Backup Storage Area Allocation for Snapshot Data Transfer Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional backup methods, such as OPC and SnapOPC, face significant challenges in reducing data transfer amounts, as they often require transferring and storing entire data sets or differential data for each time point, leading to excessive data transfer and storage demands.
Innovation Solution
A backing-up apparatus and method that allocates storage areas for snapshots based on designated time points, checks for updates, and stores only the original data immediately before updating in the latest snapshot area, reducing data transfer by avoiding redundant storage of unchanged data.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional OPC or SnapOPC methods are used to create snapshots at multiple time points, then snapshot creation is achieved, but the data transfer amount becomes tremendous due to copying entire volumes or differential data for each time point
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and stores only the differential data (data that has changed) at each time point rather than copying entire volumes. The differential data storage unit stores only the changes detected by the differential data detection unit, significantly reducing the quantity of data transferred and stored while maintaining snapshot accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the backup process into distinct functional units: differential data detection unit, differential data storage unit, and snapshot creation unit. This segmentation allows the system to detect only changed data blocks and store them separately, avoiding redundant transfer of unchanged data while ensuring complete snapshot reconstruction capability.
2Adaptability or versatility
If differential data is stored for each SnapOPC instruction in conventional systems, then snapshot functionality is provided, but the same data is transferred and stored multiple times across different storage areas
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the differential data storage function into a single shared differential data storage unit that serves all snapshot requests. Instead of maintaining separate storage areas for each SnapOPC instruction, the system detects differential data once and stores it in the shared unit, allowing multiple snapshots to reference the same differential data without redundant transfers.
Solution Approach 2:
The differential data storage unit serves multiple functions: it stores differential data for current snapshot creation, provides data for previous snapshot restoration, and supports multiple SnapOPC instructions simultaneously. This multi-functionality eliminates redundant data storage while maintaining full snapshot capabilities.
Data Source
AI summary
A backing-up apparatus, upon receiving an instruction to execute backing up, allocates a storage area to store a snapshot to be produced to each time point indicated by the instruction. When the original data is updated after the time point indicated by the instruction, it is checked that the original data corresponding to the place to which the updating has been executed at a time point immediately before the time point indicated by the instruction is stored in the storage area allocated as the storage area to store the latest snapshot produced for the immediately previous time point. When it has been confirmed that the original data is not stored, the original data immediately before the updating corresponding to the place to which the updating has been executed is stored in only the storage area to store the latest snapshot.