Asset Dependency Tracking for Automated Data Recovery
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current data recovery processes for computer systems are complex and prone to errors due to unclear dependencies among assets and the lack of automation, leading to prolonged recovery times and potential mistakes during disaster recovery situations.
Innovation Solution
A recovery manager system that tracks and manages asset dependencies, providing automated and decision-support tools to identify, prioritize, and execute recovery steps, ensuring that all necessary assets are restored in a logically consistent order.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If manual recovery processes are used by administrators, then flexibility in handling complex recovery scenarios is maintained, but recovery time increases and error probability increases due to time pressure and complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by automatically discovering assets and their dependencies before a disaster occurs, building a dependency graph that captures relationships among operating system components, applications, data, and hardware. This pre-established knowledge base enables rapid recovery decision-making without requiring administrators to manually analyze complex interdependencies during time-critical recovery operations
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary recovery management system that acts as a mediator between the administrator and the complex recovery process. This intermediary automatically discovers assets, builds dependency graphs, identifies recovery sets, and presents simplified recovery options to administrators, thereby reducing the cognitive load and time required for recovery decisions while maintaining operational flexibility
2Reliability
If comprehensive asset dependency tracking is implemented, then recovery accuracy and completeness improve, but system complexity increases due to the need to track and manage relationships among multiple assets
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements self-service by automatically discovering assets and their dependencies without requiring manual configuration or input from administrators. The discovery mechanism autonomously identifies operating system components, applications, data, hardware, and their interrelationships, building a comprehensive dependency graph that ensures complete and accurate recovery sets without increasing operational complexity for users
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical/manual process of tracking asset dependencies with an automated electronic discovery and analysis system. Instead of administrators manually documenting relationships among assets, the system uses automated mechanisms to discover, map, and maintain the dependency graph, thereby ensuring recovery completeness while eliminating the complexity burden from users
3Productivity
If automated recovery processes are implemented, then recovery speed increases, but flexibility and adaptability to complex scenarios may be reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements dynamics by providing multiple levels of automation that can adapt to different recovery scenarios and administrator preferences. The discovery mechanism dynamically identifies assets and dependencies, the recovery set identification adapts to the selected asset type, and the system can present automated recommendations or allow manual adjustment, thereby maintaining both speed and flexibility across diverse recovery situations
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements universality by designing a multi-functional recovery system that handles various asset types (operating system components, applications, data, hardware) and recovery scenarios through a unified automated framework. The dependency graph approach and recovery set identification mechanism work universally across different asset types, enabling fast automated recovery while maintaining adaptability to complex and varied disaster scenarios
Data Source
AI summary
In one embodiment, a computer accessible medium stores a plurality of instructions including instructions which, when executed: track dependencies among a plurality of assets; and responsive to an identification of an asset for potential recovery (the “selected asset”), identify an asset dependency set corresponding to the selected asset. The asset dependency set comprises at least a subset of the plurality of assets, wherein each asset in the subset has a dependency with the selected asset. In some embodiments, one or more of the following may be provided: tracking asset dependencies and presenting the asset dependency set to the user; pruning the asset dependency set to a recovery set identifying the asset dependency set; generating the recovery order (optionally optimized); initiating the recovery according to the recovery order; performing recovery steps; generating the recovery plan and/or executing recovery plans.