Restoring archived object-level database data

A system for archiving and restoring database data, the system comprising:

• one or more computing devices comprising computer hardware configured to:
• process a database file residing on one or more first storage devices to identify a subset of data in the database file for archiving, the database file generated by a database application executing on a client computing device comprising computer hardware;
• copy the subset of the data from the database file and store the subset of data in an archive file on the one or more first storage devices,
• wherein the archive file is contained within a first volume that is organized as a plurality of volume blocks having a volume block size,
• wherein the archive file is organized as one or more database blocks, wherein a block of the plurality blocks includes multiple database blocks;
• delete the subset of the data from the database file;
• create a snapshot of the first volume;
• and
• divide the snapshot into a plurality of blocks having a common size;
• and
• at least one secondary storage controller computer comprising hardware and residing in a secondary storage subsystem, the at least one secondary storage controller computer configured to:
• receive the plurality of blocks over a network connection;
• copy the plurality of blocks to one or more secondary storage devices to create a secondary copy of the plurality of blocks;
• create a table that provides a mapping between the copied plurality of blocks and corresponding locations in the one or more secondary storage devices;
• receive a request from a data agent to restore an archived database block from the one or more secondary storage devices in the secondary storage subsystem, wherein the request is initiated by the data agent in response to intercepting a read operation by the database application to access one or more database blocks that have been archived;
• in response to receiving the request to restore the archived database block:
• access the table to determine location of the archived database block in the one or more secondary storage devices;
• and
• restore the requested archived database block from the one or more secondary storage devices to primary storage subsystem.

A method of removing and restoring database data, the method comprising:

• using one or more computing devices comprising computer hardware:
• processing a database file residing on one or more first storage devices to identify a subset of data in the database file for archiving, the database file generated by a database application executing on a client the one or more computing devices;
• copying the subset of the data from the database file to a first volume, wherein the first volume is organized as a plurality of volume blocks having a volume block size;
• deleting the subset of the data from the database file;
• creating a snapshot of the first volume comprising the copied subset of data;
• and
• dividing the snapshot into a plurality of blocks having a common size;
• and
• using a secondary storage controller computer comprising hardware and residing in a secondary storage subsystem, the secondary storage controller computer:
• receiving the plurality of blocks over a network connection;
• copying the plurality of blocks to one or more secondary storage devices to create a secondary copy of the plurality of blocks;
• creating a table that provides a mapping between the copied plurality of blocks and corresponding locations in the one or more secondary storage devices;
• receiving a request from the one or more computing devices to restore a database block from the one or more secondary storage devices in the secondary storage subsystem, wherein the request is initiated by the one or more computing devices in response to intercepting a read operation by the database application to access one or more database blocks that have been removed;
• in responding to the request to restore the database block:
• accessing the table to determine the location of the database block in the one or more secondary storage devices;
• and
• restoring the requested database block from the one or more secondary storage devices to primary storage subsystem.