Incremental Restore for Object-Based Snapshots

Solution Overview

Problem

Cloud computing systems face inefficiencies in data restore operations due to the high data transfer requirements of object-based snapshots, which can lead to significant delays and resource constraints, especially in disaster recovery scenarios where only full snapshot restores are supported.

Innovation Solution

Implementing incremental restore operations that identify and transfer only the modified blocks between a source and target snapshot, reducing data transfer by applying the delta between the two snapshots to either an existing volume or a new volume, thereby minimizing the data needed to be retrieved from the object storage service.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If full snapshot restore operations are performed, then data resiliency and completeness are ensured, but data transfer time and resource consumption increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata resiliencyVSAvoiddata transfer time

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts only the necessary delta blocks (modified blocks) from the source volume to apply to the target volume during restore operations, rather than transferring all data blocks. This selective extraction of changed blocks significantly reduces data transfer time while maintaining data resiliency by ensuring the target volume receives exactly the changes needed to match the source volume's state at the snapshot point.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent segments the restore operation into identifying modified blocks (delta detection) and transferring only those specific blocks, rather than treating the restore as a monolithic full-data transfer operation. This segmentation allows the system to identify and transfer only the necessary portions of data, reducing overall transfer time while ensuring complete data resiliency.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Reliability

If object-based snapshots are used for disaster recovery, then data resiliency is improved, but restore speed deteriorates due to high data transfer requirements

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata resiliencyVSAvoidrestore speed

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSSpeed

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts only the delta blocks (modified blocks) from the source volume to apply to the target volume during restore operations, rather than transferring all data blocks. This selective extraction of changed blocks significantly reduces data transfer time while maintaining data resiliency by ensuring the target volume receives exactly the changes needed to match the source volume's state at the snapshot point.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies partial action by transferring only the necessary portion of data (delta blocks) rather than the complete data set. This partial transfer approach achieves the restore objective with minimal data movement, improving restore speed while maintaining complete data resiliency through the use of object storage's versioning and snapshot capabilities.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

3Loss of information

If all data blocks are transferred during restore operations, then data completeness is ensured, but network bandwidth and computing resources are overutilized

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata completenessVSAvoidnetwork bandwidth consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts only the necessary delta blocks (modified blocks) from the source volume to apply to the target volume during restore operations, rather than transferring all data blocks. This selective extraction of changed blocks significantly reduces data transfer time while maintaining data resiliency by ensuring the target volume receives exactly the changes needed to match the source volume's state at the snapshot point.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies partial action by transferring only the necessary portion of data (delta blocks) rather than the complete data set. This partial transfer approach achieves the restore objective with minimal data movement, improving restore speed while maintaining complete data resiliency through the use of object storage's versioning and snapshot capabilities.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Data Source

PatentUS11586375B1Incremental restore for volumes using object-based snapshots

Publication Date: 2023.02.21 AMAZON TECH INC

AI summary

Systems and methods are provided for conducting incremental restore operations on block storage volumes using an object-based snapshot. A full restore from an object-based snapshot can include copying all blocks of a data set from the object-based snapshot to a destination volume. For high capacity volumes, full restores may take large amounts of time. Moreover, full restores may be inefficient where a destination volume already contains some data of the snapshot. Embodiments of the present disclosure provide for incremental restore operations, where a delta data set is transferred from the snapshot to the destination volume, representing data in the snapshot is not known to already exist on the volume or another available volume.