Techniques for providing incremental backup progress indications

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11886299-B2
Application number	US-202117645429-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 21, 2021
Priority date	Jun 6, 2021
Publication date	Jan 30, 2024
Grant date	Jan 30, 2024

Abstract

The described embodiments set forth techniques for providing a backup progress estimate for a backup of a source file system volume (FSV). The techniques involve determining, for the source FSV, a backup size during performance of backup operations. The operations can include determining the backup size based on a number of files on the source FSV. Additionally, the operations can include copying files of the source FSV and/or propagating corresponding files of a destination FSV to a location of the backup of the source FSV on a destination storage device and updating one or more metrics using a number of files and/or a number of bytes copied and/or propagated to the backup. In this manner, a progress indication for the backup may be determined based on the one or more metrics responsive to files and/or directories of the source file system volume being stored on a destination storage device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for providing a backup progress estimate for a backup of a source file system volume (FSV) associated with a source computing device, the method comprising, at the source computing device:
establishing at least one completion metric;
interfacing with a destination storage device that stores a destination FSV;
for each source node of a first plurality of source nodes for which there is a corresponding destination node stored within the destination FSV;
causing the destination node to be added to a location within the destination storage device that corresponds to the backup of the source FSV, and
updating the at least one completion metric;

for each source node of a second plurality of source nodes for which there is no corresponding destination node stored within the destination FSV:
copying the source node to the location, and
updating the at least one completion metric; and

updating the backup progress estimate in conjunction with updates to the at least one completion metric.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
causing the destination node to be added to the location comprises at least one of (i) moving the destination node to the location, or (ii) establishing, within the location, a new node that is hard linked to the destination node, and
the at least one completion metric includes at least a total number of files associated with added destination nodes and/or copied source nodes divided by a total number of files corresponding to the backup.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the at least one completion metric includes at least a total number of bytes associated with added destination nodes and/or copied source nodes divided by a total number of bytes corresponding to the backup.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
identifying a predetermined number of source nodes of the first and second plurality of source nodes according to a respective size of each source node; and
generating a source nodes list comprising the predetermined number of source nodes.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the at least one completion metric includes at least a total number of completed source nodes of the source nodes list divided by a total number of source nodes on the source nodes list.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
excluding, from the first and second plurality of source nodes, source nodes having a node type indicating exclusion from the backup of the source FSV or a specific location indicating exclusion from the backup of the source FSV.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:
updating the backup progress estimate based on at least a number of files and a number of bytes associated with the source nodes excluded from the backup of the source FSV.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
determining a total backup size indicator for the source FSV includes identifying at least one snapshot of source FSV, and
a total number of files and a total number of bytes of the source FSV correspond to the at least one snapshot of the source FSV.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
excluding, from the total number of files of the source FSV, files having a file type indicating exclusion from the at least one snapshot of the source FSV or a specific location indicating exclusion from the at least one snapshot of the source FSV.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
updating the backup progress estimate based on the files excluded from the at least one snapshot of the source FSV and a number of bytes associated with the files excluded from the at least one snapshot of the source FSV.

11. At least one non-transitory computer readable storage medium configured to store instructions that, when executed by at least one processor included in a computing device, cause the computing device to provide a backup progress estimate for a backup of a source file system volume (FSV) associated with a source computing device, by carrying out steps that include:
establishing at least one completion metric;
interfacing with a destination storage device that stores a destination FSV;
for each source node of a first plurality of source nodes for which there is a corresponding destination node stored within the destination FSV:
causing the destination node to be added to a location within the destination storage device that corresponds to the backup of the source FSV, and
updating the at least one completion metric;
for each source node of a second plurality of source nodes for which there is no corresponding destination node stored within the destination FSV:
copying the source node to the location, and
updating the at least one completion metric; and
updating the backup progress estimate in conjunction with updates to the at least one completion metric.

12. The at least one non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein:
causing the destination node to be added to the location comprises at least one of (i) moving the destination node to the location, or (ii) establishing, within the location, a new node that is hard linked to the destination node, and
the at least one completion metric includes at least a total number of files associated with added destination nodes and/or copied source nodes divided by a total number of files corresponding to the backup.

13. The at least one non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 12 , wherein the at least one completion metric includes at least a total number of bytes associated with added destination nodes and/or copied source nodes divided by a total number of bytes corresponding to the backup.

14. The at least one non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein the steps further include:
identifying a predetermined number of source nodes of the first and second plurality of source nodes according to a respective size of each source node; and
generating a source nodes list comprising the predetermined number of source nodes.

15. The at least one non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 14 , wherein the at least one completion metric includes at least a total number of completed source nodes of the source nodes list divided by a total number of source nodes on the source nodes list.

16. The at least one non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein the steps further include:
excluding, from the first and second plurality of source nodes, source nodes having a node type indicating exclusion from the backup of the source FSV or a specific location indicating exclusion from the backup of the source FSV.

17. The at least one non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 16 , wherein the steps further include:
updating the backup progress estimate based on at least a number of files and a number of bytes associated with the source nodes excluded from the backup of the source FSV.

18. The at least one non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein:
determining a total backup size indicator for the source FSV includes identifying at least one snapshot of source FSV, and
a total number of files and a total number of bytes of the source FSV correspond to the at least one snapshot of the source FSV.

19. The at least one non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 18 , wherein the steps further include:
excluding, from the total number of files of the source FSV, files having a file type indicating exclusion from the at least one snapshot of the source FSV or a sp

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Cadwallader Robert M
• Wolf Christopher A

Classifications

• G06F11/1458 Primary

  Management of the backup or restore process · CPC title

• G06F3/065

  Replication mechanisms · CPC title

• G06F11/1451

  by selection of backup contents · CPC title

• G06F11/3075

  the data filtering being achieved in order to maintain consistency among the monitored data, e.g. ensuring that the monitored data belong to the same timeframe, to the same system or component · CPC title