Backup Abort Handling via Storage Synchronization

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Solution Overview

Problem

Legacy backup processes fail to correctly handle abort requests for backup operations, leading to unsynchronized storage devices and disabled write requests, which negatively impact the customer experience by not returning storage devices to their previous state.

Innovation Solution

The backup/restore application receives an abort request, synchronizes source storage devices with target storage devices if a snapshot is created, and sends an abort completion message, explicitly re-synchronizing storage devices to their initial state, allowing write requests to be enabled, thus ensuring a higher customer experience.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If legacy backup processes abort a backup operation, then the backup operation is terminated, but the storage devices remain unsynchronized and write requests are disabled

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebackup operation termination speedVSAvoidstorage device state consistency

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by checking the current state of storage devices before aborting a backup operation. It determines whether target storage devices are synchronized with source storage devices and whether write requests are enabled, then takes appropriate corrective actions to ensure devices return to their initial state before the backup operation began.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements feedback by continuously monitoring the state of storage devices during the abort process. It checks synchronization status and write request states, and uses this feedback information to determine what corrective actions are needed to restore devices to their pre-backup state.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

2Loss of time

If the backup/restore application exits processing of an abort request quickly, then response time is improved, but storage devices may not be returned to their previous state

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveabort request processing timeVSAvoidstorage device state restoration

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of timeVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary checks of storage device states before exiting the abort request processing. It verifies synchronization status and write request enabled states, ensuring devices are in their correct initial state before the backup operation began, only then does it exit the processing.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system uses feedback loops to monitor storage device states throughout the abort processing. It continuously checks whether target storage devices are synchronized with source storage devices and whether write requests are properly enabled, using this information to determine when abort processing can safely conclude.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentUS9886354B1Handling aborts of backup operations

Publication Date: 2018.02.06 EMC IP HLDG CO LLC

AI summary

Handling aborts of backup operations is described. A system receives an abort request message corresponding to a backup operation associated with a source storage device. The system determines whether a snapshot associated with the backup operation is created of the source storage device. The system synchronizes the source storage device with a target storage device in response to a determination that the snapshot associated with the backup operation is created of the source storage device. The system sends an abort completion message to a backup/restore application interface associated with the backup operation.