Efficient backup and restore of storage objects in a version set

A computer-implemented method of operating at least one data processor in a data processing system, said method comprising:

• (a) said at least one data processor receiving a version set backup request for backup of multiple snapshot copies of a storage object, the multiple snapshot copies having been created at respective spaced points in time, and said at least one data processor responding to the version set backup request by backing up the multiple snapshot copies of the storage object concurrently from a storage array to backup storage media;
• and then
• (b) said at least one data processor receiving a version set restore request for restoration of a plurality of snapshot copies of the storage object, and said at least one data processor responding to the version set restore request by restoring the plurality of snapshot copies of the storage object concurrently from the backup storage media to the storage array;
• wherein the backup storage media is a data storage tape, and the method further includes backing up the multiple snapshot copies of the version set concurrently from the storage array to the tape by sequentially writing data of the multiple snapshot copies of the storage object to the tape to create a backup image on the tape, wherein the method includes writing a backup header to a beginning of the backup image on the tape, and the backup header includes a version set table of contents listing all of the multiple snapshot copies of the storage object, and indicates whether or not each of the multiple snapshot copies of the storage object is differential or full, and for at least one of the multiple snapshot copies of the storage object that is not full, the version set table of contents also indicates a reference version for said at least one of the multiple snapshot copies of the storage object that is not full.

A computer-implemented method of operating at least one data processor in a data processing system, said method comprising:

• (a) said at least one data processor receiving a version set backup request for backup of multiple snapshot copies of a storage object, the multiple snapshot copies having been created at respective spaced points in time, and said at least one data processor responding to the version set backup request by backing up the multiple snapshot copies of the storage object concurrently from a storage array to backup storage media;
• and then
• (b) said at least one data processor receiving a version set restore request for restoration of a plurality of snapshot copies of the storage object, and said at least one data processor responding to the version set restore request by restoring the plurality of snapshot copies of the storage object concurrently from the backup storage media to the storage array;
• wherein said at least one data processor receives the version set backup request from a data management application, and the method further includes said at least one data processor returning to the data management application a respective file history entry for each of the multiple snapshot copies that has been backed up to the backup storage media.

A data processing system comprising:

• client computers;
• a storage array for storing data at logical block addresses of storage in the storage array;
• a file server coupled to the client computers in a data network and coupled to the storage array for providing the client computers with access to storage objects stored in the storage of the storage array;
• and
• a tape library unit coupled to the file server for backup of data written to tape in the tape library unit, and for restoration of data read from the tape in the tape library unit;
• wherein the file server includes at least one data processor programmed with a snapshot copy facility for producing snapshot copies of the storage objects stored in the storage of the storage array;
• wherein said at least one data processor is further programmed with a version set backup facility, and the version set backup facility is programmed for receiving a version set backup request from one of the client computers for backup of multiple snapshot copies of a specified storage object, and for responding to the version set backup request by backing up the multiple snapshot copies of the specified storage object concurrently from the storage of the storage array to the tape in the tape library unit, and the version set backup facility is further programmed for receiving a version set restore request from said one of said client computers for restoration of a plurality of snapshot copies of the specified storage object, and for responding to the version set restore request by restoring the plurality of snapshot copies of the specified storage object concurrently from the tape in the tape library unit to the storage in the storage array;
• and
• wherein the version set backup facility is programmed for backing up the multiple snapshot copies of the specified storage object concurrently from the storage array to the tape in the tape library unit by sequentially writing variable-length extents of data of the multiple snapshot copies of the specified storage object to the tape in the tape library unit to create a backup image on the tape in the tape library unit, and the variable-length extents of data for each of the snapshot copies of the storage object are grouped together and ordered in the backup image by increasing or decreasing logical block address.

A data processing system comprising:

• client computers;
• a storage array for storing data at logical block addresses of storage in the storage array;
• a file server coupled to the client computers in a data network and coupled to the storage array for providing the client computers with access to storage objects stored in the storage of the storage array;
• and
• a tape library unit coupled to the file server for backup of data written to tape in the tape library unit, and for restoration of data read from the tape in the tape library unit;
• wherein the file server includes at least one data processor programmed with a snapshot copy facility for producing snapshot copies of the storage objects stored in the storage of the storage array;
• wherein said at least one data processor is further programmed with a version set backup facility, and the version set backup facility is programmed for receiving a version set backup request from one of the client computers for backup of multiple snapshot copies of a specified storage object, and for responding to the version set backup request by backing up the multiple snapshot copies of the specified storage object concurrently from the storage of the storage array to the tape in the tape library unit, and the version set backup facility is further programmed for receiving a version set restore request from said one of said client computers for restoration of a plurality of snapshot copies of the specified storage object, and for responding to the version set restore request by restoring the plurality of snapshot copies of the specified storage object concurrently from the tape in the tape library unit to the storage in the storage array;
• and
• wherein the specified storage object is a file, and the version set backup facility is further programmed for writing a respective extent map for each of the multiple snapshot copies of the file to the tape in the tape library unit so that the backup image includes the respective extent map for each of the multiple snapshot copies of the file, wherein the extent map for each of the multiple snapshot copies of the file provides a mapping of respective file offsets to corresponding logical block addresses of variable-length extents of data in each of the multiple snapshot copies of the file.

