Directory Restore From Object Store Snapshots Without Full Volume Recovery
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for restoring directories from snapshots stored in object stores are inefficient, time-consuming, and resource-intensive, particularly when only a small directory needs to be restored, as they often require restoring the entire volume or performing individual single file restore jobs, which wastes resources and time.
Innovation Solution
A restore process that efficiently restores a directory by iteratively restoring batches of content items using a cloud directory iterator and file system restore scanner, leveraging object store snapshot difference and read functionality, and utilizing a checkpoint structure to track progress and restart from failures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the entire volume is restored from a snapshot stored in an object store, then complete data recovery is achieved, but storage space, time, and computational resources are wasted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the volume restore operation into directory-level operations. Instead of restoring the entire volume, the system identifies and restores only specific directories or files within the volume from the snapshot stored in the object store. This segmentation allows selective restoration of only the necessary data portions, reducing computational resource consumption while maintaining data recovery completeness for the required elements.
2Measurement precision
If individual single file restore jobs are performed, then precise file recovery is achieved, but the process becomes extremely time-consuming and resource-intensive
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple individual file restore operations into a single directory-level restore operation. By restoring an entire directory in one operation rather than processing each file separately, the system maintains precise file recovery capability while dramatically reducing the total number of restore jobs required. This merging approach preserves measurement precision for file recovery while eliminating the time penalty of executing numerous individual file restore jobs sequentially.
3Quantity of substance
If snapshots are stored in an object store for cost-effective long term storage, then storage costs are reduced, but restore operations become slower and more resource-intensive
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the necessary directory-level data from the snapshot stored in the object store, rather than restoring the entire volume. This extraction approach allows the system to leverage the cost-effective object store for long-term snapshot retention while minimizing the amount of data that needs to be retrieved and processed during restore operations. By taking out only the required directory portions, the system maintains storage cost efficiency while improving restore operation productivity.
Data Source
AI summary
Techniques are provided for restoring a directory from a snapshot of a volume backed up to an object store. The snapshot may be backed up from a node to the object store, such as a cloud computing environment. A user may want to restore the directory within the volume without having to restore the entire volume, which otherwise would waste computing resources, storage, network bandwidth, and time. Accordingly, the techniques provided herein are capable of restoring just the directory from the snapshot that is stored within the object store. Because snapshot data of the snapshot may be stored across multiple objects within the object store, certain objects are identified as comprising snapshot data (backup data) of the directory and content items within the directory. In this way, the snapshot data of the directory is restored from these objects to a restore directory at a restore target.