Data protection using change-based measurements in block-based backup

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9760445-B1
Application number	US-201414297475-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Jun 5, 2014
Priority date	Jun 5, 2014
Publication date	Sep 12, 2017
Grant date	Sep 12, 2017

Abstract

Data protection using change-based measurements in block-based backup is disclosed. Block change information indicating an extent of change associated with a volume may be determined. The block change information may be based at least in part on stored information indicating monitored changes to blocks in the volume. A backup operation may be initiated based at least in part on the determined block change information.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
monitoring block change information, wherein the monitoring of the block change information comprises tracking block-level changes to a first set of one or more blocks in a volume, and storing the block change information, wherein the block change comprises information associated with the block-level changes and one or more access events with respect to a second set of one or more blocks in the volume;
obtaining the block change information, wherein at least part of the block change information indicates an extent of change associated with the volume, the block change information based at least in part on stored information indicating monitored changes to the first set of the one or more blocks in the volume;
determining a type of backup operation of a backup operation based at least in part on the block change information; and
initiating the backup operation based at least in part on the determined type of backup operation and the block change information.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein initiating a backup operation includes:
determining that the block change information exceeds a threshold value;
determining an occurrence of a backup-trigger event based at least in part on the determination that the block change information exceeds the threshold; and
initiating the backup operation based at least in part on the determined occurrence.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising receiving backup settings including the threshold value.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein initiating a backup operation includes:
determining that the block change information satisfies a backup-trigger rule;
determining an occurrence of a backup-trigger event based at least in part on the determination that the rule has been satisfied; and
initiating the backup operation based at least in part on the determined occurrence.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the backup-trigger rule includes a combination of threshold values.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein the backup-trigger rule includes two or more trigger conditions combined using logical operators.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the extent of change includes a percentage change to blocks in the volume.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the extent of change includes a number of blocks in the volume changed over a period of time.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
monitoring changes to the first set of the one or more blocks in the volume; and
storing information indicating the monitored changes in a data structure.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining block change information comprises:
querying a data structure comprising the information indicating the monitored changes to the first set of one or more blocks in the volume; and
determining the block change information based at least in part on information received at least in part in response to the query.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein querying the data structure comprises:
querying the data structure at predetermined intervals.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein initiating the backup operation includes initiating an incremental backup of the first set of one or more blocks in the volume.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein initiating the backup operation includes:
retrieving information identifying at least one of the first set of one or more blocks changed since a previous backup from a data structure comprising the information indicating the monitored changes to blocks in the volume; and
initiating a backup operation to backup the identified at least one of the first set of one or more blocks.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising resetting the data structure based at least in part on a completion of the backup operation.

15. A system, comprising:
a processor; and
a memory coupled with the processor, wherein the memory is configured to provide the processor with instructions which when executed cause the processor to:
monitor block change information, wherein to monitor the block change information comprises to track block-level changes to a first set of one or more blocks in a volume, and to store the block change information, wherein the block change comprises information associated with the block-level changes and one or more access events with respect to a second set of one or more blocks in the volume;
obtain the block change information, wherein at least part of the block change information indicates an extent of change associated with the volume, the block change information based at least in part on stored information indicating monitored changes to the first set of the one or more blocks in the volume;
determining a type of backup operation of a backup operation based at least in part on the block change information; and
initiate the backup operation based at least in part on the determined type of backup operation and the block change information.

16. The system recited in claim 15 , wherein the instructions to initiate the backup operation include instructions to:
determine that the block change information exceeds a threshold value;
determine an occurrence of a backup-trigger event based at least in part on the determination that the block change information exceeds the threshold; and
initiate the backup operation based at least in part on the determined occurrence.

17. The system recited in claim 15 , wherein the instructions to initiate the backup operation include instructions to:
determine that the block change information satisfies a backup-trigger rule;
determine an occurrence of a backup-trigger event based at least in part on the determination that the rule has been satisfied; and
initiate the backup operation based at least in part on the determined occurrence.

18. The system recited in claim 17 , wherein the backup-trigger rule includes two or more trigger conditions combined using logical operators.

19. A computer program product, the computer program product being embodied in a tangible non-transitory computer readable storage medium and comprising computer instructions for:
monitor block change information, wherein to monitor the block change information comprises to track block-level changes to a first set of one or more blocks in a volume, and to store the block change information wherein the block change comprises information associated with the block-level changes and one or more access events with respect to a second set of one or more blocks in the volume;
obtain the block change information, wherein at least part of the block change information indicates an extent of change associated with the volume, the block change information based at least in part on stored information indicating monitored changes to the first set of the one or more blocks in the volume;
determine a type of backup operation of a backup operation based at least in part on the block change information; and
initiating the backup operation based at least in part on the determined type of backup operation and the block change information.

20. The computer program product recited in claim 19 , further comprising computer instructions for:
determining that the block change information exceeds a threshold value;
determining an occurrence of a backup-trigger event based at least in part on the determination that the block change information exceeds the threshold; and
initiating the backup operation based at least in part on the determined occurrence.

21. The method of

Assignees

• Emc Ip Holding Co Llc

Inventors

• Chopra Shelesh
• Mandic Vladimir

Classifications

• G06F11/1451 Primary

  by selection of backup contents · CPC title

• G06F3/065 Primary

  Replication mechanisms · CPC title

• G06F3/064

  Management of blocks · CPC title

• G06F3/0619

  in relation to data integrity, e.g. data losses, bit errors · CPC title

• G06F3/0683

  Plurality of storage devices · CPC title