Application-Aware Backup Store Archiving via Virtual File System
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing data backup systems lack the ability to perform various operations on data stored in backup stores, such as verifying data correctness and usability, due to the absence of write access, which is costly and time-consuming, and also lose application-specific metadata during archival processes.
Innovation Solution
A computer system that includes a host configured to provide read/write access to a backup store, using application-specific metadata to enable operations like data verification and archival backups, with a virtual file system interface that allows writing to data objects and de-duplicates data segments, ensuring data integrity and availability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Duration of action of stationary object
If backup data is stored on archival backup media, then long-term storage and regulatory compliance are improved, but data availability and ease of access deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The backup system is segmented into multiple stores: a backup store for frequent access and an archival store for long-term storage. Data is divided between these stores based on access patterns, allowing recent data to remain readily accessible while older data is archived.
Solution Approach 2:
A metadata manager acts as an intermediary between the backup store and archival store. It maintains metadata about data entities and facilitates the movement of data between stores, enabling seamless transitions while preserving data availability information.
2Ease of operation
If conventional file system interfaces are used to access backup store, then read access is enabled, but write access and file modification capabilities are lost
Solution Approach 1:
The virtual file system interface is designed to provide multiple functions: read access, write access, file creation, and file modification. This universal interface allows applications to interact with backup data as if it were local storage, eliminating the need for separate read-only and write-only interfaces.
3Quantity of substance
If data is moved from backup store to archival media, then storage cost is reduced, but application-specific metadata is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The metadata manager extracts and maintains application-specific metadata separately from the data itself. This allows the data to be moved to archival media while the metadata remains accessible through the virtual file system interface, preventing information loss during the archiving process.
4Reliability
If files are restored to verify correctness, then data verification is enabled, but time and resources are consumed
Solution Approach 1:
The virtual file system interface enables applications to directly access and verify backup data without requiring restoration to the original location. Applications can perform verification operations on backup data in-place, making the verification process self-service and eliminating the time-consuming restoration step.
Data Source
AI summary
Various embodiments of a computer system and methods are disclosed. In one embodiment, a computer system includes a host coupled to a backup store. The host backs up a dataset to the backup store. The dataset comprises data entities and application-specific metadata describing the data entities. The application-specific metadata enables an application to use the data entities. The host: mounts the backup store for read/write access by the application, accesses the backup store with the application, selects a data entity, and performs an operation on the data entity in the backup store using the application. The operation may comprise verifying that the data entity is valid and usable in the context of the application or creating an archival backup of the data entity on a backup medium. The backup store may be a disk-based backup store and the backup medium may be a tape-based backup medium.