Application-Aware Snapshot Quiescing for Data Consistency

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current data backup methods often result in incomplete or unrecoverable data due to ongoing data access during copying, leading to complex and time-consuming recovery processes.

Innovation Solution

The development of an application-aware snapshot method that discovers storage volumes, identifies associated managers, and creates snapshots by quiescing data access, ensuring application consistency through a network association module, requester module, and provider module.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If data is copied while programs are accessing it, then data can be backed up without stopping operations, but the copied data becomes incomplete and unrecoverable

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata backup speedVSAvoiddata completeness

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by identifying and quiescing the application manager before copying data. This ensures that no write operations are in progress when the snapshot is taken, guaranteeing data consistency while allowing the backup to proceed efficiently

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The invention introduces an intermediary mechanism (application manager quiescing) between the data access programs and the data copying process. This intermediary controls the flow of data operations to ensure consistency during the backup window

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If data copying is stopped to ensure completeness, then data integrity is maintained, but recovery time becomes significantly longer

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata integrityVSAvoidrecovery time

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs the data consistency preparation in advance by quiescing the application manager before the snapshot operation begins. This preliminary action ensures that when the snapshot is taken, all data is in a consistent state, eliminating the need for time-consuming recovery operations later

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Reliability

If application-specific quiescing is implemented, then application-consistent snapshots are achieved, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveapplication consistencyVSAvoidsnapshot operation complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system achieves application-specific quiescing through a universal interface that works across different application types. The generic quiesce command can be adapted to various application managers (database systems, file systems, etc.) without requiring application-specific customization, thus maintaining reliability while controlling complexity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentUS10140303B1Application aware snapshots

Publication Date: 2018.11.27 CYPRESSWOOD SOLUTIONS LLC

AI summary

Apparatuses, systems, methods, and computer program products are disclosed for creating an application-aware snapshot of a storage volume. A network association module is configured to determine an owner for a storage volume. A requester module is configured to request a snapshot operation for a storage volume. A snapshot operation may be initiated from a storage appliance. A provider module is configured to create a snapshot of data of a storage volume in a storage appliance in response to a determined owner quiescing activity for the storage volume.