Failover Storage Manager for Data Protection During Network Outages
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing data management systems face challenges in maintaining data protection and management across distributed networks, particularly in scenarios where connectivity between components is lost due to emergencies or outages, leading to disruptions in backup and storage operations.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a failover storage manager within the information management cell that can activate and perform reduced functionality backup operations when connectivity with the main storage manager is lost, using third-party backup software for emergency backups and synchronizing data upon reconnection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a remote storage manager is used to manage storage operations over a network, then centralized control and management capability are improved, but system reliability deteriorates due to network connectivity dependencies
Solution Approach 1:
The system is segmented into a main storage manager and a failover storage manager that can operate independently. The failover storage manager is positioned as a standby component that activates when the main storage manager becomes unavailable, allowing the system to function in segments rather than requiring complete centralized control for basic operations to continue.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes its operational parameters dynamically based on connectivity status. When network connectivity is lost, the failover storage manager activates and operates with modified parameters (reduced functionality) compared to the main storage manager. This parameter change allows the system to adapt to degraded conditions while maintaining core backup capabilities.
2Reliability
If storage operations are performed with reduced functionality during failover, then system availability is improved, but data protection completeness deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system prepares backup capabilities in advance by positioning the failover storage manager in a standby state with pre-configured backup functionality. This beforehand preparation ensures that when network connectivity is lost, the system can immediately activate protected data copying operations without waiting for reconfiguration, thus cushioning against potential data loss during the transition period.
Solution Approach 2:
The failover storage manager creates copies of protected data using available local resources and previously established backup configurations. By copying data to secondary storage locations even with reduced functionality, the system maintains data protection completeness through replication rather than requiring full management capabilities to be present during failover operation.
3Ease of manufacture
If third-party backup software is used for emergency backups, then ease of implementation is improved, but system complexity deteriorates due to integration requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The failover storage manager is designed with universal backup capabilities that can interface with multiple backup software vendors through standardized protocols and interfaces. This multi-functionality allows the system to work with third-party backup software without requiring vendor-specific customizations, thus maintaining ease of implementation while managing integration complexity through standardized universal interfaces.
Data Source
AI summary
According to certain aspects, an information management cell can include at least one secondary storage computing device configured to conduct primary data generated by at least one client computing device to a secondary storage device(s) as part of secondary copy operations, wherein the secondary storage computing device normally operates to conduct primary data to the secondary storage device(s) for storage as a secondary copy in a first secondary copy file format, at the direction of a main storage manager; and can include a failover storage manager configured to activate in response to loss of connectivity between the cell and the main storage manager, and instruct a secondary copy application to perform a secondary copy operation in which the primary data generated by the at least one client computing device is stored as a secondary copy in a second secondary copy file format different than the first secondary copy file format.