Gold Image Library Management for Backup Storage Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current data protection systems inefficiently manage Gold image data, leading to repeated storage and increased resource usage due to its static nature, as they typically back up Gold image data simultaneously with dynamic user content data, resulting in wasted storage and processing resources.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a Gold image library management system that centralizes and separately backs up Gold image data, using a Common Data Protection Target (CDPT) to store Gold image data once, allowing multiple deployments to reference this central repository, thereby reducing redundant storage across multiple data protection targets.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If Gold image data is backed up simultaneously with user content data on multiple data protection targets, then data protection coverage is comprehensive, but storage resources are wasted due to repeated storage of static Gold image data
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments backup data into two distinct categories: Gold image data (static OS/application data) and user content data (dynamic data). This segmentation allows different backup strategies to be applied to each type, with Gold image data being backed up once centrally and user content data being backed up to individual data protection targets, thereby eliminating redundant storage while maintaining comprehensive protection coverage.
Solution Approach 2:
The system extracts Gold image data from the mixed backup stream and stores it separately in a dedicated Gold image library. This extraction allows the static Gold image portion to be backed up only once and shared across multiple deployments, while only the dynamic user content data is replicated to each data protection target, significantly reducing overall storage resource consumption.
2Reliability
If Gold image data is backed up at regular intervals along with user data, then data protection is thorough, but processing resources are wasted due to repeated backup operations on static data
Solution Approach 1:
The backup process is segmented into two distinct operations: Gold image data backup and user content data backup. Gold image data is backed up once and stored centrally, eliminating the need for repeated backup operations. User content data continues to be backed up at regular intervals to individual data protection targets, ensuring thorough protection while minimizing processing resource consumption by avoiding redundant operations on static data.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary backup of Gold image data to a central library before it is needed for multiple deployments. This preliminary action ensures that the static data is protected once and can be efficiently referenced by multiple data protection targets without requiring repeated backup operations, thereby reducing processing resource consumption while maintaining protection thoroughness.
3Speed
If each data protection target stores complete Gold image data, then restore operations are fast, but overall data protection footprint increases due to duplication
Solution Approach 1:
The system merges the Gold image data storage function into a centralized library that is shared by multiple data protection targets. Instead of each target storing complete Gold image data separately, they all reference the same centralized copy. This merging eliminates duplication and reduces the overall data protection footprint while maintaining fast restore capabilities through efficient data retrieval from the centralized library.
Solution Approach 2:
The centralized Gold image library serves as a universal resource for all data protection targets, enabling them to share the same Gold image data without duplication. This multi-functional approach allows the single Gold image library to support multiple deployments and restore operations simultaneously, reducing the total data footprint while maintaining fast access speeds for all targets.
Data Source
AI summary
Reducing backup data by providing a data protection target for storing content data from clients running operating system and applications, and a common data protection target (CDPT) separate from the data protection target for storing Gold image data for the operating system and applications. During backup, user content data is copied from the client to the data protection target, and Gold image data is copied to the CDPT. It is also referenced in the DP target to prevent redundant storage. During backup, the CDPT is queried to determine if the Gold image exists, and if so, the DP target does not store the Gold image data in the DP target, but uses the reference to indicate the location of the Gold image data corresponding to the backed up content data. During a restore, the restore stream is built from the DP target and CDPT to combine user content data and Gold image data.