Intelligent snapshot cataloging using separate logical containers to reduce snapshot query times

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10585752-B1
Application number	US-201715499668-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Apr 27, 2017
Priority date	Apr 27, 2017
Publication date	Mar 10, 2020
Grant date	Mar 10, 2020

Abstract

A set of logical containers are maintained in a cache, each logical container corresponding to a portion of a main snapshot catalog. First metadata of a first snapshot created by a first snapshot appliance is examined. Based on the first metadata examination, the first snapshot is cataloged into a first logical container. Second metadata of a second snapshot created by a second snapshot appliance is examined. Based on the second metadata examination, the second snapshot is cataloged into a second logical container, separate from the first logical container. A request is received to perform an operation involving one of the first or second snapshots. The request is matched to one of the first or second logical containers. The one of the first or second logical containers is searched to retrieve a snapshot responsive to the request without searching another of the first or second logical containers.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
maintaining, in a cache, a plurality of logical containers, each logical container corresponding to a portion of a main snapshot catalog, the plurality of logical containers defining separate logical groupings of snapshots based on metadata associated with the snapshots;
examining, by a snapshot profiler, first metadata of a first snapshot created by a first snapshot appliance, the first snapshot having been requested by a backup application that is responsible for backing up a plurality of client hosts;
based on the examining first metadata, storing, by the snapshot profiler, the first snapshot in a first logical container, the first logical container being associated with a first pattern of metadata corresponding to the first metadata;
examining, by the snapshot profiler, second metadata of a second snapshot created by a second snapshot appliance, different from the first snapshot appliance, the second snapshot having been requested by a process not initiated by the backup application;
based on the examining second metadata, determining, by the snapshot profiler, that the second snapshot should be stored separately from the first snapshot because the first snapshot was requested by the backup application while the second snapshot was not, and storing, by the snapshot profiler, the second snapshot in a second logical container, separate from the first logical container, the second logical container being associated with a second pattern of metadata corresponding to the second metadata;
receiving a request to perform an operation involving one of the first or second snapshots;
parsing metadata from the request;
pattern matching metadata parsed from the request to one of the first or second logical containers in the cache based on the first and second patterns of metadata;
determining from the pattern matching that the metadata parsed from the request matches one of the first pattern of metadata associated with the first logical container or the second pattern of metadata associated with the second logical container; and
searching the one of the first or second logical containers in the cache to retrieve a snapshot responsive to the request and stored in the one of the first or second logical containers without searching another of the first or second logical containers in the cache, the one of the first or second logical containers searched being associated with a pattern of metadata that matches the metadata parsed from the request.

2. The method of claim 1 comprising:
upon the searching the one of the first or second logical containers in the cache, receiving an indication of a cache miss; and
based on the cache miss, searching the main snapshot catalog.

3. The method of claim 1 comprising:
storing a schedule specifying when the first and second logical containers should be synchronized with their respective corresponding portions of the main snapshot catalog;
synchronizing, according to the schedule, the first logical container and a first corresponding portion of the main snapshot catalog to update the first logical container with snapshot metadata associated with snapshots most recently taken on the first snapshot appliance; and
synchronizing, according to the schedule, the second logical container and a second corresponding portion of the main snapshot catalog to update the second logical container with snapshot metadata associated with snapshots most recently taken on the second snapshot appliance.

4. The method of claim 1 comprising:
examining, by the snapshot profiler, third metadata of a third snapshot created by the first snapshot appliance; and
based on the examining third metadata, determining, by the snapshot profiler, that the third snapshot should be stored separately from the first snapshot because the third snapshot was requested by the process not initiated by the backup application, and storing the third snapshot in the second logical container.

5. The method of claim 1 comprising:
storing the cache having the plurality of logical containers on a first storage device; and
storing the main catalog on a second storage device, different from the first storage device, wherein a performance of the first storage device is greater than the performance of the second storage device.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the storing the first snapshot in a first logical container comprises:
recording a name of the first snapshot appliance; and
recording a type of snapshot method used by the first snapshot appliance to create the first snapshot.

7. The method of claim 1 comprising:
updating a first schema of the first logical container with the first metadata of the first snapshot; and
updating a second schema of the second logical container, separate from the first schema, with the second metadata of the second snapshot.

8. A system for intelligent snapshot cataloging, the system comprising: a processor-based system executed on a computer system and configured to:
maintain, in a cache, a plurality of logical containers, each logical container corresponding to a portion of a main snapshot catalog, the plurality of logical containers defining separate logical groupings of snapshots based on metadata associated with the snapshots;
examine, by a snapshot profiler, first metadata of a first snapshot created by a first snapshot appliance;
based on the examination of first metadata, catalog, by the snapshot profiler, the first snapshot into a first logical container;
examine, by the snapshot profiler, second metadata of a second snapshot created by a second snapshot appliance, different from the first snapshot appliance;
based on the examination of second metadata, catalog, by the snapshot profiler, the second snapshot into a second logical container, separate from the first logical container;
receive a request to perform an operation involving one of the first or second snapshots;
match the request to one of the first or second logical containers in the cache; and
search the one of the first or second logical containers in the cache to retrieve a snapshot responsive to the request and stored in the one of the first or second logical containers without searching another of the first or second logical containers in the cache.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the processor-based system is configured to:
upon the searching the one of the first or second logical containers in the cache, receive an indication of a cache miss; and
based on the cache miss, search the main snapshot catalog.

10. The system of claim 8 wherein the processor-based system is configured to:
store a schedule specifying when the first and second logical containers should be synchronized with their respective corresponding portions of the main snapshot catalog;
synchronize, according to the schedule, the first logical container and a first corresponding portion of the main snapshot catalog to update the first logical container with snapshot metadata associated with snapshots most recently taken on the first snapshot appliance; and
synchronize, according to the schedule, the second logical container and a second corresponding portion of the main snapshot catalog to update the second logical container with snapshot metadata associated with snapshots most recently taken on the second snapshot appliance.

11. The system of claim 8 wherein the processor-based system is configured to:
examine third metadata of a third snapshot created by the first snapshot appliance; and
based on the examination of third metadata, catalog the third snapshot into a third logical container, separate from the first and second logical containers,
wherein

Assignees

• Emc Ip Holding Co Llc

Inventors

• Chopra Shelesh
• Mandic Vladimir
• Rokicki John

Classifications

• G06F3/067

  Distributed or networked storage systems, e.g. storage area networks [SAN], network attached storage [NAS] · CPC title

• G06F3/065

  Replication mechanisms · CPC title

• G06F3/0619

  in relation to data integrity, e.g. data losses, bit errors · CPC title

• G06F11/1461

  Backup scheduling policy · CPC title

• G06F11/1451

  by selection of backup contents · CPC title