File-Level CDP Offloading to Remote Storage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional file-level continuous data protection (CDP) implementations on remote storage systems are inefficient, as they require clients to write backup files over the network, consuming bandwidth and processing resources, and degrading client performance due to compression and encryption tasks.
Innovation Solution
A client module on the client computer monitors file modifications and sends messages to a server module in the remote storage system, which handles the copying, compression, and encryption of modified files to a backup location within the storage system, avoiding network bandwidth usage and processing loads on the client.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the client computer writes the modified file to the backup location across the network, then the backup is completed, but the network bandwidth usage is doubled
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the backup operation from the client computer and relocates it to the storage system. The client module only sends a notification message to the storage system, which then performs the actual file copying from the primary location to the backup location within its own storage subsystem, eliminating the need for the client to write across the network.
Solution Approach 2:
The storage system acts as an intermediary between the client computer and the backup location. Instead of the client directly writing to the backup location across the network, the storage system receives a notification from the client module and autonomously performs the backup operation using its internal resources.
2Reliability
If the client computer performs compression and encryption of the modified file, then the backup file is protected and compressed, but the processing resources and performance of the client computer are degraded
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the compression and encryption operations from the client computer and relocates them to the storage system. The storage system performs these processing tasks on the backup file using its own processing resources, thereby protecting client computer performance while still achieving the desired data protection.
Solution Approach 2:
The storage system serves as an intermediary that handles the computationally intensive tasks of compression and encryption. Instead of the client computer performing these operations, the storage system receives the modified file and autonomously applies compression and encryption before storing the backup.
3Reliability
If the CDP service monitors files on a remote storage device, then file-level CDP is achieved, but the client computer experiences increased network utilization and processing load
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the backup and processing operations from the client computer and relocates them to the storage system. The client module only performs the lightweight function of monitoring local files and sending notification messages to the storage system, thereby achieving file-level CDP without degrading client performance.
Data Source
AI summary
Technologies are described herein for providing file-level CDP of files stored on a remote storage system. A client module executing on a client computer monitors for modifications made at the client computer to files or folders stored on a virtual storage volume provided by the remote storage system. Upon detecting a modification of a monitored file, the client module sends a message to the remote storage system identifying the file. A server module executing in the remote storage system receives the message identifying the modified file and copies a version of the file containing the modification from the virtual storage volume to a backup volume located in the remote storage system.