Segment-Based File Restoration via Fingerprint Comparison
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing file restoration methods are inefficient as they often require transferring and re-writing entire files, leading to high network bandwidth usage and prolonged restoration times, especially when only specific segments of the file have changed.
Innovation Solution
A segment-based method that identifies and restores only the differing segments of a file by comparing fingerprints, allowing unchanged segments to remain intact, and optionally retrieving necessary data from local or alternate local systems to minimize network data transfer.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If entire files are transferred and rewritten during restoration, then file restoration can be performed, but network bandwidth usage increases and restoration time prolongs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides files into segments and uses fingerprints to identify which segments have changed since the last backup. Only the changed segments are transferred and rewritten during restoration, while unchanged segments are skipped. This segmentation approach directly reduces network bandwidth usage and restoration time while maintaining complete file restoration functionality.
2Reliability
If entire files are transferred during restoration, then file restoration is ensured, but restoration time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments files into smaller units and uses fingerprints to determine which segments need restoration. By comparing fingerprints of current and backup segments, the system identifies only the changed portions that require restoration, ensuring complete file recovery while minimizing restoration time by skipping unchanged segments.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts only the necessary changed segments for restoration by using fingerprints to identify differences between current and backup versions. This extraction approach ensures that restoration completeness is maintained while significantly reducing the amount of data transferred and restoration time required.
Data Source
AI summary
Various embodiments of a system and method for restoring a file are described herein. A previous version of the file may be split into segments and backed up to a server computer system. In response to a subsequent request to restore the file to the previous version, the current segments of the file may be compared to the backup segments stored on the server computer system. The segments that have changed may be retrieved from the server computer system and used to restore the corresponding segments of the current version of the file to their previous states. Segments that have not changed do not need to be transferred across the network from the server computer system. In further embodiments, one or more of the segments that have changed may be obtained locally from other files, thus further reducing the amount of data transferred across the network.