Pseudo-Disk Backup Access for Instant Application Recovery
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current data recovery methods result in prolonged application downtime due to the time-consuming process of restoring large datasets from backup, especially for applications with petabytes of data, leading to unacceptable downtime and productivity losses.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of an enhanced data agent and pseudo-storage-device driver enables 'instant application recovery' by allowing the application to operate concurrently with data restoration, using a pseudo-volume for staging write operations and read responses, and updating primary data efficiently once the restore is complete.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional full restore operations are performed from backup media, then data integrity is ensured, but application downtime increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by creating a pseudo-disk representation of the backup data before the actual restore operation completes. This pseudo-disk allows the application to start operating with restored data while the full restore continues in the background, thereby reducing application downtime while ensuring data integrity through the subsequent update operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The restore operation is segmented into two parallel processes: (1) a fast pseudo-disk creation that provides immediate data access to the application, and (2) a background full restore that ensures complete data integrity. This segmentation allows the application to resume operations quickly while the comprehensive restore completes separately.
2Reliability
If large datasets are restored from slower backup media to fast production media, then data recovery completeness is achieved, but restore time becomes unacceptably long
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs a preliminary action by creating a pseudo-disk from the backup data that can be quickly mounted and accessed by the application. This preliminary pseudo-disk creation allows the application to start operating with restored data immediately, while the complete restore to production media continues in the background without delaying application recovery.
Solution Approach 2:
The pseudo-disk acts as an intermediary between the backup media and the production application. It provides a fast-access interface that allows the application to operate with restored data while the background process completes the full restore from slower backup media to fast production media, thereby bridging the speed gap without compromising data completeness.
3Productivity
If the application is restarted before full restore completion, then productivity is maintained, but data consistency may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements feedback by continuously monitoring the restore operation status and using the pseudo-disk to maintain data consistency. The pseudo-disk is updated with data from the background restore operation, ensuring that the application always accesses consistent data while maintaining high availability. This feedback mechanism allows the application to restart before full restore completion without compromising data consistency.
4Reliability
If traditional backup restoration methods are used, then data protection is achieved, but operational continuity is disrupted
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by creating a pseudo-disk representation of backup data that can be quickly mounted to restore application operations. This preliminary step allows the application to resume productivity immediately while the background process completes the full restore to ensure data protection, thereby maintaining operational continuity without sacrificing data security.
Solution Approach 2:
The system ensures continuity of useful action by allowing the application to continue operating with data from the pseudo-disk while the background restore operation proceeds simultaneously. This parallel execution maintains operational continuity and productivity while the data protection restore process completes, eliminating the traditional stop-start nature of backup restoration.
Data Source
AI summary
The present enhancement leaves production systems undisturbed while a remote application (“testbed application”) executes elsewhere (“testbed host”). An intermediary computing device hosts an enhanced pseudo-disk driver, pseudo-disks, and an enhanced media agent. The enhanced pseudo-disk driver creates the pseudo-disks, each one representing an associated point-in-time backup image residing in secondary storage. A network, e.g., an Internet Protocol (IP) network or a Fibre Channel (FC) Storage Area Network (SAN), connects the intermediary device with the testbed host, and the enhanced media agent exposes pseudo-disks over the network using iSCSI or FC protocol, respectively. The testbed application uses an exposed pseudo-disk as its recovery data source, such that pseudo-disk resources provide data on an as-needed basis sufficient for the testbed application to operate, yet (a) without restoring the entire associated backup image from secondary storage and (b) without impacting the production environment.