Unified Data Replication System for Availability and Backup

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing high-availability data systems require separate management for maintaining current and historical data versions, leading to complex and insecure management experiences, particularly vulnerable to rogue administrator threats.

Innovation Solution

A single integrated system that replicates high-availability data in near real-time for both current and historical versions, using a unified replication technology across multiple processing devices, ensuring secure and isolated administrative access for different user groups.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If separate systems are used for high-availability data and historical data, then data availability and historical data protection are improved, but system complexity and management difficulty increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata availabilityVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines high-availability data replication and historical data backup into a single integrated system. The replication system maintains both current high-availability copies and historical backup copies through one unified platform, eliminating the need for separate systems while preserving both data availability and historical data protection capabilities.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The integrated replication system performs multiple functions: it maintains high-availability copies for continuous access and creates historical backup copies for point-in-time recovery. A single management interface handles both current data replication and historical data protection, providing universal functionality across different data retention requirements.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Reliability

If separate management systems are used for current and historical data, then data protection is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata protectionVSAvoidmanagement experience
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent unifies the management of current high-availability data and historical backup data into a single management interface. Administrators interact with one consistent system for both data types, eliminating the need to switch between separate management systems and improving operational ease while maintaining comprehensive data protection.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Ease of operation

If a single system manages both high-availability and backup data, then ease of operation is improved, but security risks from rogue administrators increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemanagement experienceVSAvoidrogue administrator threat
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments administrative access rights within the unified system. Different user groups have isolated access to different data types: one group manages high-availability data while another group manages historical backup data. This segmentation prevents rogue administrators from accessing or corrupting data they should not see, while maintaining ease of operation through a single integrated interface.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

4Reliability

If real-time replication is used for high-availability data, then data availability is improved, but storage resources and replication overhead increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata availabilityVSAvoidstorage resources
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements preliminary replication for high-availability data to ensure near real-time availability. The system proactively replicates data changes to backup systems before failures occur, maintaining data availability without requiring continuous real-time replication to all storage locations, thus optimizing the balance between availability and storage resource consumption.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS8041678B2Integrated data availability and historical data protection
Publication Date: 2011.10.18 MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING LLC
  • US8041678B2 patent drawing
  • US8041678B2 patent drawing
  • US8041678B2 patent drawing

AI summary

A single native integrated system may be provided for replicating data to one or more copies of high-availability data and for replicating the data to one or more copies of backup data. The data may be replicated, in near real-time, to the one or more copies of high-availability data as changes occur to the data. The data may be replicated and later incorporated to a copy of the backup data at different points in time. The single native integrated system may have a single set of functions for replicating the data to the one or more copies of high-availability data and for replicating the data for the one or more copies of the backup data. Administrative access to the one or more copies of high-availability data may be isolated from administrative access to the one or more copies of the backup data.