Kernel Driver Mounting Block Backup Images
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Solution Overview
Problem
Operating systems often lack support for mounting certain types of block-level backup images, such as VHD, VHDx, VMDK, and VDI, which restricts granular file-level recovery and incremental backups, especially when backup images are stored on storage servers with unsupported interfaces.
Innovation Solution
A kernel mode driver and user mode application work together to create a device object for the backup image, enabling I/O operations and mounting the image, even if the operating system does not natively support the storage server's interfaces, allowing for granular file-level recovery and incremental backups across different storage media.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If block-level backup applications bypass the file system to perform backups of entire volumes, then backup performance is improved and there is no penalty with large numbers of files, but the granularity of the resulting backup entity becomes the entire volume's image which prevents file-level recovery
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the backup system into two operational modes: block-level backup for high-performance volume imaging that bypasses the file system, and file-level recovery mode that mounts the backup image to enable individual file selection. This segmentation allows the system to optimize backup performance while providing file-level recovery when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The backup system dynamically switches between block-level backup mode and file-level recovery mode based on operational requirements. During backup operations, the system operates in block-level mode for optimal performance; during recovery operations, it mounts the image to enable file-level granularity, thus adapting its behavior to the current task.
2Ease of operation
If the operating system mounts backup images to enable file-level recovery, then users can view and select individual files for restore, but the operating system does not support mounting certain types of backup images stored on storage servers with unsupported interfaces
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a kernel mode driver as an intermediary layer between the operating system and backup images stored on storage servers with unsupported interfaces. This driver enables the OS to mount and access backup images by handling the interface compatibility issues, thus extending file-level recovery capability to previously unsupported storage configurations.
Solution Approach 2:
The kernel mode driver provides universal support for mounting various types of backup images regardless of the storage server interface. By implementing a multi-functional driver that can handle different interface protocols, the system achieves broad compatibility while maintaining file-level recovery capabilities across diverse storage environments.
3Ease of operation
If file-level backup applications copy data on a file-by-file basis, then users can perform granular recovery operations, but there is a performance penalty when the original location contains large numbers of files
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the backup and recovery operations into distinct phases with different granularity levels. Backup operations use block-level granularity for performance, while recovery operations use file-level granularity for selectivity. This segmentation eliminates the performance penalty of file-by-file backup while maintaining file-level recovery capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the granularity parameter dynamically based on the operation type. During backup, it uses block-level granularity (coarser) for optimal performance; during recovery, it switches to file-level granularity (finer) for selective restoration. This parameter change resolves the contradiction between performance and recovery granularity.
Data Source
AI summary
Approaches to enable a block level backup image to be mounted by the operating system even in cases where the operating system does not have native support for the interfaces to access the backup image. The mounting of the backup image exposes the file system on the backup image and allows the user to perform granular file level recovery (FLR) when restoring data from the backup image. The mounting of the image and enabling data to be read from the image is performed by loading a kernel mode driver and a user mode data feeder application onto the computing device. These two components interact with one another to enable input/output (I/O) operations to be performed on the backup image.