Remote Agent Backup Prioritization via Asset Map Analysis

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing data protection systems in distributed computing environments face challenges in prioritizing data backups effectively, leading to potential loss of important data due to limited computational resources and the inability to efficiently distribute workload for determining data importance.

Innovation Solution

A method is introduced that utilizes remote agents to orchestrate data protection services by generating lifecycle policies based on virtual machine asset maps, prioritizing backup generation across multiple components of the distributed system, thereby minimizing computing resource consumption and ensuring consistent data protection.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If data backup prioritization is performed centrally without workload distribution, then data protection reliability is improved, but computational resource consumption increases and system scalability deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata protection reliabilityVSAvoidcomputational resource consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the centralized backup management functionality into distributed components. Each computing device is assigned a backup priority score calculated from its own data characteristics (data type, size, access frequency) and system-wide factors (network conditions, overall system state). This segmentation allows local decision-making while maintaining coordinated backup prioritization across the distributed system, reducing central computational load while preserving data protection reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Ease of operation

If all data is treated equally for backup purposes, then simplicity of operation is maintained, but loss of important data increases due to inability to prioritize critical information

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebackup operation simplicityVSAvoiddata loss risk
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements local quality by assigning different backup priorities to different computing devices based on their specific data characteristics. Each device's backup priority is determined by analyzing local factors such as data type (electronic communications vs. image files), data size, and access frequency patterns. This allows the system to automatically differentiate between important and unimportant data without requiring manual classification, maintaining operational simplicity while preventing loss of critical information through priority-based backup scheduling.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

3Measurement precision

If backup priority determination is performed manually, then accuracy of data importance assessment is improved, but time consumption and operational complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata importance assessment accuracyVSAvoidtime for priority determination
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements self-service by enabling computing devices to automatically determine their own backup priorities based on their data characteristics and system conditions. The system continuously monitors data attributes (type, size, access frequency) and calculates backup priority scores without manual intervention. This automated approach maintains accurate data importance assessment by using objective metrics while eliminating the time loss and operational complexity associated with manual priority determination, allowing the system to adapt dynamically to changing data patterns.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentEP3731098B1System and method for management of large scale data backup
Publication Date: 2021.10.06 EMC IP HLDG CO LLC
  • EP3731098B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3731098B1 patent drawingFigure 2.1
  • EP3731098B1 patent drawingFigure 2.2

AI summary

A remote agent for providing data protection services includes persistent storage and a backup manager. The persistent storage stores lifecycle policies. The backup manager updates an asset catalog using an asset map associated with a virtual machine; generates a lifecycle policy of the lifecycle policies using the asset catalog; and generates a backup for the virtual machine using the lifecycle policy. The lifecycle policy prioritizes generating the backup for the virtual machine over generating a second backup for a second virtual machine.