Snapshot Capability-Aware Discovery for Application Resources
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current backup/restore applications cannot determine efficiently whether creating a snapshot of an application resource is possible, leading to delays and inefficiencies, as creating a snapshot may be less efficient than creating multiple copies of data objects, especially for large databases, requiring manual intervention from data protection administrators.
Innovation Solution
Implementing snapshot capability-aware discovery, where a backup server identifies application resources tagged with snapshot capable tags and applies corresponding data protection policies to determine if a snapshot can be created efficiently, using snapshot policy rules to automate the process and manage snapshot creation and retention.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If manual determination of snapshot capability is performed by data protection administrators, then snapshot creation decisions can be made, but delays and inefficiencies occur in the backup process
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary discovery and tagging of application resources with snapshot capability information before backup operations are needed. The backup server proactively identifies which resources support snapshots and stores this capability information in advance, so that when backup decisions need to be made, the information is already available without requiring manual administrator intervention.
Solution Approach 2:
The backup server automatically determines snapshot capability for application resources without requiring manual intervention from data protection administrators. The system uses automated discovery mechanisms and policy-based decision-making to self-determine whether snapshots can be created, eliminating the time delay caused by manual determination while maintaining appropriate decision-making quality.
2Reliability
If snapshots are created for application resources, then data protection is improved, but efficiency decreases for large databases where multiple copies would be more efficient
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies different backup strategies to different application resources based on their local characteristics. Snapshot capability tags are assigned individually to each application resource based on its specific properties (such as database size, storage type, and snapshot support). This allows the system to create snapshots only for resources where they are appropriate and efficient, while using alternative methods for resources where multiple copies would be better, thus optimizing both reliability and productivity locally for each resource.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the backup approach parameter based on the snapshot capability parameter of the application resource. When snapshot capability is detected and tagged, the system switches to using snapshots for that resource. When snapshot capability is not available or not efficient (such as for large databases), the system switches to creating multiple copies. This dynamic parameter adjustment optimizes the balance between data protection reliability and backup efficiency for different resource types.
3Extent of automation
If snapshot capability awareness is implemented, then automated decision-making is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system introduces snapshot capability tags as intermediary elements that mediate between the backup server and application resources. These tags serve as a simple interface layer that provides snapshot capability information without requiring the backup server to implement complex discovery logic. The tags act as a pre-computed intermediary that simplifies the automated decision-making process while maintaining the necessary automation level.
Solution Approach 2:
The complex task of determining snapshot capability is performed in advance through preliminary discovery operations and stored as tags on application resources. This preliminary action separates the complexity of capability determination from the backup decision-making process. The backup server only needs to read the pre-computed tags to make automated decisions, significantly reducing the complexity of the backup system while maintaining high automation levels.
Data Source
AI summary
Snapshot capability-aware discovery of tagged application resources is described. A backup server inputs an identifier of an application's resource from the application's host. If the backup server determines that the application resource identifier was input with a snapshot capable tag, and that the application's resource satisfies any of the snapshot policy rules, the backup server identifies the data protection policy for the satisfied snapshot policy rule. The backup server outputs a request to the application's host to use the identified data protection policy to create a snapshot of the application's resource that was input with any associated snapshot capable tag.