Patent ID: 8315981

Claim:
A method for processing data from a plurality of heterogeneous client devices, the method comprising: providing a single interface including on-screen graphics representing a plurality of heterogeneous client devices in a storage network system, wherein the plurality of heterogeneous client devices comprises first client devices storing backup data in different backup formats and second client devices storing first data generated by native applications executing on the second client devices, the native applications being other than data backup applications, wherein the single interface is provided via a management console executing on a computing device in network communication with the heterogeneous client devices; receiving a data operation request including (i) a selection of at least one second client device, and (ii) a first data management operation performed on the first data of the at least one second client device, the first data of the at least one second client device generated by a first native application of the native applications; copying the first data of the at least one second client device from storage associated with the at least one second client device to a first memory location associated with a proxy device, where the data is obtained using a data connector that is in communication with the management console, the data connector corresponding to a file format associated with the first native application; emulating, using one or more processors and on the proxy device, the first native application; processing with the emulated native application the first data management operation on the copied first data; and storing the processed, copied first data on a storage device.