Continuous Data Protection Module Using Block-Level De-duplication
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional file-level continuous data protection (CDP) solutions inefficiently store multiple versions of data files, leading to excessive storage space usage due to redundant data, as they backup entire modified files rather than just unique changes.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a CDP module that uses data de-duplication techniques by maintaining a master file with unique data blocks and anterior and posterior files containing references and remaining data blocks, respectively, to efficiently store modified data files, reducing storage requirements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional file-level CDP solutions backup entire modified files, then complete file versions are preserved for recovery, but storage space is excessively consumed due to redundant data
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments files into fixed-size blocks and creates a block-level index structure. Instead of backing up entire files, only modified blocks are identified and stored. The backup structure includes a master file with unique blocks and version files with block references, enabling efficient storage of multiple file versions through selective block backup.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements block-level de-duplication where duplicate blocks across multiple file versions are identified and discarded from redundant storage. The block index tracks which blocks exist in the master file versus version-specific files, allowing the system to recover complete file versions by assembling blocks from the master file and version-specific files as needed.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple versions of data files are stored in full, then precise version recovery is enabled, but storage resources are wasted on redundant data blocks
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides files into fixed-size blocks (e.g., 4KB) and creates a hierarchical backup structure with a master file containing unique blocks and version-specific files containing only new or modified blocks. Each version file includes a block index mapping blocks to their locations, enabling precise version recovery while eliminating redundant block storage.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a block-level copy index structure that references blocks in the master file rather than duplicating them in each version file. Version files contain references to blocks in the master file along with version-specific modifications, allowing multiple versions to be reconstructed without storing redundant copies of identical blocks.
3Reliability
If traditional CDP solutions store complete file copies, then data integrity is maintained, but backup efficiency decreases due to redundant data transmission and storage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments files into fixed-size blocks and implements a block-level backup mechanism. The backup system identifies modified blocks through file system notifications, copies only those blocks to the backup location, and maintains a block index for reconstruction. This segmentation approach maintains data integrity while dramatically improving backup efficiency by eliminating redundant data transmission and storage.
Data Source
AI summary
Technologies are described herein for providing efficient backup of multiple versions of a data file using data de-duplication. A CDP module copies blocks of data of a specific block size from a current version of the data file to a master file maintained in a backup location for the data file. Only blocks of data not matching a unique data block already in the master file are copied. The CDP module then creates an anterior file in the backup location for the current version of the data file containing an ordered list of references to the unique data blocks in the master file. The order of the list of references is based on the order of occurrence of each unique data block in the modified version of the data file. Finally, the CDP module creates a posterior file in the backup location for the current version of the data file containing any remaining block of data in the data file that is less than the specific block size.