Block-Level Data Backup for NAS Storage Efficiency
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Solution Overview
Problem
In network-attached storage (NAS) systems, the current data backup methods result in increased storage space requirements and deteriorated performance due to the accumulation of duplicate data during incremental backups, where entire files are backed up even if only minor changes occur.
Innovation Solution
A data backup method that tracks changes at the data block level, allowing only changed data blocks to be backed up, by creating snapshots and maintaining a data mapping relationship that includes identification information of data blocks, storage locations, and snapshot identifiers, thereby reducing duplicate data storage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If incremental backup is performed by backing up entire files when any data changes, then data reliability is ensured, but storage space increases and backup performance deteriorates due to duplicate data
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments files into smaller data blocks and performs backup at the block level rather than file level. This allows only the specific changed blocks to be backed up instead of entire files, reducing redundant data transmission and storage while maintaining data reliability through complete tracking of all modifications.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and identifies only the changed data blocks between snapshots using change block tracking (CBT). By separating changed blocks from unchanged blocks, the system backs up only the necessary portions of data, eliminating duplicate storage of unchanged content while ensuring all changes are captured for reliability.
2Reliability
If incremental backup is performed by backing up entire files when any data changes, then data completeness is ensured, but storage space requirements increase due to duplicate data accumulation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides files into data blocks and tracks changes at the block level. This segmentation enables the system to identify and store only the specific blocks that have changed between backups, preventing accumulation of duplicate unchanged data while maintaining complete data reconstruction capability through proper block tracking and indexing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the backup granularity parameter from file-level to block-level. This parameter change allows the system to operate in an incremental block backup mode where only modified blocks are identified and stored, significantly reducing storage space requirements while maintaining data completeness through comprehensive block change tracking.
Data Source
AI summary
In a data backup method, after data backup is triggered, a backup server sends a change information obtaining request to a file server to request change information of data on the file server. The backup server receives a data change record returned by a file server, wherein the data change record comprises identification information of a changed data block. The backup server then obtains data according to the data change record, backs up the obtained data, and establishes a data mapping relationship for the current backup. When data of a backup needs to be obtained, data of a corresponding data block is found in the backup storage device according to the data mapping relationship.