Method, electronic device, and computer program product for deleting backup data

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11809283-B1
Application number	US-202217827461-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	May 27, 2022
Priority date	Apr 21, 2022
Publication date	Nov 7, 2023
Grant date	Nov 7, 2023

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a method, an electronic device, and a computer program product for deleting backup data. The method includes determining a set of non-backup time periods for an object based on a set of backup time periods for the object. The method further includes selecting a subset of non-backup time periods from the set of non-backup time periods on the basis of a time length. The method further includes deleting backup data of the object in the subset of non-backup time periods. By the embodiments of the present disclosure, a suitable time period can be selected, and unnecessary backup data is effectively deleted from the selected time period, thus improving the success rate of deletion of backup data.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of deleting backup data, comprising:
determining a set of non-backup time periods for an object based on a set of backup time periods for the object;
selecting a subset of non-backup time periods from the set of non-backup time periods based on a time length; and
deleting backup data of the object in the subset of non-backup time periods.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein selecting a subset of non-backup time periods from the set of non-backup time periods based on a time length comprises:
sorting the time periods in the set of non-backup time periods based on the time length; and
selecting, based on the sorting, a threshold number of time periods as the subset of non-backup time periods.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein deleting the backup data of the object in the subset of non-backup time periods comprises:
sequentially deleting the backup data in each time period of the subset of non-backup time periods according to a time sequence.

4. The method according to claim 3 , wherein sequentially deleting the backup data in each time period of the subset of non-backup time periods according to a time sequence comprises:
selecting a first time period from the subset of non-backup time periods, the first time period being the earliest time period in the subset of non-backup time periods; and
deleting the backup data in the first time period.

5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein sequentially deleting the backup data in each time period of the subset of non-backup time periods according to a time sequence comprises:
determining whether the deletion of the backup data in the first time period was successful; and
in response to determining that the deletion of the backup data in the first time period failed, determining whether a number of deletions has reached a deletion threshold.

6. The method according to claim 5 , wherein sequentially deleting the backup data in each time period of the subset of non-backup time periods according to a time sequence comprises:
in response to determining that the number of deletions has not reached the deletion threshold, selecting a second time period from the subset of non-backup time periods, the second time period being after the first time period and associated with the number of deletions; and
deleting the backup data in the second time period.

7. The method according to claim 5 , further comprising:
in response to determining that the number of deletions has reached the deletion threshold, stopping the deletion of the backup data; and
sending a notification of the failed deletion of the backup data to a user.

8. The method according to claim 5 , wherein deleting the backup data comprises:
attempting again to delete the backup data of which the deletion failed previously.

9. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
backing up data other than the backup data in the set of backup time periods.

10. The method according to claim 9 , further comprising:
if the backup is completed in advance of a certain time period in the set of backup time periods, adding the length of time for early completion to a corresponding time period in the set of non-backup time periods.

11. An electronic device, comprising:
a processor; and
a memory coupled to the processor and having instructions stored therein, which when executed by the processor, cause the device to perform actions, the actions comprising:
determining a set of non-backup time periods for an object based on a set of backup time periods for the object;
selecting a subset of non-backup time periods from the set of non-backup time periods based on a time length; and
deleting backup data of the object in the subset of non-backup time periods.

12. The electronic device according to claim 11 , wherein selecting a subset of non-backup time periods from the set of non-backup time periods based on a time length comprises:
sorting the time periods in the set of non-backup time periods based on the time length; and
selecting, based on the sorting, a threshold number of time periods as the subset of non-backup time periods.

13. The electronic device according to claim 11 , wherein deleting the backup data of the object in the subset of non-backup time periods comprises:
sequentially deleting the backup data in each time period of the subset of non-backup time periods according to a time sequence.

14. The electronic device according to claim 13 , wherein sequentially deleting the backup data in each time period of the subset of non-backup time periods according to a time sequence comprises:
selecting a first time period from the subset of non-backup time periods, the first time period being the earliest in the subset of non-backup time periods; and
deleting the backup data in the first time period.

15. The electronic device according to claim 14 , wherein sequentially deleting the backup data in each time period of the subset of non-backup time periods according to a time sequence comprises:
determining whether the deletion of the backup data in the first time period was successful; and
in response to determining that the deletion of the backup data in the first time period failed, determining whether a number of deletions has reached a deletion threshold.

16. The electronic device according to claim 15 , wherein sequentially deleting the backup data in each time period of the subset of non-backup time periods according to a time sequence comprises:
in response to determining that the number of deletions has not reached the deletion threshold, selecting a second time period from the subset of non-backup time periods, the second time period being after the first time period and associated with the number of deletions; and
deleting the backup data in the second time period.

17. The electronic device according to claim 15 , wherein the actions further comprise:
in response to determining that the number of deletions has reached the deletion threshold, stopping the deletion of the backup data; and
sending a notification of the failed deletion of the backup data to a user.

18. The electronic device according to claim 15 , wherein deleting the backup data comprises:
attempting again to delete the backup data of which the deletion failed previously.

19. The electronic device according to claim 11 , wherein the actions further comprise:
backing up data other than the backup data in the set of backup time periods.

20. A non-transitory machine-readable medium having instructions stored therein, which when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform actions, the actions comprising:
determining a set of non-backup time periods for an object based on a set of backup time periods for the object;
selecting a subset of non-backup time periods from the set of non-backup time periods based on a time length; and
deleting backup data of the object in the subset of non-backup time periods.

Assignees

• Dell Products Lp

Inventors

• Zhang Zengjie
• Yan Jinru
• Wang Yudai
• Ji Kai
• Zhu Zheyi

Classifications

• G06F11/1464 Primary

  for networked environments · CPC title

• G06F3/0608

  Saving storage space on storage systems · CPC title

• G06F3/0652 Primary

  Erasing, e.g. deleting, data cleaning, moving of data to a wastebasket · CPC title

• G06F11/076

  by exceeding a count or rate limit, e.g. word- or bit count limit · CPC title

• G06F11/0757

  by exceeding a time limit, i.e. time-out, e.g. watchdogs · CPC title