Data synchronization of block-level backup

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10235245-B2
Application number	US-201715416365-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 26, 2017
Priority date	Mar 16, 2015
Publication date	Mar 19, 2019
Grant date	Mar 19, 2019

Abstract

As disclosed herein a computer program product for optimizing data synchronization when performing a block-level backup includes program instructions comprising instructions to receive a customized merging plan, create a padding map comprising missing data information, request missing data from a local backup server, wherein the instructions to request missing data comprise instructions to send the padding map to the local backup server, receive from the local backup server the missing data, and perform a snapshot consolidation according to the customized merging plan to provide a consolidated snapshot. The program instructions may include instructions to record missing data files and data blocks in the padding map. A computer system, corresponding to the computer program product is also disclosed herein.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer program product for optimizing data synchronization when performing a block-level backup, the computer program product comprising:
one or more computer readable storage media and program instructions stored on the one or more computer readable storage media, the program instructions comprising instructions to:
receive a customized merging plan including (i) identification of expired snapshots to be merged into a consolidated snapshot, (ii) instructions to perform a snapshot consolidation, and (iii) instructions for deleting expired snapshots subsequent to consolidation of expired snapshots;
create a padding map comprising missing data information determined from the customized merging plan;
request missing data from a local backup server, wherein the instructions to request missing data comprise instructions to send the padding map to the local backup server;
receive, from the local backup server, the missing data; and
generate a consolidated snapshot by performing the snapshot consolidation according to the customized merging plan.

2. The computer program product of claim 1 , wherein the missing data comprises missing data files.

3. The computer program product of claim 1 , wherein the missing data comprises missing data blocks.

4. The computer program product of claim 1 , further comprising:
program instructions to modify references of the customized merging plan from expired snapshots in control files to correspond to non-expired snapshots.

5. The computer program product of claim 1 , wherein the program instructions comprise instructions to delete expired snapshots.

6. The computer program product of claim 1 , wherein the program instructions comprise instructions to rename a data file from an expired snapshot to correspond to the consolidated snapshot, and record missing data files in the padding map.

7. The computer program product of claim 1 , further comprising:
program instructions to copy a data block from an expired snapshot to the consolidated snapshot, wherein space for a missing data block is reserved with a padding block; and
program instructions to record information regarding the missing data block in the padding map.

8. The computer program product of claim 7 , wherein the program instructions comprise instructions to replace the padding block with a corresponding data block retrieved from the missing data received from the backup server.

9. The computer program product of claim 1 , further comprising:
program instructions to initiate a snapshot consolidation operation; and
program instructions to determine a snapshot target for the consolidated snapshot based on information within the customized merging plan identifying snapshots.

10. The computer program product of claim 1 , wherein references of an expired snapshot control file are modified to correspond to the consolidated snapshot.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Chen wen qing
• Li Ya Jie
• Xiao Hang
• Yan Ming

Classifications

• G06F3/0689

  Disk arrays, e.g. RAID, JBOD · CPC title

• G06F2201/84

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

• G06F3/065

  Replication mechanisms · CPC title

• G06F3/0659

  Command handling arrangements, e.g. command buffers, queues, command scheduling · CPC title

• G06F11/1456

  Hardware arrangements for backup · CPC title