Method, device, and computer program product for data backup

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12481561-B2
Application number	US-202318204600-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 1, 2023
Priority date	Mar 23, 2023
Publication date	Nov 25, 2025
Grant date	Nov 25, 2025

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a method, a device, and a computer program product for data backup. The method includes determining a group of backup tasks for backing up a data object. The method further includes determining, based on backup types of backup tasks in the group of backup tasks, whether there are a plurality of backup tasks capable of being combined in the group of backup tasks. The method further includes determining, in response to determining that there are a plurality of backup tasks capable of being combined in the group of backup tasks, a combined backup task for the plurality of backup tasks. The method further includes backing up the data object by using the combined backup task. This method can reduce the amount of data that needs to be backed up, thereby reducing the use of computing resources and storage resources, reducing the impact on a production environment of a user, and improving the user experience.

First claim

What is claimed:

1 . A method for data backup, comprising:
determining a first backup task, the first backup task to be performed at a first time, the first backup task having a first backup type, the first backup task associated with first data; determining a second backup task, the second backup task to be performed at the first time, the second backup task having a second backup type, the second backup task associated with second data; determining that the first data comprises the second data; determining, based on the first backup type and the second backup type, that the first backup task and the second backup task can be combined into a third backup task, the first backup task and the second backup task being duplicate tasks, and the third backup task having the first backup type; backing up the first data to backup storage using the third backup task; assigning a retention time to the first data, the retention time being a longer of the first backup task and the second backup task; creating first metadata associated with the first backup task, the first metadata comprising copy content associated with the first data; creating second metadata associated with the second backup task, the second metadata comprising copy content associated with the second data; and assigning retention locking to the first data, the retention locking preventing modification during the retention time.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
determining, based on the first backup type, a first content to be backed up corresponding to the first backup task; determining, based on the second backup type, a second content to be backed up corresponding to the second backup task; and determining, in response to determining that the first content comprises the second content, that the first backup task and the second backup task can be combined.

3 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
determining, based on a backup type of each backup task of a group of backup tasks, a plurality of contents to be backed up; selecting a target backup content having a greatest quantity of data from the group of backup contents; and determining a backup type corresponding to the target backup content.

4 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
determining whether the third backup task is successful; and generating a target copy corresponding to the third backup task in response to determining that the third backup task is successful.

5 . The method according to claim 4 , further comprising:
maintaining the target copy for a target duration, the target duration meeting a duration requirement for a copy of the first backup type and the second backup type.

6 . The method according to claim 4 , further comprising:
generating, based on the target copy, copy metadata for a fourth backup task, the copy metadata being used for indicating a copy content corresponding to the fourth backup task in the target copy.

7 . The method according to claim 4 , further comprising:
determining, in response to determining that the third backup task is unsuccessful, a retry backup type of a backup task to be retried; and backing up the first data and the second data by using a backup task having the retry backup type.

8 . The method according to claim 7 , wherein determining the retry backup type of a backup task to be retried comprises:
determining an error generated by the third backup task; and determining the retry backup type based on the error.

9 . The method according to claim 7 , wherein the retry backup type is different from the third backup task.

10 . The method according to claim 7 , wherein determining the retry backup type comprises:
selecting the retry backup type from a plurality of backup types.

11 . The method according to claim 7 , further comprising:
determining whether a number of retries exceeds a threshold number in response to the backup task having the retry backup type is unsuccessful; and determining a new retry backup type in response to that the number of retries exceeding the threshold number.

12 . An electronic device, comprising:
at least one processor; and a memory coupled to the at least one processor and having instructions stored thereon, wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the electronic device to perform actions comprising: determining a first backup task, the first backup task to be performed at a first time, the first backup task having a first backup type, the first backup task associated with first data; determining a second backup task, the second backup task to be performed at the first time, the second backup task having a second backup type, the second backup task associated with second data; determining, based on the first backup type and the second backup type, that the first backup task and the second backup task can be combined into a third backup task, the first backup task and the second backup task being duplicate tasks, the third backup task having the first backup type; backing up the first data to backup storage using the third backup task; assigning a retention time to the first data, the retention time being a longer of the first backup task and the second backup task; creating first metadata associated with the first backup task, the first metadata comprising copy content associated with the first data; creating second metadata associated with the second backup task, the second metadata comprising copy content associated with the second data; and assigning retention locking to the first data, the retention locking preventing modification during the retention time.

13 . The electronic device according to claim 12 , wherein the actions further comprise:
determining, based on the first backup type, a first content to be backed up corresponding to the first backup task; determining, based on the second backup type, a second content to be backed up corresponding to the second backup task; and determining, in response to determining that the first content comprises the second content, that the first backup task and the second backup task can be combined.

14 . The electronic device according to claim 12 , wherein the actions further comprise:
determining, based on a backup type of each backup task of a group of backup tasks, a plurality of contents to be backed up; selecting a target backup content having a greatest quantity of data from the plurality of contents; and determining a backup type corresponding to the target backup content.

15 . The electronic device according to claim 12 , wherein the actions further comprise:
determining whether the third backup task is successful; and generating a target copy corresponding to the third backup task in response to determining that the third backup task is successful.

16 . The electronic device according to claim 15 , wherein the actions further comprise:
maintaining the target copy for a target duration, the target duration meeting a duration requirement for a copy of the first backup type and the second backup type.

17 . The electronic device according to claim 15 , wherein the actions further comprise:
generating, based on the target copy, copy metadata for a fourth backup task, the copy metadata being used for indicating a copy content corresponding to the fourth backup task in the target copy.

18 . The electronic device according to claim 15 , wherein the actions further comprise:
determining, in response to determinin

Assignees

• Dell Products Lp

Inventors

• Cheng Qianyun
• Liao mengze
• Zhu Xiaoliang

Classifications

• G06F2201/84

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

• G06F11/1458 Primary

  Management of the backup or restore process · CPC title

• G06F9/45558

  Hypervisor-specific management and integration aspects · CPC title

• G06F11/1461 Primary

  Backup scheduling policy · CPC title

• G06F11/1451 Primary

  by selection of backup contents · CPC title