Systems and methods for performing live backups

A system for performing live backups, the system comprising:

• an identification module programmed to identify a request to perform a live backup on a volume of data to a backup file on a backup volume, wherein the backup file does not support out-of-order writing;
• a snapshot module programmed to create a snapshot of the volume;
• an interception module programmed to identify each attempt to write to the volume during the live backup;
• a copy-on-write module programmed to:
• for each write attempt,
• identify a block of data that the write attempt will overwrite;
• copy the block of data to a backup queue before allowing the write attempt;
• for each block of data in the backup queue, write the block of data to the backup volume, wherein out-of-order blocks are written to the backup volume and stored in a temporary file on the backup volume until the backup file is ready for each of the out-of-order blocks;
• at least one processor configured to execute the identification module, the snapshot module, the interception module, and the copy-on-write module.

A non-transitory computer-readable-storage medium comprising one or more computer-executable instructions that, when executed by at least one processor of a computing device, cause the computing device to:

• identify a request to perform a live backup on a volume of data to a backup file on a backup volume, wherein the backup file does not support out-of-order writing;
• create a snapshot of the volume;
• identify each attempt to write to the volume during the live backup;
• for each write attempt:
• identify a block of data that the write attempt will overwrite;
• copy the block of data to a backup queue before allowing the write attempt;
• for each block of data in the backup queue, write the block of data to the backup volume, wherein out-of-order blocks are written to the backup volume and stored in a temporary file on the backup volume until the backup file is ready for each of the out-of-order blocks.