Data backup using metadata mapping

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016041884-A1
Application number	US-201514813456-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 30, 2015
Priority date	Aug 8, 2014
Publication date	Feb 11, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

An information processing apparatus, backup method, and program product that enable efficient differential backup. In one embodiment, an information processing apparatus for files stored in a storage device includes: a metadata management unit for managing metadata of files stored in the storage device; a map generation unit for generating a map which indicates whether metadata associated with an identification value uniquely identifying a file in the storage device is present or absent; and a backup management unit for scanning the metadata to detect files that have been created, modified, or deleted since the last backup, and storing at least a data block and the metadata for a detected file in a backup storage device as backup information in association with the identification value.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An information processing apparatus for backing up files stored in a storage device, comprising:
a metadata management unit configured to manage metadata of files stored in the storage device; a map generation unit configured to generate a map which indicates whether the metadata associated with an identification value uniquely identifying a file in the storage device is present or absent; and a backup management unit configured to scan the metadata to detect files that have been created, modified, or deleted since a last backup, and store at least a data block and the metadata for a detected file in a backup storage device as backup information in association with the identification value.

2 . The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the map is a bitmap in which the presence or absence of the metadata is represented by a binary value.

3 . The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the backup management unit stores the map for current files in the backup information.

4 . The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the backup storage device is a remote storage or a local storage.

5 . The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a processor configured to run an application by execution of a program to create, modify, or delete files and also back up the files stored in the storage device; and an external storage control unit configured to enable access to the storage device.

6 . The information processing apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the external storage control unit is a network adapter and the backup storage device is a remote storage connected over a network.

7 . A method for an information processing apparatus to back up files stored in a storage device by the information processing apparatus loading a program into memory and executing the program, comprising the operations of:
generating or deleting metadata of a file stored in the storage device; generating a map which indicates whether the metadata associated with an identification value uniquely identifying a file in the storage device is present or absent; and scanning the metadata on each run of a backup process to detect files that have been created, modified, or deleted since a last backup, and storing at least a data block and the metadata for a detected file in a backup storage device as backup information in association with the identification value.

8 . The method according to claim 7 , wherein the map is a bitmap in which the presence or absence of the metadata is represented by a binary value.

9 . The method according to claim 7 , wherein the operation of storing in the backup storage device comprises storing the map for current files in the backup information.

10 . The method according to claim 7 , wherein the operation of storing in the backup storage device comprises storing in a remote storage over a network.

11 . The method according to claim 7 , wherein the operation of storing in the backup storage device comprises storing in a local storage via a storage adapter.

12 . A machine-executable program product for implementing a method for an information processing apparatus to back up files stored in a storage device by the information processing apparatus loading a program into memory and executing the program, the program product causing the information processing apparatus to execute the operations of:
generating or deleting metadata of a file stored in the storage device; generating a map which indicates whether the metadata associated with an identification value uniquely identifying a file in the storage device is present or absent; and scanning the metadata on each run of a backup process to detect files that have been created, modified, or deleted since a last backup, and storing at least a data block and the metadata for a detected file in a backup storage device as backup information in association with the identification value.

13 . The program product according to claim 12 , wherein the map is a bitmap in which the presence or absence of the metadata is represented by a binary value.

14 . The program product according to claim 12 , wherein the operation of storing in the backup storage device comprises storing the map for current files in the backup information.

15 . The program product according to claim 12 , wherein the operation of storing in the backup storage device comprises storing in a remote storage over a network.

16 . The program product according to claim 12 , wherein the operation of storing in the backup storage device comprises storing in a local storage via a storage adapter.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Iwasaki Norie
• Matsui Sosuke
• Miyamura Tsuyoshi
• Watanabe Terue
• Yamamoto Noriko

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

• G06F11/1471

  involving logging of persistent data for recovery · CPC title

• G06F16/162

  Delete operations (erasing in storage systems G06F3/0652) · CPC title