# US 11,907,078 B2 · Data backup method, apparatus, and system

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- Number: US 11,907,078 B2
- Document ID: US11907078B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/235,557
- Filed: 2021-04-20
- Published: 2021-08-05
- Granted: 2024-02-20
- Earliest claimed: 2018-10-22
- Assignees: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Lei Zhang
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11907078B2

## CPC

- G06F 11/1464: {for networked environments}
- G06F 11/1435: {using file system or storage system metadata}
- G06F 11/1451: {by selection of backup contents}
- G06F 11/1453: {using de-duplication of the data}
- G06F 11/1458: {Management of the backup or restore process}
- G06F 11/1466: {to make the backup process non-disruptive}
- G06F 11/1469: {Backup restoration techniques}
- G06F 2201/84: Using snapshots, i.e. a logical point-in-time copy of the data
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)

## Abstract

In a data backup method, after data backup is triggered, a backup server sends a change information obtaining request to a file server to request change information of data on the file server. The backup server receives a data change record returned by a file server, wherein the data change record comprises identification information of a changed data block. The backup server then obtains data according to the data change record, backs up the obtained data, and establishes a data mapping relationship for the current backup. When data of a backup needs to be obtained, data of a corresponding data block is found in the backup storage device according to the data mapping relationship.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A data backup method performed by a backup server, comprising:
sending a snapshot request to a file server;
receiving a snapshot creation success response returned by the file server, wherein the snapshot creation response comprises a snapshot identifier of a second snapshot;
after a data backup operation is triggered, sending a change information obtaining request to the file server to request for change information of data in the file server;
receiving, from the file server, a record of a data change between the second snapshot and a first snapshot made before the second snapshot, wherein the data change record records information about a data block corresponding to the data change between the second snapshot and the first snapshot, and the data change record includes identification information of the data block corresponding to the data change;
obtaining, from the file server based on the data change record, data in the data block identified by the identification information of the data block;
storing the obtained data in a backup storage device; and
establishing a data mapping relationship for the data backup operation, wherein the data mapping relationship includes identification information of all data blocks in the second snapshot, storage locations of all the data blocks in the second snapshot in the backup storage device, and a snapshot identifier of the second snapshot.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein the data change record further includes a corresponding operation identifier, and establishing the data mapping relationship further comprises:
copying a data mapping relationship established during a previous backup into the backup storage device; and
modifying the copied data mapping relationship based on the data change record, to obtain the data mapping relationship for the data backup operation.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein the file server and the backup storage device are heterogeneous.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, further including:
storing the data mapping relationship in the backup storage device.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein the identification information of the data block comprises a data block identifier and a file identifier of a file including the data block.

### Claim 6

A data backup method performed by a backup server, comprising:
after a data backup operation is triggered, sending a change information obtaining request to a file server to request for change information of data in the file server, wherein the change information obtaining request comprises a snapshot identifier of a second snapshot and a snapshot identifier of a first snapshot made before the second snapshot;
receiving, from the file server, a record of a data change between the second snapshot and the first snapshot, wherein the data change record records information about a data block corresponding to the data change between the second snapshot and the first snapshot, and the data change record includes identification information of the data block corresponding to the data change;
obtaining, from the file server based on the data change record, data in the data block identified by the identification information of the data block;
storing the obtained data in a backup storage device; and
establishing a data mapping relationship for the backup operation, wherein the data mapping relationship includes identification information of all data blocks in the second snapshot, storage locations of all the data blocks in the second snapshot in the backup storage device, and a snapshot identifier of the second snapshot.

### Claim 7

A data backup method performed by a file server, comprising:
receiving, from a backup server, a snapshot request;
sending, to the backup server, a snapshot creation success response comprising a snapshot identifier of a second snapshot;
receiving, from the backup server, a change information obtaining request requesting for change information of data in the file server;
determining the change information of the data in the file server;
returning a record of a data change between the second snapshot and a first snapshot to the backup server, wherein the first snapshot is created before the second snapshot, the data change record is used to record information about a data block corresponding to the data change between the second snapshot and the first snapshot, and the data change record includes identification information of the data block corresponding to the data change;
receiving a data obtaining request sent by the backup server, wherein the data obtaining request includes identification information of a to-be-obtained data block; and
returning, to the backup server, data in the to-be-obtained data block.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The method according to claim 7, further comprising:
tracking a data operation performed by a client on the file server; and
recording a record of a data change between two adjacent snapshots, wherein the record of the data change between the two adjacent snapshots includes identification information of a data block corresponding to the data change between the two adjacent snapshots.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The method according to claim 8, wherein the second snapshot and the first snapshot are not adjacent snapshots, and wherein the method further comprises:
obtaining the record of the data change between the second snapshot and the first snapshot by combining records of data changes between every two adjacent snapshots between the second snapshot and the first snapshot.

