Single Segment Database Backup via Proxy Server Segmentation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current backup and recovery applications for large databases require significant time and system resources, especially when correcting unsuccessful backups, as they often necessitate a full rerun of the entire backup process, which is inefficient and strains the system.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that allow for backing up only a single data segment within a computer network, using a proxy server to relay commands between hosts, a server, and a storage array, enabling the creation of a single segment backup that can replace the corresponding segment in a full backup, thereby minimizing the need for a full backup of the entire database.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a full backup of the entire database is performed, then complete data protection is achieved, but the time and system resources required increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the database backup into multiple segments or portions that can be independently identified and backed up. Instead of treating the entire database as a single unit, the system allows selection of specific segments based on criteria such as file type, size, or location, enabling partial backups that reduce time and resource consumption while maintaining data protection for critical portions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements partial backup action by allowing the system to backup only the necessary portions of the database rather than the entire dataset. This partial action approach performs backup operations selectively on specific segments, files, or data portions that meet predefined criteria, thereby reducing overall backup time and system resource requirements while still achieving adequate data protection.
2Reliability
If a full backup is rerun to correct unsuccessful backup operations, then data integrity is restored, but system resources are significantly strained
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and identifies only the specific segments or portions of the database that failed during the backup process. Instead of rerunning the entire backup operation, the system isolates the problematic segments and performs targeted backup operations only on those specific portions, thereby restoring data integrity without the need to reprocess successful backup segments and avoiding excessive system resource strain.
3Adaptability or versatility
If individual files are backed up using file-based approach, then flexibility in selection is achieved, but non-sequential disk access increases backup time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs an image-based backup approach that creates a sequential copy of the entire database or selected segments as a continuous data stream. This copying method reads data sequentially from the source and writes it sequentially to the backup medium, eliminating the non-sequential disk access problems of file-based approaches. The system maintains flexibility by allowing selection of which segments to copy while achieving efficient sequential processing during the actual backup operation.
Data Source
AI summary
The invention is a system and method for backing up a single segment and/or database on a host server. Present backups of database servers only allow full backups of the entire host server. If there are errors with any of the backed up segments or databases, this can only be corrected by re-running the entire backup process, which is very time consuming and tedious. The invention is a method for identifying and isolating single segments on the host server. In this fashion, if only one segment was not backup up correctly, then once identified and repaired, that segment may be backed up. By isolating single segments, only a segment that was not backed up correctly can be replicated. This increases the granularity of the backup system and minimizes the need to backup the entire host, saving time and cost.