417 results about "Incremental backup" patented technology

Techniques for adjusting the frequency of data backups and initiating event-driven backups in a storage system are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a self-adjusting backup frequency, known as a “Change Rate Objective,” is defined to conduct or delay backups for one or more volumes in the storage system on the basis of an associated policy value. The Change Rate Objective may be tied to one or more business or data activity events, such as the amount and type of data changes since a last backup. The storage system may also be tailored to conduct or delay full or incremental backups on the basis of a Change Rate Objective that measures whether a full or incremental or differential backup is more appropriate. Various data or system failures, or data or business events may also be used to adjust the retention periods of continuous data protection (CDP) data and delay a rollup of CDP data.

Various method, system, and computer program product embodiments for performing a backup of a source storage volume to a target storage volume are provided. In one exemplary embodiment, a flashcopy of the source storage volume to the target storage volume is initiated. The content of the source storage volume is stored on the target storage volume in a space efficient manner. The space requirement of the stored content on the target storage volume is monitored. The flashcopy is terminated when the space requirement reaches a predetermined level. The stored content on the target storage volume is copied to a backup storage medium. A new flashcopy of the source storage volume is initiated.

The invention provides a method and system for duplicating all or part of a file system while maintaining consistent copies of the file system. The file server maintains a set of snapshots, each indicating a set of storage blocks making up a consistent copy of the file system as it was at a known time. Each snapshot can be used for a purpose other than maintaining the coherency of the file system, such as duplicating or transferring a backup copy of the file system to a destination storage medium. In a preferred embodiment, the snapshots can be manipulated to identify sets of storage blocks in the file system for incremental backup or copying, or to provide a file system backup that is both complete and relatively inexpensive.

The invention provides a method and system for duplicating all or part of a file system while maintaining consistent copies of the file system. The file server maintains a set of snapshots, each indicating a set of storage blocks making up a consistent copy of the file system as it was at a known time. Each snapshot can be used for a purpose other than maintaining the coherency of the file system, such as duplicating or transferring a backup copy of the file system to a destination storage medium. In a preferred embodiment, the snapshots can be manipulated to identify sets of storage blocks in the file system for incremental backup or copying, or to provide a file system backup that is both complete and relatively inexpensive. Also in a preferred embodiment, shadow snapshots can be maintained, with a shadow snapshot including a set of member storage blocks that formed a consistent file system other than an active file system, with a set of selected member storage blocks removed from the consistent file system.

Described is a technique for a backup and restoration of data in a network that includes a multi-lingual file system and a multi-lingual network file server. Multiple meta data files are associated with a single data file in the network. Provided are services for packaging the metadata as a single parameter of an application programming interface (API) for a particular data file being backed up or restored over a network. These techniques may be used in both full and incremental backups and restores of data over a network.

A method for performing a backup of a stub object located on a file system managed by a hierarchical storage manager configured to migrate data objects from the file system to a migration storage pool is provided. The stub object includes information for recalling a migrated data object. The method comprises determining whether a backup copy of the migrated data object is stored in a backup storage pool if the backup is performed in an incremental backup operation; directing the hierarchical storage manager to recall the migrated data object to the file system if the backup copy of the migrated data object is not stored in the backup storage pool or if the backup is performed in a selective backup operation; creating the backup copy of the migrated data object if the migrated data object is recalled; storing the backup copy of the migrated data object in the backup storage pool if the migrated data object is recalled; creating a backup copy of the stub object if the migrated data object is not recalled; storing the backup copy of the stub object from the file system in the backup storage pool if the migrated data object is not recalled; and logically grouping the backup copy of the migrated data object with the backup copy of the stub object in the backup storage pool such that the backup copy of the migrated data object cannot be deleted from the backup storage pool unless the backup copy of the stub object does not exist in the backup storage pool if the migrated data object is not recalled.

One embodiment is a method for providing incremental backups for a source computing machine, the method including: (a) creating a first backup snapshot including a virtual machine (VM) snapshot of an initial copy of a source computing machine volume, wherein said VM snapshot includes a timestamp and a first redo log file; (b) reconfiguring and customizing said first backup snapshot to create a first bootable VM, writing changes associated with said reconfiguring and customizing into said first redo log file, then creating a first bootable snapshot including a VM snapshot of said first bootable VM, wherein said VM snapshot of said first bootable VM includes a timestamp for said first bootable VM and a redo log file; (c) performing an incremental update of said first backup snapshot or a subsequent backup snapshot, then creating a subsequent backup snapshot including a VM snapshot of said incremental update, wherein said VM snapshot of said incremental update includes a timestamp for said incremental update and a redo log file; and (d) reconfiguring and customizing said subsequent backup snapshot to create a subsequent bootable VM, then creating a subsequent bootable snapshot including a VM snapshot of said subsequent bootable VM, wherein said VM snapshot of said subsequent bootable VM includes a timestamp for said subsequent bootable VM and a redo log file.

