Incremental Block-Level Backup via Content Hash Comparison
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional backup methods in data storage systems are inefficient, particularly for long-term archiving, as they require high bandwidth and are not well-suited for scaling, and data replication methods can be costly and prone to errors.
Innovation Solution
An incremental block-level backup system that uses a backup server to create initial and incremental backups by retrieving metadata files with block identifiers based on content hashes, comparing changes, and storing only updated data blocks, thereby optimizing data distribution across storage devices.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If traditional backup methods are used, then complete data backup is achieved, but bandwidth consumption is high and backup efficiency is low
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the changed data blocks from the full dataset by comparing content hashes between current and previous backup states. Instead of backing up entire volumes or files, the system identifies and transfers only the specific blocks that have changed, dramatically reducing bandwidth consumption while maintaining backup completeness.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments data into fixed-size blocks and performs backup operations at the block level rather than at the file or volume level. This segmentation enables granular identification of changed data portions through content hash comparison, allowing efficient incremental backups that process only modified blocks.
2Reliability
If data replication methods are used, then data redundancy is achieved, but storage costs increase and error propagation risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates backup copies of data blocks only when changes are detected through content hash comparison. The system maintains redundancy by storing backup copies of changed blocks while avoiding duplication of unchanged data, thereby reducing total storage requirements compared to traditional replication methods that duplicate entire datasets.
3Productivity
If incremental backup of changed blocks is implemented, then bandwidth usage is reduced and backup efficiency is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses content hash values as a parameter to identify changed data blocks. By comparing hash parameters between current and previous backup states, the system efficiently determines which blocks require backup without complex analysis of data content, simplifying the incremental backup mechanism while maintaining high efficiency.
4Duration of action of stationary object
If long-term archiving is implemented, then data retention is achieved, but scalability and efficiency deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary comparison of content hashes before initiating backup transfers to identify only changed blocks. This preliminary action prevents unnecessary data transmission and storage operations, enabling the system to scale efficiently for long-term archiving by maintaining low bandwidth consumption and processing overhead regardless of retention duration.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed are systems, computer-readable mediums, and methods for incremental block level backup. An initial backup of a volume is created at a backup server, where creating the initial backup includes retrieving an original metadata file from a metadata server, and retrieving a copy of all data of the volume based on the original metadata file. A first incremental backup of the volume is then created at the backup server, where creating the first incremental backup includes retrieving a first metadata file, where the first metadata file was created separately from the original metadata file. A block identifier of the first metadata file is compared to a corresponding block identifier of the original metadata file to determine a difference between the first and original block identifiers, and a copy of a changed data block of the volume is retrieved based on the comparison of the first and original block identifiers.