# US 2024/0202075 A1 · Dynamic slicing of filesystem data with application awareness

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- Number: US 2024/0202075 A1
- Document ID: US20240202075A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 18/082,688
- Filed: 2022-12-16
- Published: 2024-06-20
- Earliest claimed: 2022-12-16
- Assignees: Dell Products L.P.
- Applicants: Dell Products L.P.
- Inventors: Shelesh Chopra; Upanshu Singhal
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20240202075A1

## CPC

- G06F 11/1451: {by selection of backup contents}
- G06F 11/1461: {Backup scheduling policy}
- G06F 16/122: {using management policies (point-in-time backing up or restoration of persistent data G06F11/1446; file migration policies for HSM systems G06F16/185)}
- 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

Embodiments of the invention relate to methods and systems for efficiently backing up a production host. In one or more embodiments, the size of slices associated with certain preset asset types are altered. By leveraging metadata of previous backups performed on the assets/hosts, one or more embodiments of the invention are able to determine the types of assets being backed up. Based on these determinations, some asset types may be assigned to slices having a larger size, while other assets may be assigned to slices having smaller sizes as appropriate for type of asset. Thus, various embodiments may improve the utilization of system and network resources.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for performing an incremental backup of selected assets,
the method comprising:
receiving a request to perform the incremental backup of the selected assets, wherein the selected assets are stored in a file-system associated with a production host;
retrieving, in response to the request, backup metadata from a previous backup of the selected assets;
determining, based on the backup metadata, asset types of the selected assets;
generating a list of asset types for the selected assets based on the determined asset types;
determining, for each determined asset type in the list of asset types, if the determined asset type is a preset type, wherein a predetermined percentage is associated with the preset type;
placing, based on the determined asset type, each asset in at least one slice to generate a slice list, wherein all slices are, within a predetermined tolerance, a standard size, wherein if the asset is the preset type, the size of the at least one slice is changed by the predetermined percentage associated with the preset type, wherein the predetermined percentage is greater than the predetermined tolerance; and
performing the incremental backup of the selected assets using the slice list, wherein performing the incremental backup comprises:
generating a backup copy of the selected assets;
causing to store the backup copy in a backup storage device; and
causing to store the separate file in the backup storage device.

### Claim 2

(canceled)

### Claim 3

(canceled)

### Claim 4

(canceled)

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the preset type is one of a database or a virtual hard disk.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the previous backup of the selected assets host is an initial full backup of the file-system associated with the production host.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the previous backup of the production host is a previous incremental backup of the selected assets.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the size of the at least one slice is specified using a number of files that can be stored in the at least one slice.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the size of the at least one slice is related to the number of bytes that can be stored in the at least one slice.

### Claim 10

A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising computer readable program code, which when executed by a computer processor, enables the computer processor to perform a method for performing an incremental backup of selected assets, the method comprising:
receiving a request to perform the incremental backup of the selected assets, wherein the selected assets are stored in a file-system associated with a production host;
retrieving, in response to the request, backup metadata from a previous backup of the selected assets;
determining, based on the backup metadata, asset types of the selected assets;
generating a list of asset types for the selected assets based on the determined asset types;
determining, for each determined asset type in the list of asset types, if the determined asset type is a preset type, wherein a predetermined percentage is associated with the preset type;
placing, based on the determined asset type, each asset in at least one slice to generate a slice list, wherein all slices are, within a predetermined tolerance, a standard size, wherein if the asset is the preset type, the size of the at least one slice is changed by the predetermined percentage associated with the preset type, wherein the predetermined percentage is greater than the predetermined tolerance; and
performing the incremental backup of the selected assets using the slice list, wherein performing the incremental backup comprises:
generating a backup copy of the selected assets;
causing to store the backup copy in a backup storage device; and
causing to store the separate file in the backup storage device.

### Claim 11

(canceled)

### Claim 12

(canceled)

### Claim 13

(canceled)

### Claim 14 (depends on 10)

The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein the preset type is one of a database or a virtual hard disk

### Claim 15 (depends on 10)

The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein the previous backup of the production host is an initial full backup of the file-system associated with the production host.

### Claim 16 (depends on 10)

The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein the previous backup of the production host is a previous incremental backup of the selected assets.

### Claim 17

A system comprising:
at least one production host;
at least one processor; and
a memory comprising instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor, performing an incremental backup of the at least one production host, the method comprising:
receiving a request to perform the incremental backup of the at least one production host, retrieving, in response to the request, backup metadata from a previous backup of the at least one production host;
determining, based on the backup metadata, asset types of assets stored in a file-system associated with the at least one production host;
generating a list of asset types for the assets stored in the file-system based on the determined asset types;
determining, for each determined asset type in the list of asset types, if the determined asset type is a preset type, wherein a predetermined percentage is associated with the preset type;
placing, based on the determined asset type, each asset in at least one slice to generate a slice list, wherein all slices are, within a predetermined tolerance, a standard size, wherein if the asset is the preset type, the size of the at least one slice is changed by the predetermined percentage associated with the preset type, wherein the predetermined percentage is greater than the predetermined tolerance; and
performing the incremental backup of the at least one production host using the slice list, wherein performing the incremental backup comprises:
generating a backup copy of the selected assets;
causing to store the backup copy in a backup storage device; and
causing to store the separate file in the backup storage device.

### Claim 18

(canceled)

### Claim 19

(canceled)

### Claim 20

(canceled)