Hybrid Backup System Using Physical Media and Network Transfers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for backing up computer systems, especially large data capacities, are impractical due to the disparity between rapid hard-disk drive capacity increases and limited wide area network bandwidth, making full backups over networks economically unfeasible and slow, and manual processes are cumbersome for managing remote and mobile computers.
Innovation Solution
A hybrid approach combining physical media transfers with network transfers, utilizing a virtualization server for de-duplication and efficient data management, allowing for large data transfers via removable media and subsequent online backups, enabling efficient complete backups and bare-metal restores while reducing bandwidth usage and operational costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If full backup is performed over WAN network, then complete data protection is achieved, but transfer time becomes excessively long and cost becomes prohibitive
Solution Approach 1:
The backup process is segmented into two distinct phases: an offline physical media transfer phase for bulk data movement, and an online network transfer phase for incremental updates. This segmentation allows the majority of data to be transferred efficiently via physical media while minimizing WAN bandwidth usage for subsequent updates, thereby reducing overall transfer time while maintaining complete data protection.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary backup of critical data to physical media before the main backup cycle. By establishing a baseline backup offline, the system can then use network transfers only for incremental changes, significantly reducing the time required for subsequent backup operations while ensuring complete data protection is maintained.
2Reliability
If full backup is performed over WAN network, then complete data protection is achieved, but operational cost becomes prohibitive
Solution Approach 1:
The backup strategy segments data transfer into offline physical media (low cost) and online network (high cost but minimal usage) components. By using physical media for the bulk of data transfer, the system dramatically reduces WAN bandwidth consumption and associated operational costs while maintaining complete data protection through the hybrid approach.
Solution Approach 2:
Physical media serves as an intermediary storage mechanism between the source system and the remote backup destination. This intermediary allows large amounts of data to be transferred cost-effectively without relying on expensive WAN bandwidth, thereby reducing operational costs while ensuring complete data protection is achieved.
3Productivity
If incremental backup is used, then backup time is reduced, but bandwidth consumption increases during restoration
Solution Approach 1:
The backup process segments data into baseline information stored on physical media and incremental changes transferred online. During restoration, this segmentation allows the system to first restore the baseline from physical media (high speed, low bandwidth) and then apply incremental changes, thereby achieving fast backup speeds while minimizing bandwidth consumption during the restoration process.
4Reliability
If disk images are transferred purely over network, then complete backup is achieved, but transfer speed becomes impractically slow
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the backup into offline physical media transfer (fast, complete disk images) and online network transfer (slow, incremental updates). By using physical media for the bulk transfer, the system achieves complete backup at high speed, while network transfers are used only for minimal incremental updates, thereby eliminating the impractically slow transfer problem while maintaining complete backup capability.
Data Source
AI summary
A computer-based method includes determining, based at least in part on a quantity of first backup data on a source computer, a data-transfer mode for the first backup data, the data-transfer mode selected from the group consisting of network transfer of the first backup data and physical-media transfer of the first backup data and, responsive to the determining step, transferring the first backup data via the determined data-transfer mode to a server located at a remote destination from the source computer. The physical-media data-transfer mode of the first backup data includes physical transport of physical media to the server. The network-transfer data-transfer mode is accomplished via a network connection and does not include physical transport of physical media.