A system and method for storing computer files in a destination file is described, which may be an incremental backup system. File headers related to the files may be stored in a file index separate from a data file, or subsequent versions may be stored in the same data file while maintaining earlier versions. File headers may include locations of files, checksums, metadata about individual blocks corresponding to the data files. A system may include a client application program stored on a client computer, a network, and a server software program on a destination computer. Embodiments may include compression, encryption, or both, performed by the client application program. Files may be divided into blocks, and metadata may include locations of blocks. Files may be restored from the destination computer to the source computer. Files storage locations on the destination computer may be mapped to the client computer to appear as a virtual hard drive for convenient access by a user.

Techniques for adjusting the frequency of data backups and initiating event-driven backups in a storage system are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a self-adjusting backup frequency, known as a “Change Rate Objective,” is defined to conduct or delay backups for one or more volumes in the storage system on the basis of an associated policy value. The Change Rate Objective may be tied to one or more business or data activity events, such as the amount and type of data changes since a last backup. The storage system may also be tailored to conduct or delay full or incremental backups on the basis of a Change Rate Objective that measures whether a full or incremental or differential backup is more appropriate. Various data or system failures, or data or business events may also be used to adjust the retention periods of continuous data protection (CDP) data and delay a rollup of CDP data.

A backup apparatus and method suitable for protecting the data volume in a computer system function by acquiring a base state snapshot and a sequential series of data volume snapshots, the apparatus concurrently generating succedent and precedent lists of snapshot differences which are used to create succedent and precedent backups respectively. The data volume is restored by overwriting the base state data with data blocks identified in one or more succedent backups. File recovery is accomplished by overwriting data from a current snapshot with one or more precedent backups.

Methods and apparatuses for performing secure incremental backup and restore operations are disclosed.

A method of incremental backup of a storage device includes reading descriptors of logical storage units of the storage device; comparing the descriptors of the logical storage units of the storage device with descriptors of archived logical storage units; for logical storage units of the storage device whose descriptors are not identical to the descriptors of the archived logical storage units, backing up contents of physical storage units that correspond to those logical storage units of the storage device; and, for logical storage units of the storage device whose descriptors are identical, performing a comparison step to check if these logical storage units need to be backed up. The logical storage units can be files. The comparison step can be, e.g., (1) bit-wise comparison of the logical blocks, (2) comparing control sums of the logical blocks, and (3) comparing log files relating to the logical storage units The physical storage units can be blocks. The descriptors can be, e.g., MFT entries, hash function values, timestamps, checksums, and file metadata. The descriptors can be compared on a physical storage unit basis. The method further can optionally include generating a bitmap of the physical storage units of the storage device; marking, in the bitmap, those physical storage units that correspond to logical storage units with different descriptors; and archiving content of the physical storage units marked in the bitmap. The method can further optionally include archiving logical storage units of the storage device having the same name as corresponding archived logical storage units of the storage device, but different time stamps.

A method and system of data backup for a computer system is disclosed. Full and incremental backups of data stored to a first storage device coupled to the computer system are stored to a backup storage device coupled to the computer system. The backup storage device may be remotely located and coupled via a network. Data representative of the relationship of each incremental backup to its respective parent backup is stored in a dependency data structure, preferably a tree-like structure. Different types of incremental backups may be performed to provide different data granularity. When two or more storage media are used in a rotational manner, each medium always contains a complete backup. The backup storage device is automatically managed by paring at least one of a full and incremental backup at the backup storage device automatically in accordance with a plan. The plan is preferably configured to manage an amount of available storage space at the backup storage device. When restoring data from a backup, data to be restored that is stored in a parent backup is automatically located and restored. Stored backups may be encrypted and decrypted when restored.

