Virtual Full Synthetic Backup via Block Rebase and Copy
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current data storage systems face inefficiencies in backup operations, particularly with incremental backups that require cloning parent files and are linked, and full backups that are time-consuming, while also limiting deletion and causing chain breaks.
Innovation Solution
A method to generate a virtual full synthetic backup using a previous full backup and a list of changed blocks, allowing direct copying of changed data blocks and rebasing unchanged blocks, eliminating the need for traditional full backups and linkages, enabling deletion and improving speed and efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If incremental backup is used to achieve quick backup file generation, then backup speed is improved, but device complexity increases due to parent file linkages and cloning requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The backup file is segmented into multiple zones, each independently manageable. Changed blocks are identified and copied only to necessary zones, while unchanged blocks reference the parent file. This segmentation allows incremental backup speed without requiring complex chaining of entire backup files.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts only the changed blocks from the parent backup file and combines them with unchanged block references to create a synthetic full backup. This extraction eliminates the need to clone or copy the entire parent file, reducing complexity while maintaining backup integrity.
2Reliability
If full backup is used to represent the entire target volume, then backup completeness is improved, but backup time increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of copying the entire target volume for full backup, the system performs partial copying of only changed blocks and combines them with references to unchanged blocks from the parent file. This partial action achieves complete backup reliability without the time cost of full volume copying.
Solution Approach 2:
The parent full backup file is prepared in advance and serves as a foundation. When creating synthetic full backups, the system leverages this pre-existing complete backup structure, avoiding the need to recreate the entire backup from scratch each time.
3Productivity
If incremental backup files are linked to parent files, then backup efficiency is improved, but flexibility decreases due to deletion restrictions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates synthetic full backup copies that are independent replicas combining parent file references with changed blocks. These copies can be deleted or managed independently without affecting the parent file or other backups, providing full management flexibility while maintaining backup efficiency.
4Reliability
If traditional full backup is generated periodically, then data integrity is ensured, but storage resources are consumed and time is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges changed blocks from incremental backups with unchanged block references from the parent full backup to create synthetic full backups. This combination ensures data integrity equivalent to traditional full backups while consuming significantly fewer storage resources by avoiding duplication of unchanged data.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method for generating a virtual full synthetic backup of a target volume is described. For each zone associated with the target volume in which a corresponding data block has changed since the previous backup or is not represented by the previous backup, the system and method may directly copy the associated data blocks from the target volume. For each zone associated with the target volume in which a corresponding data block has not changed since the previous backup and is represented by the previous backup, the system and method may rebase the offset for the zone in the virtual full synthetic backup file to the corresponding zone in the previous backup file. Using this technique, a more efficient and robust backup may be generated.