Live Sync Volume Integrity via Snapshot and Block Monitoring
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional file-level restore operations for large data files are excessively time-consuming, leading to restore backlogs and potential data corruption during block-level live synchronization, as changes to destination volumes can occur between restore and snapshot creation, compromising data integrity.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a volume-level live synchronization approach that uses block-level backup copies, snapshot techniques, and a changed block monitor to track and reverse changes, ensuring the destination volume is reverted to a pristine state before each restore, using a combination of inter-job snapshots and intra-job block monitoring.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If block-level backup copies are used for live synchronization, then restore speed is improved, but data integrity is compromised due to potential changes in destination volumes
Solution Approach 1:
The system creates a snapshot of the destination volume before the block-level restore operation begins. This preliminary action captures the state of the destination volume at a specific point in time, ensuring that even if changes occur during the restore process, the original state is preserved and can be restored if needed, thus maintaining data integrity while allowing fast block-level restores to proceed
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a changed block monitor as an intermediary component that tracks changes to the destination volume during the restore process. This monitor acts as a mediator between the restore operation and the destination volume, identifying any blocks that are modified during restore and enabling post-restore verification to ensure data integrity is maintained
2Reliability
If file-level restore operations are used, then data integrity is maintained, but restore time becomes excessively long causing restore backlogs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the restore operation into block-level operations instead of processing entire files. By dividing the restore task into smaller block units, the system can restore data much faster while using snapshots and change tracking to ensure that only the necessary blocks are restored and that data integrity is maintained, thus resolving the time-integrity tradeoff
3Ease of operation
If the destination volume is allowed to be accessed during live synchronization, then system availability is improved, but data corruption risk increases due to changes between restore and snapshot creation
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements a feedback mechanism through the changed block monitor that continuously monitors the destination volume for changes during the live synchronization process. This feedback allows the system to detect any modifications made to the destination volume while it remains accessible, and use this information to verify restore integrity or trigger appropriate corrective actions, thus allowing system availability while mitigating data corruption risk
Data Source
AI summary
An illustrative live synchronization feature uses file system block-level backup copies, snapshot techniques, change tracking, and volume-level granularity to ensure the integrity of destination volumes. Two protection mechanisms guard the destination data and ensure consistency from one live sync restore to the next. First, an inter-job software snapshot captures the destination volume image after each restore. The snapshot is created at the very end of each live sync restore and is reverted at the beginning of the next live sync restore. A second and more granular protection mechanism uses intra-job block monitoring to detect, and later to reverse, changes that the snapshots cannot capture. This second mechanism acts as a mini-block-level restore nested inside another block-level restore. This dual approach ensures that each incremental live sync restore finds the destination volume with a guaranteed pristine image identical to where the preceding live sync restore left it.