A backup manager backups file systems of virtual machines running on a base computer. In order to backup a virtual machine, the backup manager identifies the file on the base machine that represents the virtual machine, freezes the virtual machine, and creates a snapshot thereof. The backup manager restarts the frozen machine, and starts the snapshot. The files of the file system of the snapshot are mapped at a virtual machine level, and the resulting file mapping information is used to backup the files of the virtual machine at a base machine level. The mapping information is current as of the instant the snapshot was taken. The backup manager can backup one, multiple or all virtual machine(s) running on the base computer, in conjunction with a full or incremental backup of the base computer, or independently.

A system and method for mail server backup. In one embodiment, the method may comprise storing one or more messages on a mail server, where each message is associated with an index time. The method may then perform a full backup by storing each message and a backup time associated with the full backup on a backup medium, and perform a partial backup by storing selected messages on the backup medium dependent upon a difference between the index time associated with each message and the backup time. In one embodiment the partial backup may be performed by backing up each message that includes an index time that is dated after the backup time. In a further embodiment, each message on the mail server is contained in a mail folder object, and storing the backup time may comprise modifying a data member of the mail folder object.

A method, system computer program product recorded on a computer readable medium, for fast incremental backup of a storage device includes selecting an area of the data storage device for backup; creating the bitmap of data storage device; reading the selected area of the data storage device; converting data read from the data storage device into a usable format for the comparison of descriptors; reading descriptors of logical storage units of the selected area; discarding selected data access attributes of the descriptors; generating hash values for the descriptors; comparing the hash values of the descriptors of the logical storage units of the selected area with the hash values of the descriptors of previously archived logical storage units; for physical storage units related to logical storage units of the selected area whose hash values of the descriptors are identical to the hash values of the descriptors of the archived logical storage units, checking if these physical storage units need to be backed up; updating the bitmap of data storage device; and backing up contents of the physical storage units marked in the backup. The logical storage units can be files. The descriptors can be compared on a physical storage unit basis.

A system, method and computer program product for consolidation of incremental backups, wherein each incremental backup includes data and a backup map with links that point to data of current and / or previous backups, including selecting a plurality of incremental backups to be consolidated; combining the links in the backup maps of the selected backups into a single set of links; consolidating the selected backups to a new backup that contains the latest data from the selected backups, the latest data determined based on the links in the single set; updating the links in the single set to point to the data in the new backup; and storing the updated links in the new backup as part of a backup map of the new backup. The selected backups comprise one initial full backup and at least one incremental backup. In the combining step, the addresses from the backup maps of first backup of the selected sequence of backups up to the last created backup is checked. The selected incremental backups are organized into a tree.

Various embodiments of systems and methods for performing volume-based incremental backups are disclosed. A method may involve generating a snappoint of a volume. The snappoint indicates which portions (e.g., blocks or extents) of the volume have been modified between a time at which the snappoint was generated and a time at which a subsequent snappoint was generated. The method may also involve accessing information mapping the file to the volume and, if the snappoint identifies as having been modified any blocks of the volume to which the file maps, copying those blocks from the subsequent snappoint to the backup device. Portions not identified as having been modified by the snappoint are not copied. Program instructions implementing such a method may be stored on a computer accessible medium.

A method, system, and computer-readable storage medium for managing backup operations of virtual machines are provided. According to one embodiment, a backup application initiates a snapshot of a storage volume, which stores a collection of virtual hard disk drives. A collection of virtual machines access the collection of virtual hard disk drives. The backup application accesses a collection of lists of changes to data. The collection of lists and the data are stored in the collection of virtual hard disk drives. A first list among the collection of lists is generated by a first virtual machine. The changes to data are made by the collection of virtual machines. The backup application generates an incremental backup of the first virtual hard disk drive by copying data from the snapshot in response to the first list identifying that the data changed subsequent to the generation of the prior backup.

Systems and methods which provide a hybrid network based solution for digital data file backup are shown. Embodiments utilize a transport mass storage system to provide transmission of digital data files between user equipment and a network based mass storage system. A manifest may be used to manage transporting and / or storage of digital data files. User equipment may then access the digital data files stored to the network mass storage system for various purposes using a network link. Subsequent, incremental backups and other transfers of relatively small amounts of digital data files are preferably accomplished using a network link for the transfer.

