Patent ID: 8706993

Claim:
A method, performed by at least one computing device having a processor and memory, to predict storage use in a computer network, the method comprising: directing with a first storage component, a second storage component to copy at least a portion of primary data stored on at least a first storage resource to secondary data stored on at least a second storage resource, wherein the first and second storage components are arranged in a hierarchy, and wherein the second storage component identifies the second storage resource with a first identifier; sending from the second storage component to the first storage component at least the first identifier associated with the second storage resource; directing with a first storage component, a third storage component to monitor usage data associated with the second storage resource during a time period, wherein the first and third storage components are arranged in a hierarchy, and wherein the third storage component identifies the second storage resource with a second identifier; sending from the third storage component to the first storage component, the second identifier associated with the second storage resource, and the usage data associated with the second storage resource; determining with the first storage component that the first identifier and the second identifier are associated with the second storage resource based on network data; predicting, with computer hardware comprising one or more computer processors, future use of the second storage resource based on the usage data; and directing the second storage component to copy at least a portion of the secondary data stored on the second storage resource to a third storage resource based on predicting the future use of the second storage resource.