Backup Stripe Routing Tags for Single-Instance Deduplication

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Solution Overview

Problem

Managing and transferring large volumes of data efficiently to remote storage systems is challenging, especially when data is initially stored in a way that makes it difficult to manage and optimize storage and deduplication processes.

Innovation Solution

A method and system for managing backups by identifying striped backups and routing them to the same deduplication instance using a common routing tag, ensuring efficient deduplication and load balancing across deduplication instances.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If striped backups are distributed across multiple deduplication instances, then load balancing is improved, but data storage efficiency deteriorates due to redundant data storage

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveload balancingVSAvoidredundant data storage

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSLoss of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The backup data is segmented into stripes that can be independently routed to different deduplication instances, while maintaining the ability to identify and consolidate duplicate content across instances through the common routing tag mechanism

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

A common routing tag acts as an intermediary identifier that links all stripes of a backup across multiple deduplication instances, enabling the system to recognize related data segments and perform efficient deduplication without requiring all stripes to reside in a single instance

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Loss of substance

If all backup stripes are routed to a single deduplication instance, then data storage efficiency is improved through deduplication, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveredundant data storageVSAvoidrouting management

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of substanceVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The routing tag is assigned to backup stripes in advance during the backup creation process, enabling downstream routing components to efficiently direct stripes to appropriate deduplication instances without complex real-time decision-making or centralized coordination overhead

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Speed

If striped backups are transferred to remote storage without routing optimization, then transfer speed is improved through parallelism, but network efficiency deteriorates due to redundant data transmission

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetransfer speedVSAvoidnetwork traffic

Core Design Contradiction:

SpeedVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The routing tag provides feedback information that enables the backup storage system to make informed routing decisions, allowing parallel transfer of backup stripes while avoiding redundant network transmission by directing duplicates to the same deduplication instance where they can be consolidated

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentEP3690655B1Method and system to tag and route the striped backups to a single deduplication instance on a deduplication appliance

Publication Date: 2026.04.08 EMC IP HLDG CO LLC

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AI summary

A method for managing backups includes receiving, via a first backup stream, first data associated with a first tagged backup stripe, wherein the first tagged backup stripe is associated with a first routing tag, directing, based on the first routing tag, the first data to a first backup instance, receiving, via a second backup stream, second data associated with a second tagged backup stripe, wherein the second tagged backup stripe is associated with the first routing tag, directing, based on the first routing tag, the second data to the first backup instance, and performing, in the first backup instance, a deduplication operation on the first data and the second data.