File Server Replication Policy Transition Without Full Base Snapshots
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Disaster recovery for distributed file servers often involves lengthy failover times due to the need for full snapshots, which can take hours or even months, when switching from application-level to share-level replication policies.
Innovation Solution
A method and system for switching between application-level and share-level replication in virtualized file servers without the need for a full base-level snapshot, utilizing a previous base-level snapshot taken during application-level replication.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If application-level replication is used for disaster recovery, then the replication process is simpler and faster initially, but switching to share-level replication requires lengthy full snapshots taking hours or months
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by maintaining base-level snapshots during application-level replication. When policy transition is needed, these pre-existing snapshots are immediately utilized to initiate share-level replication without requiring new full snapshots, thus reducing transition time from hours/months to minutes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces base-level snapshots as an intermediary mechanism that bridges application-level and share-level replication. These snapshots serve as a preparatory layer that enables rapid policy transitions by providing ready-to-use data for share-level replication without requiring complete data transfer.
2Reliability
If full base-level snapshots are taken for share-level replication, then complete data protection is achieved, but the time required for snapshot creation and replication increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
Base-level snapshots are created in advance during application-level replication operations. This preliminary action ensures that when share-level replication is needed, the foundational snapshot data is already available, eliminating the need to create full snapshots at the moment of policy transition and reducing both time and resource overhead.
Solution Approach 2:
The base-level snapshots serve multiple functions: they support both application-level replication and share-level replication. By making snapshots multi-functional, the system avoids creating separate full snapshots for each replication type, thereby reducing redundant data processing time while maintaining complete data protection capabilities.
Data Source
AI summary
Examples of systems described herein may allow users to change from an application level disaster recovery system (e.g., an application level replication policy) to a share level disaster recovery system (e.g., a share level replication policy). The change may be made such that a base snapshot need not again be taken when beginning operation under the share level replication policy—rather, the base snapshot previously taken during application level replication may be used in some examples. That base snapshot may be leveraged, an initial set of common share snapshots established, and protection maintained going forward on a share level basis.