Version Control Backup Single Instance Storage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional backup systems result in data redundancy and prolonged recovery windows due to storing multiple versions of objects, leading to inefficient storage usage and time-consuming retrieval processes.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a version control mechanism that stores all versions of an object as a single instance on backup media, leveraging the application software to manage version history instead of the backup software, and using retention policies to delete older versions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional incremental or differential backup stores multiple versions of objects on backup media, then version history is preserved, but storage space is wasted due to data redundancy
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple versions of the same object into a single stored instance by implementing version control at the application layer. Instead of storing separate copies of each version on backup media, the system maintains one master copy and uses version metadata to track historical states, thereby preserving version history while eliminating redundant storage.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses virtual copying mechanisms where version information is maintained through metadata and index structures rather than physical copies. The backup system creates logical representations of version history through indexing and metadata storage, allowing multiple versions to be accessed without duplicating the actual object data on backup media.
2Reliability
If traditional backup systems store multiple versions of objects in different locations on backup media, then version history is maintained, but recovery time is prolonged due to extended search and retrieval
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary indexing and metadata organization during the backup process itself. Version information, including object identifiers, version numbers, and storage locations, is pre-organized in index structures and metadata catalogs. This preliminary action enables rapid retrieval during recovery operations, eliminating the need to search through backup media when restoring specific versions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces metadata and index structures as intermediary layers between the backup media and the recovery process. These intermediaries contain organized information about object versions and their locations, allowing the recovery system to quickly locate and retrieve specific versions without directly searching through the physical backup media.
3Reliability
If backup software creates and maintains index entries for every new version of an object, then version tracking is achieved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements self-service version tracking where the application software itself maintains version control metadata and index information. Instead of the backup software creating and managing index entries for each version, the application layer automatically tracks its own version history and provides this information to the backup system, thereby reducing the complexity burden on the backup software.
Data Source
AI summary
Using a versioning feature of an authoring application to back up multiple versions of a stored object in single, version-enabled instance stored on backup media is disclosed. In some embodiments, an indication is received that a subsequent version data associated with an object an existing instance of which is stored in a backup storage location is to be backed up. A version control mechanism of an authoring application that created or updated the object as stored in a primary storage location is invoked to incorporate the subsequent version data into the existing instance of the object as stored in the backup storage location.