Cloud-based data protection service

A non-transitory computer accessible storage medium storing a plurality of instructions forming a data protection service which, when executed on one or more computer systems in a cloud, cause the one or more computer systems to perform operations comprising:

• determining that a backup of a data set at a data center is to be performed;
• and
• issuing a plurality of commands to a backup agent at the data center responsive to determining that the backup is to be performed, the plurality of commands causing the backup agent to:
• determine, based on a first one or more commands of the plurality of commands, one or more data blocks in first data set that have changed since a previous backup of the data set;
• generate, based on a second one or more commands of the plurality of commands, one or more fingerprints indicative of a content of respective ones of the one or more data blocks;
• include, based on a third one or more commands of the plurality of commands, the one or more fingerprints and the one or more data blocks as backup data for the backup;
• put, based on a fourth one or more commands of the plurality of commands, the backup data in an object storage in the cloud;
• and
• provide, based on a fifth one or more commands of the plurality of commands, one or more identifiers for the backup data in the object storage to the data protection service.

A method comprising:

• determining, in a data protection service executed in a cloud, that a backup of a data set at a data center is to be performed;
• issuing a plurality of commands to a backup agent at the data center responsive to determining that the backup is to be performed, the plurality of commands causing the backup agent to:
• determine, based on a first one or more commands of the plurality of commands, one or more data blocks in first data set that have changed since a previous backup of the data set;
• generate, based on a second one or more commands of the plurality of commands, one or more fingerprints indicative of a content of respective ones of the one or more data blocks;
• assemble, based on a third one or more commands of the plurality of commands, the one or more fingerprints and the one or more data blocks as backup data for the backup;
• put, based on a fourth one or more commands of the plurality of commands, the backup data in an object storage in the cloud;
• and
• provide, based on a fifth one or more commands of the plurality of commands, one or more identifiers for the backup data in the object storage to the data protection service.