Key-Value File Handle Mapping for Fastcopy Backup Cloning
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Solution Overview
Problem
In deduplication systems, when backups are cloned across namespaces, the relationships necessary for fastcopy-overwrite optimization are not preserved, leading to increased replication times and potential failure to meet service level agreements (SLAs).
Innovation Solution
Utilizing key-value pairs to maintain the basefile-to-synthesized file relationships by modifying file handles during the cloning process, ensuring that the basefile information points to the correct file handle in the new namespace, allowing fastcopy-overwrite optimization to be applied during replication.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If backups are cloned across namespaces using traditional methods, then namespace flexibility and data organization are improved, but replication performance deteriorates due to loss of basefile relationships
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces key-value pairs as an intermediary mechanism that stores the mapping relationship between original basefile paths and cloned file paths. This intermediary allows the system to maintain namespace flexibility while preserving the basefile relationships needed for fastcopy-overwrite optimization during replication.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a logical copy of the basefile relationship information through key-value pairs without physically copying the entire file structure. The key-value pairs capture the essential relationship data (original path → cloned path) enabling replication optimization without duplicating the complex namespace hierarchy.
2Productivity
If file relationships are tracked using complex metadata structures, then replication optimization is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the essential relationship information (basefile path mappings) from the complex metadata structure and stores it in simple key-value pairs. This extraction approach maintains replication optimization capabilities while eliminating the complexity of tracking full file relationship metadata across namespaces.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the data structure parameter from complex relational metadata to simple key-value pairs. This parameter change simplifies the system while preserving the critical path information needed for fastcopy-overwrite optimization, trading structural complexity for operational efficiency.
3Speed
If synthetic backup relationships are preserved across namespaces, then replication speed is improved, but data structure complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent copies only the essential path mapping information into key-value pairs rather than copying the entire synthetic backup relationship structure. This selective copying preserves replication speed by maintaining basefile relationships while avoiding the complexity of duplicating full synthetic backup metadata across namespaces.
Data Source
AI summary
Enhancing data replication performance by preserving fastcopy-overwrite optimization for backups cloned across namespace subdivisions in a deduplication filesystem. A process keeps a key value pair for each of the files that are being cloned from the original namespace to a subcopy namespace. The key is the file handle of the file being cloned in the original namespace and the value is the handle of the cloned file in the subcopy namespace. When a subsequent generation backup of the same asset is cloned the basefile target file relationship is transferred as is to the new file in the subcopy namespace. This maintains the basefile to target file relationship after cloning to realize fastcopy-overwrite optimization benefits for the backup to the subcopy namespace.