US 10,762,042 B2Granted

Virtual database system

AssigneeDelphix Corporation

InventorsCharles Li Zha, Jedidiah Yueh

Life of this patent

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Abstract

Information from multiple databases is retrieved and stored on a database storage system. Multiple point-in-time copies are obtained for each database. A point-in-time copy retrieves data changed in the database since the retrieval of a previous point-in-time copy. A virtual database (VDB) is created by creating a set of files in the data storage system. Each file in the set of files created for a VDB is linked to the database blocks on the database storage system associated with a point-in-time copy of the source database. The set of files associated with the VDB are mounted on a database server allowing the database server to read from and write to the set of files. Workflows based on VDBs allow various usage scenarios based on databases to be implemented efficiently, for example, testing and development, backup and recovery, and data warehouse building.

Claims22

Dependent claims

A method for creating virtual databases comprising database blocks, wherein each database block includes metadata associated with the database block, the method comprising:

receiving, from a database system, a first data stream comprising a first plurality of database blocks corresponding to a database at a first point in time, wherein each database block of the first data stream includes metadata associated with the database block;
storing on a storage system, the first plurality of database blocks received as part of the first data stream;
creating a first virtual database corresponding to the database at the first point in time, the first virtual database comprising the first plurality of database blocks stored in the storage system;
receiving, from the database system, a second data stream comprising a second plurality of database blocks corresponding to the database at a second point in time that is after the first point in time, wherein each database block of the second data stream includes metadata associated with the database block;
in response to determining that a database block of the second plurality of database blocks has not been updated since the first point in time, not storing the database block in the storage system;
storing a remaining portion of the second plurality of database blocks received as part of the second data stream;
creating a second virtual database corresponding to the database at the second point in time, the second virtual database comprising the remaining portion of the second plurality of database blocks and at least one database block of the first plurality of database blocks;
providing access to the virtual database from a server allowing the server to read from and write to the database blocks of the virtual database.

5 more elements

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions for:

receiving, from a database system, a first data stream comprising a first plurality of database blocks corresponding to a database at a first point in time, wherein each database block of the first data stream includes metadata associated with the database block;
storing on a storage system, the first plurality of database blocks received as part of the first data stream;
creating a first virtual database corresponding to the database at the first point in time, the first virtual database comprising the first plurality of database blocks stored in the storage system;
receiving, from the database system, a second data stream comprising a second plurality of database blocks corresponding to the database at a second point in time that is after the first point in time, wherein each database block of the second data stream includes metadata associated with the database block;
in response to determining that a database block of the second plurality of database blocks has not been updated since the first point in time, not storing the database block in the storage system;
storing a remaining portion of the second plurality of database blocks received as part of the second data stream;
creating a second virtual database corresponding to the database at the second point in time, the second virtual database comprising the remaining portion of the second plurality of database blocks and at least one database block of the first plurality of database blocks;
providing access to the virtual database from a server allowing the server to read from and write to the database blocks of the virtual database.

5 more elements

A method for creating a virtual database system, the method comprising:

generating, at a database system, a first data stream comprising a first plurality of database blocks corresponding to a database at a first point in time, wherein each database block of the second data stream includes metadata associated with the database block;
transmitting the first data stream from the database system to a storage system, wherein the storage system creates a first virtual database corresponding to the database at the first point in time, the first virtual database comprising the first plurality of database blocks stored in the storage system;
generating, at the database system, a second data stream comprising a second plurality of database blocks corresponding to the database at a second point in time that is after the first point in time, wherein each database block of the second data stream includes metadata associated with the database block;
in response to determining that a database block of the second plurality of database blocks has not been updated since the first point in time, removing the database block from the second data stream;
transmitting the second data stream having a remaining portion of the second plurality of database blocks to the storage system, wherein the storage system creates a second virtual database corresponding to the database at the second point in time, the second virtual database comprising the remaining portion of the second plurality of database blocks and at least one database block of the first plurality of database blocks and provides access to the virtual database from a server allowing the server to read from and write to the database blocks of the virtual database.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 15/810,678Filed 13 Nov 2017 · continuation
Priority: 21 Oct 2009
Published: US 2018/0260403 A113 Sep 2018
Granted: 1 Sep 2020
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification5 codes

G06F 16/128
File system administration, e.g. details of archiving or snapshots: details of file system snapshots on the file-level, e.g. snapshot creation,…
G06F 16/256
Integrating or interfacing systems involving database management systems: in federated or virtual databases
G06F 16/951
Retrieval from the web: indexing; Web crawling techniques
G06F 2201/84
Indexing scheme relating to error detection, to error correction, and to monitoring: using snapshots, i.e. a logical point-in-time copy of the data

Family

Application12/603,541Parent of this continuation · filed 21 Oct 2009
Application13/329,132Parent of this continuation · filed 16 Dec 2011
US 8,150,808 B2Parent of this continuation · filed 3 Apr 2012
Application14/715,323Parent of this continuation · filed 18 May 2015
US 9,037,543 B2Parent of this continuation · filed 19 May 2015
US 2018/0260403 A1Pre-grant publication · published 13 Sep 2018
US 9,817,836 B2Parent of this continuation
US 2011/0093435 A1Published application
US 2012/0089570 A1Published application
US 2015/0248422 A1Published application
US 10,762,042 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.