Seamless application backup and recovery using metadata

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9965358-B2
Application number	US-201113264672-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 27, 2011
Priority date	May 27, 2011
Publication date	May 8, 2018
Grant date	May 8, 2018

Abstract

Technologies are generally described for systems and methods effective to provide a seamless backup and recovery of applications using metadata. In an example, metadata can be defined to map data associated with an application and provide the relationship of the data to the application. From the metadata, a backup system can create a capsule containing application data, and a payload containing application related data. The capsule can contain not just the application data, but also configuration information, and access parameters. The capsule and payload can be associated together and saved by the backup system. In another example, to recover an application, a capsule and a payload can be retrieved, and using the metadata, the capsule can be unpacked to reinstall the application to the same state it was in when backed up, and the application related data can be restored from the payload.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
receiving, by at least one computing device, metadata associated with an application, wherein the metadata comprises first data related to the application and second data related to a mapping of a network that includes a plurality of storage locations, and wherein the mapping of the network is determined based on an identification of the plurality of storage locations that store the first data related to the application;
based on an analysis of the first data and the second data, determining the first data related to the application that corresponds to a first portion of information relating to the application, and determining a second portion of information relating to the application different than the first portion of information, wherein the first portion of information includes information associated with at least one modification of the application and at least one user selectable configuration of the application that reinstalls the application, wherein the second portion of information includes information related to application specific data that is generated by the application during usage of the application, and wherein the second portion of information restores the application specific data after the reinstallation of the application;
identifying an access parameter associated with the application, wherein the access parameter facilitates access to the application;
collecting, from one or more storage locations determined from the plurality of storage locations, based on the second data, the first portion of information that is used in execution of the application;
collecting, from one or more other storage locations determined from the plurality of storage locations, based on the second data, the second portion of information that is generated by the application, wherein the one or more other storage locations are different than the one or more storage locations;
encapsulating the access parameter and the first portion of information collected from the one or more storage locations, of the plurality of storage locations, based on the metadata into a capsule for the application;
encapsulating the second portion of information collected from the one or more other storage locations, of the plurality of storage locations, based on the metadata into a payload for the application that is distinct from the capsule for the application;
assigning a first identifier to the capsule and a second identifier to the payload;
associating the first identifier with the second identifier;
detecting an alteration of an address block associated with at least one of the first portion of information or the second portion of information;
encapsulating an other capsule and an other payload associated with the first portion of information or the second portion of information, as altered, in response to the detecting the alteration;
assigning a third identifier to the other capsule and a fourth identifier to the other payload;
associating the third identifier with the first identifier, and the fourth identifier with the second identifier, wherein associated capsules and associated payloads are distinct from each other; reinstalling the application based on the first portion of information; and restoring the application specific data after the reinstallation of the application.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the collecting the first portion of information comprises collecting at least one of application installation data, configuration information, or an access parameter.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the collecting the second portion of information comprises collecting at least one of data generated by the application or data utilized by the application.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the encapsulating the access parameter and the first portion of information comprises forming a first capsule that comprises the access parameter and the first portion of information, and wherein the encapsulating the second portion of information comprises forming a first payload that comprises the second portion of information.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising storing the first capsule or the first payload, which are associated with a computing device of the at least one computing device, on at least one of a local hard drive, an external hard drive, a flash memory, or a network storage device, wherein the assigned first identifier and the second identifier identify the computing device associated with the capsule and the payload of the application.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein the encapsulating the other capsule includes re-encapsulating the first portion of information, as altered, and forming a second capsule that comprises the first portion of information, as altered.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:
associating the second capsule with the first capsule and the first payload.

8. The method of claim 4 , wherein the encapsulating the other payload includes re-encapsulating the second portion of information, as altered, and forming a second payload that comprises the second portion of information, as altered.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
associating the second payload with the first capsule and the first payload.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the encapsulating the other payload includes re-encapsulating the second portion of information, as altered, in accordance with a schedule.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the receiving the metadata comprises receiving a location of the plurality of storage locations that store the first data.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first identifier, the second identifier, the third identifier, and the fourth identifier each indicate a time and date of encapsulation, a name of the application, a version of the application, and a device on which the application is installed.

13. A system, comprising:
a processor, coupled to a memory, configured to execute or facilitate execution of computer-executable instructions to at least:
generate a map of network that includes a physical location, wherein the map of the network is determined based on an identification of the physical location that store data related to an application;
determine a first set of the data that corresponds to a first data type that is used in reinstallation of the application and determine a second set of the data that corresponds to a second data type that is related to application specific data that is generated by the application during usage of the application, wherein the first data type comprises a recovery parameter that is associated with at least one modification of the application and at least one user selectable configuration of the application, wherein the recovery parameter is configured to facilitate recovery of the application, and wherein the second data type restores the application specific data after reinstallation of the application;
encapsulate the recovery parameter and the first set of the data based on a first set of locations associated with the physical location of the data to create a capsule;
encapsulate the second set of the data based on a second set of locations associated with the physical location of the data to create a payload that is different than the capsule;
store the capsule and the payload;
determine that an alteration of an address block associated with the data related to the application has occurred;
create an other capsule or an other payload associated with the application in response to a determination that the alteration has occurred, wherein the other capsule and the other payload are different than the

Assignees

• Chowdhry Tripatinder
• Empire Technology Dev Llc

Inventors

• Chowdhry Tripatinder

Classifications

• G06F11/1451

  by selection of backup contents · CPC title

• G06F11/1469 Primary

  Backup restoration techniques · CPC title

• G06F11/1464

  for networked environments · CPC title