A data processing system comprising:

• client computers;
• a storage array for storing data at logical block addresses of storage in the storage array;
• a file server coupled to the client computers in a data network and coupled to the storage array for providing the client computers with access to storage objects stored in the storage of the storage array;
• and
• a tape library unit coupled to the file server for backup of data written to tape in the tape library unit, and for restoration of data read from the tape in the tape library unit;
• wherein the file server includes at least one data processor programmed with a snapshot copy facility for producing snapshot copies of the storage objects stored in the storage of the storage array;
• wherein said at least one data processor is further programmed with a version set backup facility, and the version set backup facility is programmed for receiving a version set backup request from one of the client computers for backup of multiple snapshot copies of a specified storage object, and for responding to the version set backup request by backing up the multiple snapshot copies of the specified storage object concurrently from the storage of the storage array to the tape in the tape library unit, and the version set backup facility is further programmed for receiving a version set restore request from said one of said client computers for restoration of a plurality of snapshot copies of the specified storage object, and for responding to the version set restore request by restoring the plurality of snapshot copies of the specified storage object concurrently from the tape in the tape library unit to the storage in the storage array;
• and
• wherein the version set backup facility is further programmed for writing a backup header to a beginning of the backup image on the tape, and the backup header includes a version set table of contents listing all of the multiple snapshot copies of the storage object, and indicates whether or not each of the multiple snapshot copies of the storage object is differential or full, and for at least one of the multiple snapshot copies of the storage object that is not full, also indicates a reference version for said at least one of the multiple snapshot copies of the storage object that is not full.

A data processing system comprising:

• client computers;
• a storage array for storing data at logical block addresses of storage in the storage array;
• a file server coupled to the client computers in a data network and coupled to the storage array for providing the client computers with access to storage objects stored in the storage of the storage array;
• and
• a tape library unit coupled to the file server for backup of data written to tape in the tape library unit, and for restoration of data read from the tape in the tape library unit;
• wherein the file server includes at least one data processor programmed with a snapshot copy facility for producing snapshot copies of the storage objects stored in the storage of the storage array;
• wherein said at least one data processor is further programmed with a version set backup facility, and the version set backup facility is programmed for receiving a version set backup request from one of the client computers for backup of multiple snapshot copies of a specified storage object, and for responding to the version set backup request by backing up the multiple snapshot copies of the specified storage object concurrently from the storage of the storage array to the tape in the tape library unit, and the version set backup facility is further programmed for receiving a version set restore request from said one of said client computers for restoration of a plurality of snapshot copies of the specified storage object, and for responding to the version set restore request by restoring the plurality of snapshot copies of the specified storage object concurrently from the tape in the tape library unit to the storage in the storage array;
• and
• wherein the version set backup facility is further programmed for grouping the data of each of the multiple snapshot copies of the specified storage object together in the backup image on the tape in a specified version order, and the version set backup facility is further programmed for responding to a specification of a chronological version order by version creation time for the backup request by grouping data of the multiple versions in the backup image on the tape in a chronological order by creation time of the multiple versions in the backup image, responding to a specification of a reverse chronological order by creation time for the backup request by grouping data of the multiple versions in the backup image on the tape in reverse chronological order by creation time of the multiple versions in the backup image, and responding to a specification of a chronological order by last access time for the version set backup request by grouping data of multiple versions in the backup image on the tape in chronological order by last access time of the multiple versions in the backup image.

A data processing system comprising:

• client computers;
• a storage array for storing data at logical block addresses of storage in the storage array;
• a file server coupled to the client computers in a data network and coupled to the storage array for providing the client computers with access to storage objects stored in the storage of the storage array;
• and
• a tape library unit coupled to the file server for backup of data written to tape in the tape library unit, and for restoration of data read from the tape in the tape library unit;
• wherein the file server includes at least one data processor programmed with a snapshot copy facility for producing snapshot copies of the storage objects stored in the storage of the storage array;
• wherein said at least one data processor is further programmed with a version set backup facility, and the version set backup facility is programmed for receiving a version set backup request from one of the client computers for backup of multiple snapshot copies of a specified storage object, and for responding to the version set backup request by backing up the multiple snapshot copies of the specified storage object concurrently from the storage of the storage array to the tape in the tape library unit, and the version set backup facility is further programmed for receiving a version set restore request from said one of said client computers for restoration of a plurality of snapshot copies of the specified storage object, and for responding to the version set restore request by restoring the plurality of snapshot copies of the specified storage object concurrently from the tape in the tape library unit to the storage in the storage array;
• and
• wherein the version set backup facility is further programmed for returning to said one of the client computers a respective file history entry for each of the multiple snapshot copies that is backed up to the tape in the tape library unit.