Volume Initialization via Delta Marking Stream
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional data protection systems face challenges such as system shutdown during backups, limited recovery points, and lengthy data recovery processes, which hinder continuous data protection and increase downtime in the event of disasters.
Innovation Solution
The method involves marking a delta marking stream, generating a copy of a local volume at a specific point, and determining dirty locations between a remote volume and the copy, using either a snapshot or clone, while quiescing and unquiescing the local volume to facilitate efficient data replication and recovery.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If tape backup drives are used for storing data, then data protection is provided, but system shutdown is required during backup and data recovery time is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by creating a baseline copy of the volume before replication begins. This baseline copy is created quiesced (stopped) to ensure consistency, and then the volume is unquiesced to resume normal operations. This allows the backup system to prepare and synchronize data without requiring continuous system shutdown, thereby reducing downtime while maintaining data protection reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements continuity of useful action by enabling the volume to be unquiesced after baseline copy creation, allowing normal I/O operations to continue during the replication process. The replication system continuously synchronizes changes from the production volume to the backup volume without interrupting business operations, thus eliminating the need for system shutdown while maintaining continuous data protection.
2Loss of time
If continuous data protection is implemented, then recovery point in time is minimized, but data replication efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses preliminary action by creating a baseline copy quiesced before replication starts. This establishes a consistent starting point that allows efficient incremental replication of only changed blocks. By preparing the baseline in advance and then resuming operations, the system achieves continuous protection capability while maintaining replication efficiency through block-level synchronization.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by implementing block-level replication rather than full volume copying. Only blocks that have changed since the baseline are replicated to the backup volume, significantly improving replication efficiency. This selective replication approach maintains continuous protection capability while reducing the overhead and time required for data synchronization.
3Measurement precision
If data replication is performed at the data block level, then data protection accuracy is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by creating a quiesced baseline copy before replication begins. This baseline serves as a reference point that simplifies the subsequent block-level comparison and replication process. By establishing this foundation quiesced, the system can then efficiently identify and replicate only the delta blocks without complex coordination during ongoing operations, reducing the operational complexity of block-level replication.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the complexity management by separating the quiescing operation from the ongoing replication process. The baseline copy is created quiesced in a separate preliminary step, and then the volume is unquiesced to resume normal operations. This extraction allows block-level replication to proceed efficiently without the complexity of coordinating quiescing throughout the entire replication process.
Data Source
AI summary
In one aspect, a method to perform initialization prior to replication includes marking a first point in a delta marking stream, generating a copy of a local volume at the first point and determining dirty locations between a remote volume and the copy. The copy is generated from one of taking a snapshot or taking a clone of the local volume.