Item Level Restore System Using Database Snapshots
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current data backup systems only allow for the restoration of entire databases in the event of a catastrophic failure, failing to support granular recovery of specific items such as individual sites within a database.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a system that enables item-level restore capabilities by using snapshot technologies to create shadow backups, allowing for the recovery of specific items like site collections, sites, documents, lists, and folders within a content database, through a network of servers including a networker server, management server, relational database server, and storage device, which manage metadata and index information to facilitate granular restore operations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the entire database is restored in the event of catastrophic failure, then complete data recovery is achieved, but the recovery time is extended and system downtime increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the database into hierarchical objects (site collections, sites, documents, lists, libraries, folders) that can be independently restored. This allows selective restoration of only the affected items rather than the entire database, thereby reducing recovery time while maintaining complete recovery of necessary data.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and isolates specific items from the database hierarchy that need restoration. By identifying and restoring only the affected objects (e.g., a single site or document) rather than the entire database, the system minimizes downtime while ensuring complete recovery of the required data.
2Reliability
If applications are taken offline to perform data backup, then data consistency is ensured, but application availability and uptime are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary actions by creating snapshots of the database before backup operations. These snapshots capture the state of data at a specific point in time, allowing consistent backups to be taken without taking applications offline. The snapshot mechanism ensures data consistency while applications continue to run normally.
3Reliability
If current backup solutions restore entire databases, then complete data recovery is achieved, but granular recovery of specific items is not supported
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the database into a hierarchical structure of objects (site collections, sites, documents, lists, libraries, folders) that can be individually selected and restored. This segmentation enables granular recovery operations where users can restore specific items rather than being forced to restore the entire database, improving operational flexibility and efficiency.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and systems for performing an item level restore from a backup are described herein. A method starts by mounting files of content databases from storage device on management server. Content databases from storage device are from the backup. New database is created in relational database server with the mounted files of the content databases. Unattached database object is then created which includes pointing to the new database. Unattached database is not related to the content databases from the storage device. Unattached database object is then searched for source item selected for restore from content databases. Selected source item is exported from new database to a source item location in management server. Data from selected source item is then restored by importing data from the source item location to a target item location in management server.