Objective based backup job scheduling

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10083094-B1
Application number	US-201514863250-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Sep 23, 2015
Priority date	Sep 23, 2015
Publication date	Sep 25, 2018
Grant date	Sep 25, 2018

Abstract

A method and apparatus for scheduling backup tasks on a source system specified by a backup job to meet a recovery point objective (RPO) specified for the backup job is presented. A method generally includes estimating resource utilization at the source system expected during a plurality of time periods based on historical resource utilization by jobs executed on the source system. The backup system estimates a time required to complete the backup tasks during each time period on the source system based on the estimated resource utilization for each time period and historical backup performance data. Upon determining that the estimated time required to complete the backup tasks for one or more of the time periods meets the RPO, the backup system schedules the backup tasks to be executed during a time period of the one or more time periods with the lowest estimated resource utilization.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for scheduling backup tasks on a source system to meet a recovery point objective (RPO) specified for a backup job, comprising:
estimating, by a processor, resource utilization at the source system expected during a plurality of time periods based on historical resource utilization at the source system during each of the plurality of time periods;
estimating, by the processor, a time required to complete the backup tasks during each time period based on the estimated resource utilization for each time period and historical backup performance data, wherein the estimated time required to complete the backup tasks includes an estimated completion time for the backup job;
comparing, by the processor, the estimated completion time for the backup job to a latest completion time to meet the RPO specified for the backup job, wherein the latest completion time for the backup is based on a timestamp of a most recent backup and the RPO specified for the backup job;
in response to the estimated completion time meeting the RPO specified for the backup job, scheduling, by the processor, the backup tasks to be executed during a time period of the one or more time periods with a lowest estimated resource utilization; and
reducing a workload of the processor at least in part by the processor performing the scheduled backup tasks during the time period with the lowest estimated resource utilization.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the time period of the one or more time periods with the lowest estimated resource utilization corresponds to a shortest estimated time required to complete the backup tasks.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
after the backup tasks are completed, saving resource utilization data for the backup job to a historical data set, the historical data set being used to estimate the resource utilization and the time required to complete the backup tasks.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the backup job specifies a set of files to be backed up.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the backup job specifies an application to be backed up.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein estimating resource utilization at the source system comprises performing a time-weighted estimate.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein estimating resource utilization at the source system comprises estimating resource utilization over a specified time period.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein estimating the time required to complete the backup tasks comprises:
determining an average backup data throughput for the backup tasks based on historical data;
determining a size of the target data to be backed up; and
estimating the time required to complete the backup tasks based on the size of the target data and the average backup data throughput.

9. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, performs an operation for scheduling backup tasks on a source system to meet a recovery point objective (RPO) specified for a backup job, the operations comprising:
estimating resource utilization at the source system expected during a plurality of time periods based on historical resource utilization at the source system during each of the plurality of time periods;
estimating a time required to complete the backup tasks during each time period on the source system based on the estimated resource utilization for each time period and historical backup performance data, wherein the estimated time required to complete the backup tasks includes an estimated completion time for the backup job;
comparing the estimated completion time for the backup job to a latest completion time to meet the RPO specified for the backup job, wherein the latest completion time for the backup is based on a timestamp of a most recent backup and the RPO specified for the backup job;
in response to the estimated completion time meeting the RPO specified for the backup job, scheduling the backup tasks to be executed during a time period of the one or more time periods with a lowest estimated resource utilization; and
reducing a workload of the one or more processors at least in part by the one or more processors performing the scheduled backup tasks during the time period with the lowest estimated resource utilization.

10. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the time period of the one or more time periods with the lowest estimated resource utilization corresponds to a shortest estimated time required to complete the backup tasks.

11. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the operations further comprise:
after the backup tasks are completed, saving resource utilization data for the backup job to a historical data set, the historical data set being used to estimate the resource utilization and time required to complete the backup tasks.

12. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the backup job specifies at least one of:
a set of files to be backed up; or
an application to be backed up.

13. A system, comprising:
a processor; and
a memory storing one or more instructions, which, when executed by the processor, performs an operation for scheduling backup tasks on a source system to meet a recovery point objective (RPO) specified for a backup job, the operations comprising:
estimating resource utilization at the source system expected during a plurality of time periods based on historical resource utilization at the source system during each of the plurality of time periods;
estimating a time required to complete the backup tasks during each time period on the source system based on the estimated resource utilization for each time period and historical backup performance data, wherein the estimated time required to complete the backup tasks includes an estimated completion time for the backup job;
compare the estimated completion time for the backup job to a latest completion time to meet the RPO specified for the backup job, wherein the latest completion time for the backup is based on a timestamp of a most recent backup and the RPO specified for the backup job;
in response to the estimated completion time meeting the RPO specified for the backup job, scheduling the backup tasks to be executed during a time period of the one or more time periods with a lowest estimated resource utilization; and
reducing a workload of the processor at least in part by the processor performing the scheduled backup tasks during the time period with the lowest estimated resource utilization.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the time period of the one or more time periods with the lowest estimated resource utilization corresponds to a shortest estimated time required to complete the backup tasks.

15. The system of claim 13 , wherein the operations further comprise:
after the backup tasks are completed, saving resource utilization data for the backup job to a historical data set, the historical data set being used to estimate the resource utilization and the time required to complete the backup tasks.

16. The system of claim 13 , wherein the backup job specifies a set of files to be backed up.

17. The system of claim 13 , wherein the backup job specifies an application to back up.

18. The system of claim 13 , wherein estimating resource utilization at the source system comprises performing a time-weighted estimate.

19. The system of claim 13 , wherein estimating resource utilization at the source system comprises es

Assignees

• Cohesity Inc

Inventors

• Thomas Markose
• Manjunath Chinmaya

Classifications

• G06F11/1461 Primary

  Backup scheduling policy · CPC title

• G06F11/1451

  by selection of backup contents · CPC title

• G06F2201/84

  Using snapshots, i.e. a logical point-in-time copy of the data · CPC title

• G06F11/302

  where the computing system component is a software system · CPC title

• G06F11/1466

  to make the backup process non-disruptive · CPC title