Logical Unit Restoration via Metadata-Driven Active Area Synthesis
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional data protection systems face challenges in efficiently replicating and restoring data across volumes while migrating data, especially in maintaining continuous data protection and point-in-time recovery without incurring high costs and complexity.
Innovation Solution
The method involves reading metadata to restore active read areas of a logical unit, synthesizing new backup snapshots, and exposing the logical unit to a host, allowing for continuous data replication and point-in-time recovery by generating and managing backup snapshots using deduplicated storage systems.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional data protection systems replicate entire volumes for backup, then data protection reliability is improved, but storage cost and network traffic increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the volume into multiple data zones based on accessibility patterns (frequently accessed, infrequently accessed, archived data). Each zone is backed up selectively rather than replicating the entire volume, reducing storage requirements while maintaining protection reliability for all segments.
Solution Approach 2:
Different backup strategies are applied to different zones based on their specific characteristics. Frequently accessed critical data receives full replication with high reliability, while less critical archived data uses compression and deduplication with reduced redundancy, optimizing the balance between reliability and storage cost for each local region of the volume.
2Reliability
If conventional systems perform full volume replication, then data protection completeness is improved, but network traffic and backup time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The volume is divided into data zones with different backup frequencies and methods. Critical zones are replicated fully to ensure completeness, while non-critical zones use incremental or selective replication, reducing overall network traffic while maintaining protection completeness for essential data.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of replicating 100% of all data equally, the system applies partial replication to zones where full completeness is less critical. This reduces network traffic significantly while maintaining adequate protection completeness for the most important data portions.
3Productivity
If metadata is used to identify active read areas, then restoration efficiency is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Metadata including zone information, accessibility indicators, and data characteristics is collected and maintained in advance during normal operations. This preliminary action enables the restoration process to quickly identify and prioritize active read areas without complex real-time analysis, improving restoration efficiency with manageable complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
In one aspect, a method includes reading metadata for a logical unit (LU) to restore, restoring active read areas to the LU identified in the metadata and exposing the LU to a host after restoring the active read areas of the LU. In another aspect, an apparatus includes electronic hardware circuitry configured to reading metadata for a LU to restore, restoring active read areas to the LU identified in the metadata and exposing the LU to a host after restoring the active read areas of the LU. In a further aspect, an article includes a non-transitory computer-readable medium that stores computer-executable instructions. The instructions cause a machine to read metadata for a LU to restore, restore active read areas to the LU identified in the metadata and expose the LU to a host after restoring the active read areas of the LU.