Blobstore system for the management of large data objects

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11288127-B2
Application number	US-202016738133-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 9, 2020
Priority date	Dec 8, 2017
Publication date	Mar 29, 2022
Grant date	Mar 29, 2022

Abstract

Methods and systems for backing up and restoring different point in time versions of a virtual machine, an application, a database, or an electronic file using independently managed snapshot chains are described. In some cases, different point in time versions of a virtual machine may be captured and stored using one or more snapshot chains. Each snapshot chain may correspond with a base image (e.g., a full image snapshot) and one or more incremental files (e.g., two forward incremental files) that derive from the base image. A snapshot chain may be split into a plurality of shards or sub-chains such that the width of each shard or the maximum data size of the files in each shard is less than a threshold data size (e.g., is less than 1 TB). Data operations (e.g., consolidation and reverse operations) may be performed on the individual shards or sub-chains in parallel.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for operating a data management system, the method comprising:
acquiring a first snapshot chain corresponding with a first set of versions of a virtual machine, the first snapshot chain including at least a first base image;
detecting a triggering event to generate a second snapshot chain corresponding with a second set of versions of the virtual machine;
generating a second base image for the second snapshot chain using at least the first base image;
storing the second base image;
performing a first operation on the first snapshot chain while performing a second operation on the second snapshot chain, the performing the first operation including reading the first base image, the performing the second operation including reading the second base image;
detecting a reduction in a snapshot frequency for capturing snapshots of the virtual machine;
detecting a second triggering event to consolidate the second snapshot chain into the first snapshot chain into the first snapshot chain in response to detecting the reduction in the snapshot frequency;
generating a third set of incremental files that derives from the first base image, the third set of incremental files corresponding with the second set of versions of the virtual machine; and
storing the third set of incremental files.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the detecting the triggering event includes detecting that a number of incremental files within the first snapshot chain is greater than a threshold number of incremental files.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the detecting the triggering event includes detecting that a number of forward incremental files within the first snapshot chain is greater than a threshold number of forward incremental files.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the detecting the triggering event includes determining an amount of available disk space and detecting that the amount of available disk space is greater than a threshold amount of disk space.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the first snapshot chain has a first snapshot chain length and the second snapshot chain has a second snapshot chain length different from the first snapshot chain length.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the first operation comprises a consolidation operation; and
the second operation comprises a reverse operation.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the first operation comprises a first consolidation operation; and
the second operation comprises a second consolidation operation.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the second operation comprises a reverse operation that generates a third base image for the second snapshot chain.

9. A data management system, comprising:
a memory configured to store a first snapshot chain corresponding with a first set of versions of a virtual machine, the first snapshot chain including at least a first base image; and
one or more processors configured to detect a triggering event to generate a second snapshot chain corresponding with a second set of versions of the virtual machine;
generate a second base image for the second snapshot chain using at least the first base mage;
store the second base image;
perform a first operation on the first snapshot chain while performing a second operation on the second snapshot chain, the performing the first operation including reading the first base image, the performing the second operation including reading the second base image;
detecting a reduction in a snapshot frequency for capturing snapshots of the virtual machine;
detect a second triggering event to consolidate the second snapshot chain into the first snapshot chain into the first snapshot chain in response to detecting the reduction in the snapshot frequency;
generate a third set of incremental files that derives from the first base image, the third set of incremental files corresponding with the second set of versions of the virtual machine; and
store the third set of incremental files.

10. The data management system of claim 9 , wherein:
the one or more processors are configured to detect the triggering event if a number of incremental files within the first snapshot chain is greater than a threshold number of incremental files.

11. The data management system of claim 9 , wherein:
the one or more processors are configured to detect the triggering event if a number of forward incremental files within the first snapshot chain is greater than a threshold number of forward incremental files.

12. The data management system of claim 9 , wherein:
the one or more processors are configured to determine an amount of available disk space and detect the triggering event if the amount of available disk space is greater than a threshold amount of disk space.

13. The data management system of claim 9 , wherein:
the first operation comprises a consolidation operation; and
the second operation comprises a reverse operation.

14. The data management system of claim 9 , wherein:
the first operation comprises a first consolidation operation; and
the second operation comprises a second consolidation operation.

15. The data management system of claim 9 , wherein:
the second operation comprises a reverse operation that generates a third base image for the second snapshot chain.

16. A machine-readable medium comprising instructions which, when read by a machine, cause the machine to perform in operations comprising:
acquiring a first snapshot chain corresponding with a first set of versions of a virtual machine, the first snapshot chain including at least a first base image;
detecting a triggering event to generate a second snapshot chain corresponding with a second set of versions of the virtual machine;
generating a second base image for the second snapshot chain using at least the first base image;
storing the second base image;
performing a first operation on the first snapshot chain while performing a second operation on the second snapshot chain, the performing the first operation including reading the first base image, the performing the second operation including reading the second base image;
detecting a reduction in a snapshot frequency for capturing snapshots of the virtual machine;
detecting a second triggering event to consolidate the second snapshot chain into the first snapshot chain into the first snapshot chain in response to detecting the reduction in the snapshot frequency;
generating a third set of incremental files that derives from the first base image, the third set of incremental files corresponding with the second set of versions of the virtual machine; and
storing the third set of incremental files.

17. The medium of claim 16 , wherein:
the detecting the triggering event includes detecting that a number of incremental files within the first snapshot chain is greater than a threshold number of incremental files.

18. The medium of claim 16 , wherein:
the detecting the triggering event includes detecting that a number of forward incremental files within the first snapshot chain is greater than a threshold number of forward incremental files.

19. The medium of claim 16 , wherein:
the detecting the triggering event includes deter mining an amount of available disk space and detecting that the amount of available disk space is greater than a threshold amount of disk space.

20. The medium of claim 16 , wherein:
the first snapshot chain has a first snapshot chain length and the second snapshot chain

Assignees

• Rubrik Inc

Inventors

• Derryberry Jonathan

Classifications

• G06F2201/84

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

• G06F11/1469

  Backup restoration techniques · CPC title

• G06F11/1451 Primary

  by selection of backup contents · CPC title

• G06F11/1464

  for networked environments · CPC title

• G06F11/1461

  Backup scheduling policy · CPC title