Method and apparatus for optimizing a backup chain using synthetic backups

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9569313-B1
Application number	US-201514605541-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Jan 26, 2015
Priority date	Feb 19, 2008
Publication date	Feb 14, 2017
Grant date	Feb 14, 2017

Abstract

A method and apparatus for optimizing a backup chain using synthetic backups is described. In one embodiment, a method for creating synthetic incremental backups to optimize a backup chain comprises accessing a backup chain, which further comprises a plurality of incremental backups and determining schedule information defining a number of incremental backups to use to create one or more synthetic incremental backups representing the plurality of incremental backups from the backup chain, wherein the number of backups is defined by a numerical progression.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
receiving a request to perform a restore operation, wherein
the request specifies a requested version of requested data that has been modified at least twice since a base backup was captured;

accessing, in response to the receiving the request, a synthetic incremental backup of a plurality of first synthetic incremental backups in a backup chain, wherein the backup chain comprises the base backup and the plurality of first synthetic incremental backups,
the synthetic incremental backup is created using N incremental backups in the backup chain,
the synthetic incremental backup comprises at least a previous version of the requested data and a modified version of the requested data,
N is a pre-specified value that determines how many incremental backups are created between creation of each of the plurality of first synthetic incremental backups, and
each of the plurality of first synthetic incremental backups is created in response to the creation of the respective N incremental backups in the backup chain;

identifying the requested version of the requested data, wherein
the requested version of the requested data is capable of being either the previous version or the modified version of the requested data; and

restoring the requested version of the requested data.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
creating a synthetic base backup from a previously-created synthetic incremental backup and the base backup, wherein
the synthetic base backup is created in response to either a length of the backup chain or a size of one or more previously-created synthetic incremental backups.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein
N is inversely proportional to an average length of the backup chain.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein
N is defined by a numerical progression, and
the numerical progression comprises at least one of a logarithmic progression, an exponential progression, or a geometric progression.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
adjusting N in response to detecting a creation of M incremental backups.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
creating at least one second synthetic incremental backup from at least two of the plurality of first synthetic incremental backups, wherein
the at least one second synthetic incremental backup is created in response to the creation of the at least two of the plurality of first synthetic incremental backups.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
deleting at least one incremental backup of the plurality of first synthetic incremental backups after the creation of a first synthetic incremental backup of the plurality of first synthetic incremental backups, wherein
the at least one incremental backup was used to create the first synthetic incremental backup.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
deleting the synthetic incremental backup after a defined period of time elapses subsequent to creating the synthetic incremental backup.

9. An apparatus, comprising:
a storage subsystem storing backup chain comprising a base backup and a plurality of first synthetic incremental backups; and
a storage controller configured to:
receive a request to perform a restore operation, wherein
the request specifies a requested version of requested data that has been modified at least twice since the base backup was captured,

access, in response to receiving the request, a synthetic incremental backup of the plurality of first synthetic incremental backups, wherein
the synthetic incremental backup is created using N incremental backups in the backup chain,
the synthetic incremental backup comprises at least a previous version of the requested data and a modified version of the requested data,
N is a pre-specified value that determines how many incremental backups are created between creation of each of the plurality of first synthetic incremental backups, and
each of the plurality of first synthetic incremental backups is created in response to the creation of the respective N incremental backups in the backup chain,

identify the requested version of the requested data, wherein
the requested version of the requested data is capable of being either the previous version or the modified version of the requested data, and

restore the requested version of the requested data.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the storage controller is further configured to:
create a synthetic base backup from a previously-created synthetic incremental backup and the base backup, wherein
the synthetic base backup is created in response to either a length of the backup chain or a size of one or more previously-created synthetic incremental backups.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein
N is defined by a numerical progression, and
the numerical progression comprises at least one of a logarithmic progression, an exponential progression, or a geometric progression.

12. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the storage controller is further configured to:
adjust N in response to detecting a creation of M incremental backups.

13. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the storage controller is further configured to:
create at least one second synthetic incremental backup from at least two of the plurality of first synthetic incremental backups, wherein
the at least one second synthetic incremental backup is created in response to the creation of the at least two of the plurality of first synthetic incremental backups.

14. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the storage controller is further configured to:
delete at least one incremental backup of the plurality of first synthetic incremental backups after the creation of a first synthetic incremental backup of the plurality of first synthetic incremental backups, wherein
the at least one incremental backup was used to create the first synthetic incremental backup.

15. A system, comprising:
a server for managing backups of data within a computing environment, comprising:
a storage subsystem storing backup chain comprising a base backup and a plurality of first synthetic incremental backups; and
a storage controller configured to:
receive a request to perform a restore operation, wherein
the request specifies a requested version of requested data that has been modified at least twice since the base backup was captured,

access, in response to receiving the request, a synthetic incremental backup of the plurality of first synthetic incremental backups, wherein
the synthetic incremental backup is created using N incremental backups in the backup chain,
the synthetic incremental backup comprises at least a previous version of the requested data and a modified version of the requested data,
N is a pre-specified value that determines how many incremental backups are created between creation of each of the plurality of first synthetic incremental backups, and
each of the plurality of first synthetic incremental backups is created in response to the creation of the respective N incremental backups in the backup chain,

identify the requested version of the requested data, wherein
the requested version of the requested data is capable of being either the previous version or the modified version of the requested data, and

restore the requested version of the requested data.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the storage controller is further configured to:
create a synthetic base backup from a previously-created synthetic incremental backup and the base backup, wherein
the synthetic

Assignees

• Symantec Corp
• Veritas Technologies Llc

Inventors

• Stringham Russell R

Classifications

• G06F16/955

  using information identifiers, e.g. uniform resource locators [URL] · CPC title

• G06F11/1448

  Management of the data involved in backup or backup restore · CPC title

• G06F11/1469 Primary

  Backup restoration techniques · CPC title

• 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