A method of incremental backup of a storage device includes reading descriptors of logical storage units of the storage device; comparing the descriptors of the logical storage units of the storage device with descriptors of archived logical storage units; for logical storage units of the storage device whose descriptors are not identical to the descriptors of the archived logical storage units, backing up contents of physical storage units that correspond to those logical storage units of the storage device; and, for logical storage units of the storage device whose descriptors are identical, performing a comparison step to check if these logical storage units need to be backed up. The logical storage units can be files. The comparison step can be, e.g., (1) bit-wise comparison of the logical blocks, (2) comparing control sums of the logical blocks, and (3) comparing log files relating to the logical storage units The physical storage units can be blocks. The descriptors can be, e.g., MFT entries, hash function values, timestamps, checksums, and file metadata. The descriptors can be compared on a physical storage unit basis. The method further can optionally include generating a bitmap of the physical storage units of the storage device; marking, in the bitmap, those physical storage units that correspond to logical storage units with different descriptors; and archiving content of the physical storage units marked in the bitmap. The method can further optionally include archiving logical storage units of the storage device having the same name as corresponding archived logical storage units of the storage device, but different time stamps.

According to the present invention, there is provided a method for reliably storing data in a computer system. The method includes receiving a piece of data to be stored at a storage system. In addition, the method includes writing a first copy of the data to the storage system according to a first data redundancy scheme. Also, the method includes writing a second copy of the data to the storage system according to a second data redundancy scheme. Also, the system includes maintaining metadata of the data written to the storage system according to the second data redundancy scheme. In addition, the method includes copying the data written to the storage system according to the second data redundancy scheme to a backup storage system, wherein the copying is performed in response to a defined condition being met. Moreover, removing the data written to the storage system according to the second data redundancy scheme after it has been copied to the backup storage system.

A computer creates a full backup of a target volume by copying sectors of the target volume. Incremental backups are created by copying modified sectors that have changed since a preceding backup. Public accesses to a restore volume are prevented by modifying a volume boot record (VBR) of the restore volume to prevent file systems from recognizing the restore volume or by filtering public accesses while allowing private block accesses to the restore volume. Sector data are copied from the backup files to the restore volume while the public accesses are being prevented. The restore can begin, using previously created backup files, while the backup is still in process creating new incremental backups for the target volume. The restore volume is finalized after restoring the full or any number of incremental backups by restoring the VBR to indicate the restore volume is valid or stopping the filtering of public accesses.

The present disclosure provides for implementing a two-level fingerprint caching scheme for a client cache and a server cache. The client cache hit ratio can be improved by pre-populating the client cache with fingerprints that are relevant to the client. Relevant fingerprints include fingerprints used during a recent time period (e.g., fingerprints of segments that are included in the last full backup image and any following incremental backup images created for the client after the last full backup image), and thus are referred to as fingerprints with good temporal locality. Relevant fingerprints also include fingerprints associated with a storage container that has good spatial locality, and thus are referred to as fingerprints with good spatial locality. A pre-set threshold established for the client cache (e.g., threshold Tc) is used to determine whether a storage container (and thus fingerprints associated with the storage container) has good spatial locality.

Synthesized backup set catalogs are created to more efficiently create synthetic full backups of a data volume or to more efficiently restore a data object of the data volume. In one embodiment, the synthesized backup set catalog comprises n entries corresponding to n data objects, respectively, of a data volume being backed up. The synthesized backup set catalog can be created with the creation of an incremental backup of the data volume. Each entry of the synthesized backup set catalog may contain a backup identification (ID), wherein each backup ID identifies at least one of two backup sets of the data volume.

A method and apparatus to recover a set of data from a full backup and an incremental or differential backup are described. This includes a source directory that was modified between the full backup and the incremental or differential backup. The full backup is restored, including the source directory, and a new directory is created to replace the restored directory when the incremental or differential backup is applied to the restored full backup. Content for an entry from the modified source directory in the incremental or differential backup is created in the new directory if the corresponding content is present in the incremental or differential backup. If the content for the entry is not present in the incremental or differential backup, then the entry in the new directory is linked to corresponding content in the restored directory from the full backup.

A method, system and computer program product for generation and management of incremental backups of VEE file system using bitmaps. The proposed method allows users to roll back to any previous version or state of the VEE file system and to instantiate this version using the data encapsulated in virtual disk storage (i.e. file system) of the VEE. A number of VEEs run on a Host Operating System of the computer system. One of the VEEs implemented on the computer system is designated to generation and management of backups of the virtual disk data of the other VEEs without freezing the file system during the entire backup process. A special tracing application runs on the designated VEE for generating the bitmap of a file system snapshot. The user can also set up a time for generating a backup or create a schedule for automatically generating the backups at critical points.