Data Backup System with Replication Verification

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing data backup systems face challenges in accurately reflecting the state of source data due to faulty replication, leading to ineffective backup operations that can result in significant time and monetary losses during system failures.

Innovation Solution

A method and system that automatically detect inaccurate replication data, allowing for the creation of secondary copies directly from the source data when replication fails, ensuring accurate backup operations by associating the secondary copy with the source data.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If backup operations are performed on replicated source data, then processing resources of the source system are conserved for application requests, but the backup data may not accurately reflect the state of the source data when replication fails

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveapplication request processing capacityVSAvoidbackup data accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system implements a verification mechanism that checks whether replicated data accurately reflects the source data state before performing backup operations. When discrepancies are detected, the system receives feedback and adjusts by either correcting the replication or obtaining fresh data from the source, ensuring backup reliability while maintaining source system productivity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces an intermediary verification layer between the replication system and backup operations. This intermediary component validates replication accuracy and mediates between the replicated data and backup processes, preventing faulty replication data from compromising backup integrity while allowing continuous backup operations on the source system

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If the system automatically detects and corrects faulty replication data, then backup data accuracy is improved, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebackup data accuracyVSAvoidbackup system complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system implements self-service automation where the backup system automatically detects replication faults, verifies data accuracy, and corrects issues without manual intervention. The system autonomously determines whether to perform backups on source data or replicated data based on verification results, reducing operational complexity while maintaining high backup reliability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentUS9201906B2Systems and methods to perform data backup in data storage systems

Publication Date: 2015.12.01 COMMVAULT SYSTEMS INC

AI summary

A data storage system, according to certain aspects, automatically backs up source data when the replication data is faulty. For instance, the system performs data backup using replication data rather than source data to reduce the processing load on the source system. The backup data is then associated with the source data as if the backup had been performed on the source data. If the replication system fails, then backing up replication data results in backup data that does not accurately reflect the source data. When permitted by the user system configuration, the system automatically backs up source data when replication has failed.