Federated Cluster Backup via Master Node Coordination

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Solution Overview

Problem

In clustered environments, traditional backup and recovery methods face challenges due to inconsistent redundant copies of applications across nodes, leading to outdated backups and increased system downtime in case of failures.

Innovation Solution

A method and system for performing federated backups and restores in a clustered environment, where a master node coordinates slave nodes to take volume shadow copy snapshots of workloads, ensuring consistent backups and allowing for efficient restoration of workloads to their active nodes or specified locations.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If traditional backup methods are used on individual nodes or common storage, then backup operations are simple to perform, but the backups become inconsistent and outdated

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebackup consistencyVSAvoidbackup coordination complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

A coordinator node is introduced as an intermediary between backup clients and storage resources. The coordinator receives backup requests, determines the active node for the target workload, redirects the backup client to the correct node, and ensures consistent backup operations across the cluster. This mediator resolves the complexity of node coordination while maintaining backup consistency.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary actions by identifying and confirming the active node before initiating backup operations. The coordinator determines which node currently hosts the workload and ensures that backup operations are directed to the correct node, preventing inconsistent backups before they occur.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Reliability

If redundant copies of applications are maintained across cluster nodes, then application availability is improved, but backup consistency deteriorates due to replication delays

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveapplication availabilityVSAvoiddata consistency

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The coordinator node acts as an intermediary that resolves the conflict between redundant copies and data consistency. It queries the cluster to determine the current active node for each workload and directs backup operations accordingly, ensuring that backups are taken from the most current data source despite the presence of redundant copies across nodes.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Productivity

If changes are made to applications on cluster nodes, then application functionality is improved, but backup timeliness worsens due to write caching delays

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveapplication performanceVSAvoidbackup freshness

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The coordinator node mediates between application performance optimizations and backup freshness requirements. By determining the active node and coordinating backup timing, it ensures that backups are taken from nodes with the most current data, reducing the impact of write caching delays on backup freshness.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS9501544B1Federated backup of cluster shared volumes

Publication Date: 2016.11.22 EMC IP HLDG CO LLC

AI summary

A method, system, article of manufacture, and apparatus for creating backups of workloads in a clustered environment is discussed. In some embodiments, each node in the environment may sequentially back up its active workloads. The nodes may take data snapshots of a cluster shared volume, and thereafter extract the necessary workload data. The process may be controlled from a master node or an external server.