Opportunistic Data Restore via Intermediate Storage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing backup systems struggle with efficiently backing up data from clients with intermittent network connections and servers that are unavailable or busy, as they do not account for client connectivity or server availability, and fail to perform global space reduction when clients are disconnected.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a system where clients perform space reduction on their own data and store it in intermediate shared storage when connected, allowing for opportunistic global space reduction, with intermediate servers managing and retrieving data when convenient, using methods like delta-based deduplication and commonality factoring.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If backup applications rely on network connections to remotely store data, then data backup capability is provided, but backup operations fail when network connection is unavailable
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary space reduction on data at the client before transmission to the server. By reducing data size locally using techniques like delta-based deduplication, the system prepares data for efficient transmission whenever network connectivity is available, ensuring backup progress is made regardless of server availability or network conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The backup process is segmented into independent client-side operations (space reduction) and server-side operations (final storage). Clients can autonomously perform space reduction and store reduced data in intermediate shared storage without requiring continuous server connection, dividing the backup task into manageable segments that can execute independently.
2Productivity
If clients with intermittent network connections perform backup, then continuous backup is possible, but network bandwidth and connection stability are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
Clients perform space reduction on their data locally before transmission, reducing the amount of data that needs to be sent over the network. This preliminary processing ensures that when network connectivity is available, only the essential reduced data is transmitted, maximizing backup productivity while minimizing bandwidth consumption during transmission.
Solution Approach 2:
Clients independently perform space reduction on their own data without requiring server intervention. Each client manages its own backup process autonomously, using available network resources to reduce and transmit data at its own pace, ensuring continuous backup operation without compromising network resources.
3Quantity of substance
If server performs global space reduction, then storage efficiency is improved, but server availability and processing capacity are required
Solution Approach 1:
The space reduction process is segmented between client and server. Clients perform local space reduction independently, while the server performs global space reduction on aggregated data from multiple clients. This division allows storage efficiency to be achieved through distributed processing rather than requiring constant server availability for all reduction operations.
Solution Approach 2:
Clients perform preliminary space reduction on their data before transmitting to the server. By reducing data size locally in advance, the system prepares data for efficient server processing and storage, achieving storage efficiency without requiring the server to be continuously available for the entire reduction process.
Data Source
AI summary
A method, article of manufacture, and apparatus for efficiently restoring information are disclosed. In an embodiment, this may comprise transferring space reduced data from a server to an intermediate shared storage at a time determined by the server, transmitting the transferred data from the intermediate shared storage to a first client at a time convenient for the first client, transmitting the transferred data from the intermediate shared storage to a second client at a time convenient for the second client, and reconstituting the space reduced data.