Incremental Backup via Dirty List Copy and Filter Driver
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Database systems like Microsoft SQL Server do not natively support incremental backups, leading to inefficiencies in storage utilization and increased computing resources during backup operations.
Innovation Solution
An incremental backup system that monitors a dirty list of modified database portions, generates a copy of this list before resetting it, and uses a filter driver to backup only the changed areas, even in systems that do not natively support incremental backups.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a full backup is performed, then complete database copy is obtained, but storage space consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the modified portions of the database (dirty pages) from the complete database for backup purposes. By identifying and backing up only the changed data blocks through dirty list tracking, the system achieves incremental backups that consume less storage space while maintaining backup reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The database backup process is segmented into tracking modified pages separately from the complete database. The dirty list mechanism segments the backup operation to only include changed portions, allowing the system to perform partial backups rather than complete database copies.
2Quantity of substance
If differential backup is performed, then storage space is saved, but multiple copies of the same file are created
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses a dirty list that provides feedback about which database pages have been modified since the last backup. This feedback mechanism tracks changes continuously and allows the backup system to identify only the truly modified portions, preventing redundant copying of unchanged files while maintaining accurate backup differentiation.
3Quantity of substance
If incremental backup is implemented, then storage efficiency improves, but database system compatibility is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a filter driver as an intermediary layer between the database system and the backup software. This mediator enables incremental backup functionality on systems that do not natively support it by intercepting and monitoring dirty list updates at the driver level, making the backup solution compatible with various database systems including SQL Server.
4Measurement precision
If dirty list monitoring is implemented, then incremental backup accuracy improves, but computing resources increase
Solution Approach 1:
The database system's existing dirty list mechanism is leveraged to automatically track modified pages without requiring additional monitoring overhead from the backup software. The dirty list self-updates whenever database pages are modified, providing accurate change detection while minimizing additional computing resource consumption by reusing existing database infrastructure.
Data Source
AI summary
Techniques relating to performing an incremental backup of a database relative to a previous backup are disclosed. The incremental backup may include initiating monitoring of a dirty list indicative of one or more portions of the database that have been modified since the previous backup, causing a reset of the dirty list, obtaining a copy of the dirty list, and backing up only portions of the database identified by the copy of the dirty list. The copy may be representative of the dirty list immediately prior to the reset.