Distributed Server Data Recovery via File System Mapping
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Solution Overview
Problem
In distributed client-server systems, continual data backups strain networks and can lead to data loss during server failures, while periodic backups may result in unrecoverable data changes since the last backup.
Innovation Solution
A system that includes a server and service computing devices, where the server receives a file system mapping, compares it with stored mappings, and sends updates to synchronize data, allowing the server to recover and update its metadata, minimizing data loss by synchronizing with multiple service computing devices.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If continual data backups are performed, then data reliability is improved, but network strain increases and system performance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by having service computing devices continuously track and store file system mapping changes locally before failures occur. This preliminary tracking of mapping information (without transferring actual data) enables rapid recovery while minimizing ongoing network strain during normal operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts only the essential mapping metadata (file system paths, mount points, directory structures) from the full data backup process. By separating mapping information from actual data content, the system reduces network bandwidth requirements and processing overhead while maintaining recovery capability.
2Productivity
If periodic data backups are performed, then system performance impact is reduced, but data loss increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system maintains continuous tracking of file system mapping changes by service computing devices without interrupting normal system operation. This continuous monitoring (as opposed to periodic backups) ensures no data is lost during the tracking period, while the actual data transfer only occurs during recovery operations, not during normal use.
Solution Approach 2:
Service computing devices create and maintain local copies of file system mapping information continuously. These local copies serve as backup references that can be used for recovery without requiring continuous network transfers, enabling both high performance during operation and reliable recovery when needed.
3Reliability
If data mapping synchronization is performed continuously, then data integrity is improved, but network communication overhead increases
Solution Approach 1:
Service computing devices perform preliminary local tracking of mapping changes as they occur during normal operation. This preliminary action stores the changes locally without immediate network transmission, reducing network overhead while maintaining integrity through local validation and comparison of mapping information.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback mechanisms where service computing devices periodically compare their local mapping tracking with the server's mapping information. This feedback loop enables synchronization of mapping changes without requiring constant continuous communication, reducing network overhead while maintaining data integrity through periodic validation.
Data Source
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AI summary
In some examples, a first computing device may receive, from a server, an indication that the server has recovered data. For instance, the first computing device may store metadata including a mapping for one or more file systems accessed by one or more client devices. Furthermore, a second computing device may store a copy of the mapping stored on the first computing device. The first computing device may receive, from the server, a mapping of the one or more file systems determined by the server based on the recovered data. The first computing device may compare the mapping from the server with the mapping of the one or more file systems on the first computing device, and may send, to the server, information about changes determined between the two mappings to enable the server to update the mapping on the server based on the changes.