Incremental continuous data protection

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9665307-B1
Application number	US-201314133929-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Dec 19, 2013
Priority date	Dec 19, 2013
Publication date	May 30, 2017
Grant date	May 30, 2017

Abstract

Systems and techniques are provided for incremental Continuous Data Protection (iCDP) as a process to secure frequent, and space efficient, versions of consistent point-in-time images of a group of volumes using snapshot technology. The system described herein provides for automation to create and manage frequent snapshots of defined groups of volumes. The incremental approach of the system described herein provides a convenient way to roll back to prior point-in-time versions to investigate data damage due to processing errors or other forms of corruption. The intervals between versions may be controlled. The system beneficially provides for identifying, monitoring, and reclaiming use of log space in log devices in connection with managing recovery and roll back capabilities of the system to desired data versions for purposes of data protection.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for providing data protection in a storage system, comprising:
storing a plurality of point-in-time versions of data of a plurality of source volumes in the storage system, wherein the plurality of source volumes form a version data group which together offer to at least one application a consistent image of data for the application;
in connection with a write by the at least one application to the data stored in any of the source volumes of the version data group, storing at least one log entry in a log device corresponding to a particular point-in-time version of the data prior to the write for each volume of the version data group to which a write was performed, wherein subsequent point-in-time versions after the particular point-in-time version share the at least one log entry until a subsequent write to the data stored in the particular one of the source volumes is performed, wherein the point-in-time versions and the at least one log entry enable the storage system to revert from a current data state to one or more point-in-time states defined by the point-in-time versions; and
terminating a particular point-in-time version of the source volumes of the version data group in which no writes to any volumes in the version data group have been performed, wherein the particular point-in-time version of the source volumes is selected based on an amount of reclaimed space in the log device resulting from termination of the particular point-in-time version, the log device being separate from the source volumes.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein terminating the at least one point-in-time version of the source volumes reclaims log space on the log device.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein terminating the at least one point-in-time version of the source volumes enables reversion to any desired prior storage state.

4. The method according to claim 3 , wherein terminating the at least one point-in-time version includes identification of the point-in-time versions to enable reversion to any desired prior storage state in a way that minimizes use of log space on the log device.

5. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
providing an interface device that receives a query concerning the termination and outputs results of the termination of the at least one point-in-time version.

6. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
controlling an interval between times when each of the plurality of point-in-time versions is stored.

7. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing software for providing data protection in a storage system, the software comprising:
executable code that stores a plurality of point-in-time versions of data of a plurality of source volumes in the storage system, wherein the plurality of source volumes form a version data group which together offer to at least one application a consistent image of data for the application;
executable code that, in connection with a write by the at least one application to the data stored in any of the source volumes of the version data group, stores at least one log entry in a log device corresponding to a particular point-in-time version of the data prior to the write for each volume of the version data group to which a write was performed, wherein subsequent point-in-time versions after the particular point-in-time version share the at least one log entry until a subsequent write to the data stored in the particular one of the source volumes is performed, wherein the point-in-time versions and the at least one log entry enable the storage system to revert from a current data state to one or more point-in-time states defined by the point-in-time versions; and
executable code that terminates a particular point-in-time version of the source volumes of the version data group in which no writes to any volumes in the version data group have been performed, wherein the particular point-in-time version of the source volumes is selected based on an amount of reclaimed space in the log device resulting from termination of the particular point-in-time version, the log device being separate from the source volumes.

8. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 7 , wherein terminating the at least one point-in-time version of the source volumes reclaims log space on the log device.

9. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 7 , wherein terminating the at least one point-in-time version of the source volumes enables reversion to any desired prior storage state.

10. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 9 , wherein the executable code that terminates the at least one point-in-time version includes executable code that identifies the point-in-time versions to enable reversion to any desired prior storage state in a way that minimizes use of log space on the log device.

11. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 7 , further comprising:
executable code that provides an interface that receives a query concerning the termination and outputs results of the termination of the at least one point-in-time version.

12. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 7 , further comprising:
executable code that controls the interval between times when each of the plurality of point-in-time versions is stored.

13. A data protection system, comprising:
at least one storage device that stores data on a plurality of source volumes;
at least one log device that stores log entries corresponding to the data stored on the plurality of source volumes;
a non-transitory computer readable medium storing software that, when executed by at least one processor, provides data protection, the software including:
executable code that stores a plurality of point-in-time versions of data of a plurality of source volumes in the storage device, wherein the plurality of source volumes form a version data group which together offer to at least one application a consistent image of data for the application;
executable code that, in connection with a write by the at least one application to the data stored in any of the source volumes of the version data group, stores at least one log entry in the log device corresponding to a particular point-in-time version of the data prior to the write for each volume of the version data group to which a write was performed, wherein subsequent point-in-time versions after the particular point-in-time version share the at least one log entry until a subsequent write to the data stored in the particular one of the source volumes is performed, wherein the point-in-time versions and the at least one log entry enable the storage system to revert from a current data state to one or more point-in-time states defined by the point-in-time versions; and
executable code that terminates a particular point-in-time version of the source volumes of the version data group in which no writes to any volumes in the version data group have been performed, wherein the particular point-in-time version of the source volumes is selected based on an amount of reclaimed space in the log device resulting from termination of the particular point-in-time version, the log device being separate from the source volumes.

14. The data protection system according to claim 13 , wherein terminating the at least one point-in-time version of the source volumes reclaims log space on the log device.

15. The data protection system according to claim 13 , wherein terminating the at least one point-in-time version of the source volumes

Assignees

• Emc Corp
• Emc Ip Holding Co Llc

Inventors

• Lecrone Douglas E
• Cox Gary H

Classifications

• G06F11/1451 Primary

  by selection of backup contents · CPC title

• G06F2201/84

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

• G06F3/0614

  Improving the reliability of storage systems · CPC title

• G06F11/3034

  where the computing system component is a storage system, e.g. DASD based or network based (digital input from or digital output to record carriers G06F3/06; digital recording or reproducing G11B20/18; for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS], H04L67/1097) · CPC title

• G06F3/0683

  Plurality of storage devices · CPC title