Array Snapshots for Continuous Data Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional data protection systems, such as those using tape backup drives and data replication, face challenges including system shutdown during backups, limited recovery points, and lengthy data recovery processes, which hinder continuous data protection and minimize downtime.
Innovation Solution
The method involves leveraging snapshots and a dynamic journaling system that uses a punch command and thin LUNs to create a fully dynamic journal that can shrink and grow on demand, allowing for efficient storage management and immediate continuous data protection by replicating changes tracked at the production site.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional tape backup drives are used for data protection, then data can be stored periodically, but system shutdown is required during backup operations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses snapshot technology to create point-in-time copies of production volumes without requiring system shutdown. The snapshot mechanism captures the state of data at a specific moment and allows backup operations to proceed independently, thus maintaining system availability while ensuring data protection reliability.
2Reliability
If conventional data replication is used, then data can be copied to backup storage, but recovery is limited to specific predetermined points in time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements continuous snapshot creation at predetermined intervals, preparing multiple recovery points in advance. This preliminary action ensures that when recovery is needed, the system can immediately restore to any previous snapshot point without waiting for the next scheduled backup, thus providing flexible recovery point selection while maintaining data protection.
3Adaptability or versatility
If journaling is used for continuous data protection, then any point in time can be recovered, but significant storage resources are consumed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the journaling function into discrete snapshot segments taken at predetermined intervals. Instead of maintaining a continuous journal that consumes significant storage, the system creates separate snapshot segments that can be independently managed and stored efficiently, reducing overall storage resource consumption while maintaining the ability to recover to any point in time.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a lifecycle management approach where older snapshots are archived or discarded after serving their recovery purpose. This allows the system to maintain flexible recovery capabilities for recent data while freeing storage resources for current operations, effectively balancing recovery point flexibility with storage resource usage.
4Reliability
If conventional backup systems are used, then data can be protected, but the recovery process takes a long time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses snapshot technology to create immediate point-in-time copies of data that can be restored directly without lengthy reconstruction processes. Since snapshots capture the actual data state rather than requiring reconstruction from backup media or journal entries, recovery time is significantly reduced while maintaining data protection reliability.
Data Source
AI summary
One challenge to continuous data protection (CDP) is the resources required for storage. Typically, when setting up replication, a production volume and replica are set up and initialized to copy data from the production volume to the replica. However, instead of taking a clone of the volume, there are significant advantages to taking an array-based snapshot of the volume and leveraging capabilities inherent to the snapshot to improve data protections systems using CDP. To leverage the benefits of snapshots in a CDP system, as described below, example embodiments of the present invention use multiple snapshots. Bookmarks are created to indicate the point in time each snapshot was create so that a newer snapshot may be used for replication as data is applied to the replica.