Continuous Data Protection Pseudosnapshots for Storage Optimization

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current data backup and recovery systems face challenges in efficiently managing and restoring data due to increasing data volumes and complexity, often requiring significant storage resources and failing to provide precise point-in-time recovery without disrupting other data or processes.

Innovation Solution

The implementation of a continuous data protection (CDP) system that creates pseudosnapshots of data at various points in time, allowing for the surfacing of copies for mirroring, backup, and recovery operations, while minimizing storage and resource usage by using event markers to mark datasets for later retrieval.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If traditional backup systems create full backup copies of data, then data recovery capability is improved, but storage resource consumption increases significantly

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata recovery capabilityVSAvoidstorage resource consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments backup data into two components: master data (original data) and change data (differences from original). Instead of storing complete backup copies, the system stores only the changes along with change identifiers. This segmentation allows recovery without duplicating entire data sets, resolving the contradiction between recovery capability and storage consumption.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent creates virtual copies of backup data through change data representations rather than physical duplication. By storing change data that can be applied to original data to reconstruct backup states, the system achieves multiple recovery points without multiplying storage requirements, effectively resolving the storage vs. recovery capability contradiction.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

2Measurement precision

If backup systems store numerous backup copies at different time points, then point-in-time recovery precision is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepoint-in-time recovery precisionVSAvoidbackup management complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent performs preliminary actions by storing change data and change identifiers during normal data operations. Change data is captured and tagged with identifiers before recovery is needed, allowing precise point-in-time recovery without complex real-time analysis. This preliminary organization of backup information simplifies the recovery process while maintaining high precision.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces change identifiers as intermediaries between backup data and recovery operations. These identifiers serve as indexes that directly link specific changes to their corresponding time points, eliminating the need for complex search and analysis during recovery. The intermediary layer simplifies backup management while enabling precise point-in-time recovery.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Reliability

If continuous data protection is implemented to capture all data changes, then data integrity is improved, but use of energy and processing resources increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata integrityVSAvoidprocessing resource consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts only the essential information needed for recovery—change data and change identifiers—from the continuous data stream. Instead of processing and storing all data changes in full detail, the system extracts minimal sufficient information that captures data integrity requirements. This extraction approach maintains data integrity while significantly reducing processing and energy consumption.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the parameters of data representation by storing change data in a compressed, identifier-based format rather than full data copies. This parameter transformation reduces the volume and complexity of processed information while preserving the essential integrity information needed for recovery, thereby reducing energy and processing resource consumption.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentUS7971091B1Network configuration backup and restore operations using continuous data protection
Publication Date: 2011.06.28 DELL EMC
  • US7971091B1 patent drawing
  • US7971091B1 patent drawing
  • US7971091B1 patent drawing

AI summary

Systems and methods for performing replication operations on a continuous data protection system. Exemplary systems include a continuous data protection system configured to save a series of transactions of a production application, the continuous data protection system configured to allow a point in time view of the series of transactions, a replication application communicating with the continuous data protection system, the replication application configured to initiate generation of at least one pseudosnapshot of the series of transactions saved on the continuous data protection system and initiate surfacing of a copy of at least a portion of the series of transactions that were saved before the generation of the at least one pseudosnapshot, and a remote server communicating with the replication application, the remote server configured to send replication instructions to the replication application.