Thin-Cloned Backup Using Reference Metadata

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current backup and restore processes for cloned datasets are inefficient, as they copy full data instead of references, leading to increased storage size and longer processing times, and fail to preserve storage efficiency during the restore process.

Innovation Solution

Implement a thin-cloned data set approach where only derivative data is backed up, and metadata is used to reference common data, allowing for efficient storage and restore by maintaining references to the source data set, thereby reducing the size of the backup and restore operations.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If full copy of cloned dataset is performed during backup, then data integrity is ensured, but backup size increases and storage efficiency is lost

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata integrityVSAvoidbackup size

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The backup process segments data into common data (from source dataset) and derivative data (modified in cloned dataset). Only derivative data is fully copied to backup, while common data is represented by references pointing to the source dataset. This segmentation resolves the contradiction by minimizing backup size while maintaining data integrity through the reference mechanism.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of copying all data from the cloned dataset (including common data), the system copies only the derivative data portions. References to common data are preserved as metadata rather than physical copies, thereby reducing backup size while maintaining the ability to reconstruct the complete dataset.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

2Reliability

If full copy of cloned dataset is performed during backup, then complete data is preserved, but backup and restore time increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata completenessVSAvoidbackup time

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The backup performs partial copying by only duplicating derivative data portions rather than the entire dataset. The reference metadata provides the necessary information to reconstruct common data from the source dataset during restore, achieving data completeness with reduced backup time.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

3Quantity of substance

If thin-cloned dataset with references is restored, then storage efficiency is maintained, but data must be reconstructed from references

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestorage efficiencyVSAvoidrestore complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Quantity of substanceVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The restore process creates a new dataset by copying derivative data from the backup and generating references to common data from the source dataset. This approach maintains storage efficiency by not duplicating common data, while the automated reference resolution handles the complexity of data reconstruction without user intervention.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

Solution Approach 2:

The reference metadata acts as an intermediary between the backup and the source dataset. During restore, these references automatically resolve to point to the appropriate common data in the source dataset, simplifying the reconstruction process while maintaining storage efficiency through the reference mechanism.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

4Ease of operation

If compressed data is decompressed during restore, then data is made usable by operating system, but processing time and computational resources increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata usabilityVSAvoidrestore time

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The backup process performs decompression in advance when creating the backup, storing data in an uncompressed, OS-ready format. During restore, this pre-decompressed data can be directly written to the filesystem without requiring additional decompression operations, thereby reducing restore time while maintaining data usability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS11983076B2Clone-aware backup and restore

Publication Date: 2024.05.14 ORACLE INT CORP

AI summary

Techniques are described for backup and restore of a thin-cloned data file. The process iterates through a plurality of memory portions of the thin-cloned data file and determines whether a memory portion of the thin-cloned data file is a memory portion with common data shared with the source data file. Without storing the common data of the shared memory portion into the thin-backup data file, the process stores placeholder metadata and corresponding reference to the shared memory portion for the thin-backup data file, in an embodiment. At restore, the process may replicate the derivative data, different from the common data, from the thin-backup data file into the thin-restored data file. For the common data, the process restores a reference for the thin-restored data file to the share memory portion, in an embodiment.