Continuous data protection using retroactive backup snapshots

An apparatus for use with a database comprising multiple tables, comprising:

• a memory, configured to store;
• a journal including a raw journal and a set of journal partitions into which the raw journal is split, and
• a set of partition records, which specify a lowest key value and a highest key value in each of the journal partitions;
• and
• one or more processors configured:
• to copy the database, during a time period beginning with a first time and ending with a second time, to a file,
• to receive, from a software system managing the database, updates made to the tables during the time period, and to store the received updates to the journal, and
• by accessing the set of partition records:
• to identify, in the journal, a set of the updates not stored in the file, and
• to update the file with the set of the updates so that the file comprises a transactionally consistent backup of the database.

A computer software product comprising a tangible non-transitory computer-readable medium in which program instructions are stored, which instructions, when read by one or more processors, cause the processors:

• to copy to a file, during a time period beginning with a first time and ending with a second time, a database comprising multiple tables,
• to receive, from a software system managing the database, updates made to the tables during the time period, and to store the received updates to a journal including a raw journal and a set of journal partitions into which the raw journal is split, and
• by accessing a set of partition records, which specify a lowest key value and a highest key value in each of journal partitions:
• to identify, in the journal, a set of the updates not stored in the file, and
• to update the file with the set of the updates so that the file comprises a transactionally consistent backup of the database.