Cataloging File System Changes Between Image Backups
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing image backup techniques lack the ability to determine file system-level changes between successive backups, only being aware of data changes at a block level and not at a file system level, making it difficult for users to understand and diagnose changes in directories or files.
Innovation Solution
A method is introduced to catalog file system-level changes by obtaining and analyzing file system metadata from both the initial and subsequent image backups, identifying changed blocks, and cataloging files or directories that have changed, allowing for the tracking of changes without performing a full comparison of the backups.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If image backup technique is used to back up source storage, then backup speed is improved and seeking is reduced, but ability to determine file system-level changes is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the backup analysis into two distinct layers: block-level operations for fast backup execution and metadata-level operations for file system change detection. This segmentation allows the system to maintain high backup speed while simultaneously capturing file system-level changes by processing these two aspects separately rather than requiring full file system awareness during the backup operation itself.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces file system metadata as an intermediary that bridges the gap between block-level image backup operations and file system-level change detection. By capturing and analyzing metadata separately from the block backup process, the system can determine file system changes without requiring the backup technique to be aware of or process individual file system structures, thus maintaining backup speed while recovering file system-level information.
2Loss of information
If file backup technique is used to back up source storage, then file system-level tracking is improved, but bandwidth overhead and logical overhead increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts file system metadata information from the detailed file backup process and processes it separately at a higher level. Instead of tracking every file individually during backup operations, the system extracts and analyzes metadata to determine file system-level changes, thereby reducing bandwidth overhead and logical overhead while still maintaining the ability to identify which files or directories have changed.
3Loss of information
If full comparison of image backups is performed to identify changes, then file system-level change detection is improved, but processing time and computational resources increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies partial action by performing only the necessary metadata comparison needed to determine file system-level changes, rather than conducting a complete comparison of all backup data. This approach focuses computational resources on analyzing just the metadata portions that contain file system structure information, significantly reducing processing time and computational resource requirements while still achieving accurate file system-level change detection.
Data Source
AI summary
Cataloging file system-level changes to a source storage between image backups of the source storage. In one example embodiment, a method for cataloging file system-level changes to a source storage between image backups of the source storage may include obtaining first file system metadata (FSM) associated with a first image backup of the source storage that represents a first point in time, obtaining second FSM associated with a second image backup of the source storage that represents a second point in time, identifying a set of blocks that changed in the source storage between the first point in time and the second point in time, analyzing the set of blocks, the first FSM, and the second FSM, and cataloging files and/or directories that changed in the source storage between the first point in time and the second point in time based on the analyzing.