Production Database RPO Enforcement Without Secondary Copies
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing storage management systems struggle to reliably meet aggressive Recovery Point Objectives (RPO) for production databases due to bottlenecks in storage operations, leading to potential data loss during backup operations.
Innovation Solution
A framework that autonomously captures database transaction logs and stores them securely without involving the storage manager, using a proprietary data pipeline to transmit temporary backup files to a media agent for persistent storage, allowing restore operations without converting these files into secondary copies.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional storage manager is used to manage database backups, then centralized control and management is achieved, but bottlenecks occur that prevent reliable meeting of aggressive RPO
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the backup function by separating the storage manager from the actual backup data flow. A dedicated backup component captures transaction logs directly from the database and transmits them through a persistent data pipeline to storage, bypassing the storage manager's intervention in the critical data path. This segmentation eliminates the bottleneck while maintaining centralized management for non-critical operations.
Solution Approach 2:
A persistent data pipeline acts as an intermediary between the backup component and storage systems. This dedicated communication channel ensures reliable, high-speed transmission of transaction logs without involving the storage manager in the critical data path, thereby achieving both reliability and productivity for aggressive RPO requirements.
2Reliability
If secondary copies are generated for data protection, then data security is enhanced, but processing overhead and storage requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses transaction log copies instead of full secondary database copies. The backup component captures transaction logs and transmits them to storage, providing data protection without the overhead of generating and managing complete secondary copies of the production database. This reduces processing overhead while maintaining data protection capability.
3Ease of operation
If storage manager is involved in all storage operations, then centralized management is maintained, but critical backup operations experience delays
Solution Approach 1:
The system separates management functions from critical data operations. The backup component handles time-sensitive transaction log capture and transmission independently, while the storage manager handles non-critical management tasks. This segmentation maintains centralized management for operational control while eliminating delays in critical backup operations.
Data Source
AI summary
A disclosed framework enables virtually any aggressive Recovery Point Objective (RPO) to be enforced for a production database, without limitation on type of database management system (DBMS) or size of the production database. The framework overcomes technological barriers of the prior art, such as bottlenecks presented by a storage manager computer that traditionally managed database backups. To avoid the bottlenecks, an illustrative data storage management system does not engage the storage manager computer in storage operations that could impact the database RPO. Certain components are added and enhanced to autonomously capture database transaction logs, which are stored securely and persistently away from the DBMS. In a separate and less frequent operation, and with involvement of the storage manager computer, the illustrative system generates secondary copies in their final form. Meanwhile, temporary backup files can be used in restore operations without first being converted into secondary copies.