Data Recovery Interface Forward Backward Review
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional Continuous Data Protection (CDP) systems restrict users to reviewing data recovery points only in the backward direction, making it inefficient to quickly and accurately find the desired recovery point for data loss, especially since they are typically periodic and may result in significant data loss between backups.
Innovation Solution
A user interface is provided that allows users to graphically specify recovery points in time, events, or snapshots for data recovery, enabling quick and efficient scanning through chronological data, events, and snapshots to select the appropriate recovery point, using journaling and snapshot technologies to support CDP functionality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If traditional CDP systems restrict review to backward direction only, then system complexity is reduced, but recovery efficiency and operator productivity deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies inversion by enabling forward review capability in addition to the traditional backward review capability. This allows operators to review data in both temporal directions (forward and backward from current time), effectively inverting the unidirectional constraint and enabling more flexible recovery point selection without fundamentally redesigning the entire CDP architecture
Solution Approach 2:
The interface is designed to provide multiple review directions (forward and backward) and multiple review modes (time-based, event-based, snapshot-based) within a single unified system. This multi-functionality allows the same CDP system to serve both traditional backward review needs and new forward review needs, improving productivity without requiring separate systems
2Loss of substance
If periodic backup is used instead of continuous data protection, then system complexity is reduced, but data loss increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements continuous data protection by continuously capturing and storing data changes in a journal between backups. This continuous action ensures that no data changes are lost, as every modification is recorded and can be replayed to reconstruct the exact state at any point in time, eliminating the data loss inherent in periodic backup approaches
3Measurement precision
If fine granularity recovery points are provided, then recovery precision is improved, but storage requirements and system complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the essential data changes from the continuous data stream and stores them compactly in a journal format. By capturing only the deltas (changes) rather than complete data copies at every point in time, the system achieves fine-grained recovery precision while minimizing storage requirements and simplifying storage management
Data Source
AI summary
A user interface is provided through which a user may specify a container for data recovery. In response to the specification of a container for recovery, another user interface is provided through which the user can select a consistency group or a journal file to be utilized for recovery. In response to receiving a selection of a journal file for data recovery, a user interface is provided through which a user may specify a point in time, an event, or a snapshot at which time recovery for the corresponding volume should occur. In response to receiving a selection of a consistency group for recovery, a user interface is provided through which a user may specify a snapshot performed across two or more volumes of the consistency group that should be utilized for recovery.