Non-Volatile Buffer Data Backup System
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current data mirroring and backup systems face challenges in reducing data transmission latency and ensuring data integrity during catastrophic events, leading to potential data loss, especially when input/output requests are not fully synchronized between primary and secondary storage devices.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that utilize non-volatile buffers on primary and secondary data storage devices to log and execute data operations in real-time, transmit confirmations, and prepare for failover, thereby reducing latency and ensuring data synchronization and integrity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If real-time data mirroring is performed remotely, then data replication and failover capability are improved, but transmission latency increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-establishing mirror storage locations and pre-configuring failover procedures before actual data loss events occur. The system maintains standby mirror copies of critical data and pre-scripts the failover process, enabling rapid switching when disasters strike without requiring real-time transmission of every data change, thus reducing latency while maintaining replication capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements periodic action through scheduled mirror updates and incremental synchronization rather than continuous real-time replication. The system performs periodic full mirrors and incremental updates at optimized intervals, balancing data freshness with transmission latency, allowing the system to achieve reliable replication without the performance penalty of constant real-time synchronization.
2Reliability
If data is copied in real-time to mirror storage, then data integrity during catastrophic events is improved, but input/output performance degrades
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing data replication into separate phases: background mirror updates and foreground operational transactions. The mirror storage receives periodic updates rather than every I/O operation, allowing primary storage to maintain high I/O performance while still achieving data integrity through segmented replication cycles that occur during low-demand periods.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements partial action by replicating only critical data segments and essential metadata rather than all data continuously. The system identifies and mirrors only the most important data structures and maintains partial copies that provide sufficient integrity for failover scenarios without the performance overhead of complete real-time replication of every data block.
3Reliability
If routine backup operations are performed, then data restoration capability is improved, but data introduced after backup is not protected
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by establishing continuous mirror replication that begins before any potential data loss event. The mirror storage is pre-configured and continuously updated with data changes, ensuring that data introduced after the last backup is already replicated and protected against catastrophic failures, eliminating the protection gap between backup and potential disaster.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements continuity of useful action through continuous mirror replication that operates alongside routine backup processes. Rather than discrete periodic backups, the system maintains continuous synchronization between primary and mirror storage, ensuring uninterrupted data protection that covers all data changes regardless of when they occur relative to backup schedules.
Data Source
AI summary
A system in at least one exemplary embodiment includes a source data unit and at least one backup data unit for backing up data from at least the source data unit offline. In at least one exemplary embodiment, the system includes the capability to update the source data unit once it returns to an online status. A method in at least one exemplary embodiment allows for a two stage backup where the first stage backup is to a backup data unit, which will occur in under one hour, and the second stage backup is to other computer readable medium, which can occur over a period of at least twenty-three hours. A method in at least one exemplary embodiment allows for a user to retrieve data or files from a previous backup.