Backup Directory Metadata for Retention-Lock Deletion Checks
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current backup systems lack an efficient method to instantly confirm the presence or absence of retention locked data, leading to time-consuming and resource-intensive processes for data deletion, especially in large-scale environments, and risking accidental deletion of compliance data.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that associates each MTree with a timestamp attribute, specifically a 'last_expiry_date' entry in metadata, to efficiently check for the presence of retention locked data, allowing instant confirmation and validation of user claims before performing destructive operations like MTree deletion or filesystem destruction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If individual files are deleted one by one to ensure compliance data is not removed, then data deletion safety is improved, but deletion time and computational resources increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the filesystem into MTree directory trees, each with its own retention lock status. Instead of checking individual files, the system checks the MTree level to determine if retention locked data exists, enabling efficient batch deletion operations while maintaining compliance safety.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary metadata structure (MTree information) that mediates between the filesystem and the deletion operation. By checking the MTree's retention lock status rather than individual files, the system efficiently determines safety without iterating through all files.
2Productivity
If MTree deletion is performed without checking retention lock status, then deletion speed is improved, but risk of accidental compliance data loss increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs a preliminary check of the MTree's retention lock status before executing the deletion operation. By checking the MTree information in advance, the system determines whether deletion is safe without needing to examine individual files, thus maintaining both speed and safety.
3Measurement precision
If filesystem iteration is performed to check for retention locked data, then deletion accuracy is improved, but computational resources and time consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the retention lock status information from the MTree metadata structure, separating it from individual file data. This extraction allows the system to check for retention locked data at the MTree level without iterating through files, significantly reducing computational resources while maintaining detection accuracy.
Data Source
AI summary
Preventing unwanted instant data destruction of retention locked compliance data. A directory tree of the backup system is assigned a last expiry date value, which is originally initialized to zero. The last expiry date value is compared with an expiry date of a retention lock (RL) set on files in the system. If the expiry date of the RL is after the last expiry date value, the last expiry date value is updated to the expiry date so that the latest file expiry date is stored as the directory tree's last expiry date to indicate that there will be no locked files in the directory tree after the last expiry date. Upon receipt of a data destruction request the time of request is compared with the last expiry date and the request is allowed only if the current time is after the last expiry date.