Safeguarded Copy Volumes with Generation IDs for Enterprise Data Recovery

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing methods for protecting enterprise data stored in the cloud often result in data corruption, as they require restoring data to intermediate volumes for access, which is time-consuming and can lead to extended outages.

Innovation Solution

A method that involves receiving a volume of enterprise data, creating a safeguarded copy, generating a unique identification (generation ID) for this copy, and using the generation ID to access a read-only data copy without the need for intermediate restoration, thus preventing data corruption.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If data is restored to intermediate volumes for access, then data availability is improved, but data corruption risk increases and access time is extended

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata integrityVSAvoiddata access time
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent creates safeguarded copies of data volumes with generation IDs that can be directly accessed without restoration. These copies maintain data integrity while enabling immediate access, eliminating the time-consuming restoration process to intermediate volumes.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary actions by creating and maintaining safeguarded copies with generation IDs in advance. When data access is needed, the pre-prepared copies can be immediately accessed without requiring restoration operations, thus reducing access time while maintaining integrity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Ease of operation

If data is restored to intermediate volumes for access, then data accessibility is improved, but system outage duration increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata accessibilityVSAvoidsystem outage duration
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDuration of action of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

Safeguarded copies with generation IDs provide direct access to historical data without requiring restoration to intermediate volumes. This copying approach maintains data accessibility while dramatically reducing the duration of system outages by eliminating the restoration step.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

Solution Approach 2:

The patent extracts the essential access function from the restoration process. By creating standalone safeguarded copies that can be directly accessed, the system removes the time-consuming restoration operation while preserving data accessibility.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Reliability

If traditional backup methods are used, then data protection is provided, but data corruption occurs during restoration

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata protectionVSAvoiddata corruption
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system creates safeguarded copies that can be directly accessed without restoration operations. This eliminates the restoration process that traditionally causes data corruption, while maintaining comprehensive data protection through the safeguarded copy mechanism.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies preliminary anti-action by creating safeguarded copies with generation IDs that prevent the corruption issue from occurring. By having pre-prepared, immutable copies that can be directly accessed, the system counteracts the potential harm of data corruption during restoration.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #9Preliminary anti-action

Data Source

PatentUS12282574B2Generational access to safeguarded copy source volumes
Publication Date: 2025.04.22 INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINE CORPORATION
  • US12282574B2 patent drawing
  • US12282574B2 patent drawing
  • US12282574B2 patent drawing

AI summary

Ensuring that enterprise data that has potentially become corrupted is recoverable and usable by creating safeguarded copy volumes of the enterprise data. One important aspect of any corruption detection scheme is to determine when the data has become corrupted and locate the last known uncorrupted copy of the data as quickly as possible. Once this set of data is identified, the restoration process can begin with that data, and subsequent logged transactions can be reapplied if possible, which brings the data to the most recent and uncorrupted version.