed up data set to create backed up ILM metadata; said metadata backup including said tiered storage file system providing said ILM metadata for said backed up data set to said backup/restore application as a data object that is opaque to said backup/restore application and said backup/restore application storing said data object as said backed up ILM metadata; prior to said backed up data set being restored from said backup storage system to said tiered storage file system, said backup/restore application performing an ILM metadata restore that restores said backed up ILM metadata to said tiered storage file system; said tiered storage file system processing said backed up ILM metadata to determine, based on said data value of data in said backed up data set, a storage tier in said tiered storage system to which said backed up data set will be restored, said storage tier being one of said at least one high value storage tier and one low value storage tier; and said backup/restore application performing a data set restore that restores said backed up data set from said backup storage system to said tiered storage file system, said data set restore being performed in cooperation with said tiered storage file system to place said backed up data set in said storage tier determined by said ILM metadata processing.