Deviceless Backup Broker Architecture

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Solution Overview

Problem

Managing backups performed by various different backup applications is challenging due to disparate configurations and the need for agents to facilitate communication and cataloging, which introduces overhead and requires cumbersome dummy target devices for unmanaged devices.

Innovation Solution

An extensible architecture that enables a managing backup application to integrate with external backup applications, eliminating the need for agents and dummy devices by using a client-server arrangement where the manager client communicates with the manager server to perform deviceless backups and recoveries, allowing for direct communication with media database daemons for backup and recovery operations.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If agents are used to facilitate communication between backup clients and managing backup application, then backup management is enabled, but processing and communication overhead increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebackup managementVSAvoidprocessing overhead

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the agent component from the backup architecture, eliminating the need for separate agent programs on backup clients. Instead, the backup clients communicate directly with the managing backup application through standardized protocols, removing the intermediary layer that caused processing overhead while maintaining backup management capabilities.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent creates an asymmetric communication model where the managing backup application initiates communication with backup clients rather than requiring clients to continuously connect to agents. This asymmetric approach reduces the communication overhead by having the server-pull model instead of client-push model, eliminating the need for persistent agent connections.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #4Asymmetry

2Loss of information

If multiple agents are deployed for different backup clients, then cataloging of backups is enabled, but configuration complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebackup catalogingVSAvoidconfiguration complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements a universal communication protocol that allows the managing backup application to interact with multiple backup clients through a single interface. This universal approach enables cataloging of backups from diverse clients without requiring separate agent configurations for each client type, reducing configuration complexity while maintaining comprehensive backup cataloging.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of having backup clients connect to agents for cataloging, the patent inverts the approach by having the managing backup application actively query and collect information from backup clients. This inversion eliminates the need for complex agent configurations on each client while still achieving complete backup cataloging through server-initiated information gathering.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

3Loss of information

If dummy target devices are created for unmanaged devices, then cataloging of unmanaged device backups is enabled, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveunmanaged device backup catalogingVSAvoiddummy device creation

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the dummy device abstraction layer from the system, allowing the managing backup application to directly identify and catalog backups from unmanaged devices using their actual device identifiers. This eliminates the need to create fictional dummy target devices while still enabling comprehensive cataloging of unmanaged device backups through direct device recognition.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

4Loss of information

If backup clients maintain continuous connection to agents, then session information transmission is enabled, but communication overhead increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesession information transmissionVSAvoidcommunication overhead

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements periodic action by having the managing backup application periodically query backup clients for session information rather than requiring continuous client connections to agents. This periodic polling approach enables complete session information transmission while reducing communication overhead by eliminating persistent connection maintenance.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #19Periodic action

Data Source

PatentUS10599528B1Deviceless brokerless backup

Publication Date: 2020.03.24 EMC IP HLDG CO LLC

AI summary

One example method includes sending, from a manager client to a manager server, a recover request that identifies data targeted for recovery and restoration, and receiving, at the manager client, from a server agent at the manager server: a notification that a recover session corresponding to the recover request has been created; and a recover session ID. The method also includes performing, by a backup client, a deviceless recover and restore process after the recover session has been created, and transmitting, after completion of the deviceless recover and restore process, a communication from the manager client to the server agent indicating that the deviceless recover and restore process is complete.