Automated Data Protection System with Task Executor

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Solution Overview

Problem

In large-scale computer systems, data protection is inefficient due to the lack of automation in detecting changes and configuring protection, leading to unprotected data and resources, especially when changes occur at a logical level without notification to the responsible personnel.

Innovation Solution

A data protection system that automates the protection of data by creating jobs with tasks to manage protection, includes a task executor to monitor and recover from failures, and a health manager to create makeup jobs for incomplete tasks, ensuring robust data protection and user guidance in a logical namespace.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If manual identification and configuration of data protection is used, then individual control over protection settings is maintained, but the system complexity increases and changes are difficult to track

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemanual control over protection settingsVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system automatically discovers changes in the data environment, identifies affected data objects, and configures protection settings without requiring manual intervention. The data protection system monitors the data environment, detects changes such as new data objects or modifications to existing ones, and autonomously updates protection configurations to ensure continuous coverage.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The system continuously monitors the data environment for changes and provides feedback about detected changes to the configuration process. When changes are detected, the system uses this feedback to automatically adjust protection settings, ensuring that protection configurations remain synchronized with the actual data environment structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

2Adaptability or versatility

If manual configuration of data protection is used, then protection settings can be customized, but protection gaps occur when changes are not detected

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecustomization of protection settingsVSAvoidprotection coverage
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary discovery of the data environment structure and maintains an updated inventory of data objects before changes occur. When changes are detected, the system already has the baseline information needed to quickly configure protection for new objects or modify existing configurations, ensuring continuous and reliable protection coverage.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Reliability

If automated protection configuration is implemented, then protection coverage is improved, but the system requires sophisticated change detection mechanisms

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprotection coverageVSAvoidchange detection mechanisms
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system introduces an intermediary layer between the data environment and the protection configuration. This intermediary component monitors the data environment for changes, translates detected changes into configuration actions, and manages the overall configuration process. This intermediary abstraction simplifies the complexity of change detection while enabling automated protection configuration.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS7487395B2Method, system, and apparatus for creating an architectural model for generating robust and easy to manage data protection applications in a data protection system
Publication Date: 2009.02.03 MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING LLC
  • US7487395B2 patent drawing
  • US7487395B2 patent drawing
  • US7487395B2 patent drawing

AI summary

A data protection application if provided. The data protection application includes a job for providing protection to data. That job contains a plurality of tasks configured to perform the job. Also included is a task executor for managing the progress of each of the plurality of tasks.