To perform Recovery Point Objective (RPO) driven backup scheduling, the illustrative data storage management system is enhanced in several dimensions, including an illustrative enhanced data agent and an illustrative enhanced storage manager. Illustrative enhancements include: streamlining the user interface to take in fewer parameters; backup job scheduling is largely automated based on several factors, and includes automatic backup level conversion for legacy systems; backup job priorities are dynamically adjusted to re-submit failed data objects with an “aggressive” schedule in time to meet the RPO; only failed items are resubmitted for failed backup jobs.