Pseudosnapshot Creation via Event Markers in Continuous Data Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current data backup and recovery systems face challenges in efficiently managing and restoring large volumes of data, especially in complex environments, where maintaining data integrity and minimizing resource usage are crucial, as they often require significant storage and may not allow for precise point-in-time recovery without disrupting critical applications.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a continuous data protection (CDP) system that creates pseudosnapshots of data at various points in time, allowing for the surfacing of copies for backup, recovery, and analysis, while minimizing storage requirements by using event markers instead of traditional snapshots, enabling efficient data management and recovery without disrupting critical applications.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional snapshots are used for data backup and recovery, then data can be restored at specific points in time, but storage requirements increase significantly and data integrity may be compromised during recovery operations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the essential metadata (event markers) rather than storing complete data snapshots. The CDP engine stores minimal information about data changes (event markers) while the actual data remains on original storage devices, dramatically reducing storage requirements while maintaining the ability to restore data to any point in time.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a virtual copy mechanism where data is not physically copied to separate snapshot storage but rather referenced through event markers. The surfaced copy is constructed by assembling data from multiple sources (original storage devices, CDP engine metadata, and change logs) at the required point in time, eliminating the need for dedicated snapshot storage space.
2Measurement precision
If continuous data protection is implemented to enable precise point-in-time recovery, then data can be accessed at any historical point, but system complexity increases and critical applications may be disrupted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the data protection function into separate components: the CDP engine handles metadata management and change tracking, while original data remains on storage devices. This separation allows precise point-in-time recovery without requiring the entire system to be complex or disruptive to applications.
Solution Approach 2:
The CDP engine acts as an intermediary layer between applications and the recovery process. It tracks changes through event markers and provides the ability to surface copies at any point in time without directly interfering with application operations. The intermediary handles the complexity of time-point recovery while applications continue normal operations.
3Productivity
If traditional backup methods are used, then data can be recovered, but the recovery process is time-consuming and may disrupt critical applications
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary tracking of data changes continuously through the CDP engine, maintaining event markers that record every modification. This preliminary action eliminates the need for time-consuming recovery operations, as the system already has the metadata needed to reconstruct data at any point in time without requiring full rebackup or lengthy restoration processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The CDP engine continuously tracks data changes in the background without interrupting application operations. This continuous monitoring enables rapid recovery by providing immediate access to change logs and event markers, eliminating the downtime and disruption associated with traditional periodic backups and recovery operations.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for performing replication operations on a continuous data protection system. In one embodiment, a method includes identifying at least a portion of the series of transactions on the continuous data protection system to be included in the pseudosnapshot, identifying an initial time at which the pseudosnapshot begins, identifying a final time at which the pseudosnapshot ends, identifying a last transaction before the final time at which the pseudosnapshot ends, and creating an event marker identifying a particular point in time that the last transaction was saved on the continuous data protection system.