### Claim 10

A backup server comprising:
a network interface for accessing a network;
a memory storing executable instructions; and
a processor configured to execute the executable instructions to:
send a snapshot request to a file server;
receive a snapshot creation success response returned by the file server, wherein the response includes a snapshot identifier of a second snapshot;
after a data backup operation is triggered, send a change information obtaining request to the file server to request for change information of data in the file server;
receive, from the file server, a record of a data change between the second snapshot and a first snapshot taken before the second snapshot, wherein the data change record records information about a data block corresponding to the data change between the second snapshot and the first snapshot, and the data change record includes identification information of the data block corresponding to the data change;
obtain, from the file server based on the data change record, data in the data block identified by the identification information of the data block;
store the obtained data in a backup storage device; and
establish a data mapping relationship for the data backup operation, wherein the data mapping relationship includes identification information of all data blocks in the second snapshot, storage locations of all the data blocks in the second snapshot in the backup storage device, and a snapshot identifier of the second snapshot.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The backup server according to claim 10, wherein the data change record further comprises a corresponding operation identifier, and the instructions further cause the backup server to be configured to:
copy a data mapping relationship established during a previous backup into the backup storage device, and modify the copied data mapping relationship based on the data change record, to obtain the data mapping relationship for the data backup operation.

### Claim 12

A file server comprising:
a network interface for accessing a network;
a memory storing executable instructions; and
a processor configured to execute the executable instructions to:
receive, from a backup server, a snapshot request;
send, to the backup server, a snapshot creation success response comprising a snapshot identifier of a second snapshot;
receive, from the backup server, a change information obtaining request requesting for change information of data in the file server;
determine the change information of the data in the file server;
return a record of a data change between the second snapshot and a first snapshot to the backup server, wherein the first snapshot is created before the second snapshot, the data change record is used to record information about a data block corresponding to the data change between the second snapshot and the first snapshot, and the data change record includes identification information of the data block corresponding to the data change;
receive a data obtaining request sent by the backup server, wherein the data obtaining request includes identification information of a to-be-obtained data block; and
return, to the backup server, data in the to-be-obtained data block.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The file server according to claim 12, wherein the instructions further cause the file server to be configured to:
track a data operation performed by a client on the file server; and
record a record of a data change between two adjacent snapshots, wherein the record of the data change between the two adjacent snapshots includes identification information of a data block corresponding to the data change between the two adjacent snapshots.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The file server according to claim 13, wherein the second snapshot and the first snapshot are not adjacent snapshots, and the instructions further cause the file server to be configured to:
obtain the record of the data change between the second snapshot and the first snapshot by combining records of data changes between every two adjacent snapshots between the second snapshot and the first snapshot.

### Claim 15

A backup system comprising:
a file server;
a backup server; and
a backup storage device,
wherein the backup server is configured to:
send a snapshot request to the file server;
receive a snapshot creation success response returned by the file server, wherein the response includes a snapshot identifier of a second snapshot;
after a data backup operation is triggered, send a change information obtaining request to the file server to request for change information of data in the file server;
receive from the file server, a record of a data change between the second snapshot and a first snapshot taken before the second snapshot, wherein the data change record records information about a data block corresponding to the data change between the second snapshot and the first snapshot, and the data change record includes identification information of the data block corresponding to data change;
obtain, from the file server based on the data change record, data in the data block identified by the identification information of the data block;
store the obtained data in the backup storage device; and
establish a data mapping relationship for the backup operation, wherein the data mapping relationship includes identification information of all data blocks in the second snapshot, storage locations of data blocks in the second snapshot in the backup storage device, and a snapshot identifier of the second snapshot.