Block-Based Backup Checkpoints for Tape Wear Reduction

Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional backup systems face inefficiencies and increased costs due to the need for complete restarts from the beginning in case of failures during block-based backups, which can degrade tape device performance and lifespan, and incur high bandwidth expenses when writing to the same tape repeatedly.

Innovation Solution

Implementing a block-based backup system that generates and stores restart checkpoints at fixed intervals or after specified block reads, allowing the backup process to restart from a specific block or location, thereby reducing the need for full restarts and minimizing tape wear and network bandwidth usage.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a complete backup restart from the beginning is performed after a failure, then data integrity is ensured, but tape device wear increases and bandwidth costs rise

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata integrityVSAvoidtape wear

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by creating checkpoints at fixed intervals or after reading specified blocks during the backup process. These checkpoints record the current backup position and are stored for potential restart use, enabling the system to resume from a known good state without complete restart

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The backup process is segmented into multiple checkpoints distributed throughout the backup operation. Each checkpoint represents a recoverable state, dividing the continuous backup into manageable segments that can be independently restarted if needed

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Reliability

If a complete backup restart from the beginning is performed after a failure, then data consistency is maintained, but backup time increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata consistencyVSAvoidbackup time

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by creating checkpoints at fixed intervals or after reading specified blocks during the backup process. These checkpoints record the current backup position and are stored for potential restart use, enabling the system to resume from a known good state without complete restart

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

When a failure occurs, the system recovers by discarding the failed segment and recovering from the most recent valid checkpoint. This allows resumption of the backup process from a known good state rather than restarting completely, reducing time loss while maintaining data consistency

Inventive Principle:

Principle #34Discarding and recovering

3Reliability

If the backup process is restarted from the beginning, then tape device performance degrades due to repeated writing, but data completeness is ensured

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata completenessVSAvoidtape device performance

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by creating checkpoints at fixed intervals or after reading specified blocks during the backup process. These checkpoints record the current backup position and are stored for potential restart use, enabling the system to resume from a known good state without complete restart

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system creates checkpoint copies that store the backup state at specific intervals. These checkpoint copies enable restart from specific points without rewriting the entire backup, reducing repeated writing to tape and improving device performance

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

Data Source

PatentUS10102076B2System and method for implementing a block-based backup restart

Publication Date: 2018.10.16 NETAPP INC

AI summary

A system and method for block-based restarts are described. A data storage system interfaces with one or more nodes of a network file system on which a volume is provided in order to read data stored on the volume on a block-by-block basis. Backup data sets capable of recreating the data on the volume are generated from the data blocks read from the volume. The system can interface with a backup memory resource and write the backup data sets to the backup memory resource in a sequential order. As the backup data sets are generated and written to the backup memory resource, restart checkpoints for the data set are also regularly generated and stored for use in restarting the backup process in the event of a recoverable failure in the transfer.