Reducing storage costs associated with backing up a database
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorsEric L. Barsness, David L. Darrington, John M. Santosuosso
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Techniques are disclosed for backing up and/or restoring data. In one embodiment, a request is received to back up at least a first unit of data stored in a database. Upon determining that the first unit of data is at least partially derived from a second unit of data stored in the database, a backup may be generated that includes less than all of the first unit of data. Subsequently, the first unit of data may be fully restored from the backup.
Claims20
A computer-implemented method to reduce storage costs associated with backing up a database, based on derivation functions, the method comprising:
- receiving a first request to back up at least a first unit of data stored in the database;
- responsive to the first request and a determination that the first unit of data is, at least in part, derived from a second unit of data stored in the database, generating a backup of the second unit of data and not of the first unit of data, wherein each of the first unit of data and the second unit of data is contained in a respective, distinct column in the database, wherein the second unit of data is not identical to the first unit of data;
- retrieving a first derivation function of the derivation functions, specifying how to derive the first unit of data based on the second unit of data;
- and
- responsive to a second request to restore at least the first unit of data and by operation of one or more computer processors, restoring the first unit of data from the backup of the second unit of data, based on the first derivation function and not based on any backup of the first unit of data.
A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing a program which, when executed, performs an operation to reduce storage costs associated with backing up a database, based on derivation functions, the operation comprising:
- receiving a first request to back up at least a first unit of data stored in the database;
- responsive to the first request and a determination that the first unit of data is, at least in part, derived from a second unit of data stored in the database, generating a backup of the second unit of data and not of the first unit of data, wherein each of the first unit of data and the second unit of data is contained in a respective, distinct column in the database, wherein the second unit of data is not identical to the first unit of data;
- retrieving a first derivation function of the derivation functions, specifying how to derive the first unit of data based on the second unit of data;
- and
- responsive to a second request to restore at least the first unit of data and by operation of one or more computer processors when executing the program, restoring the first unit of data from the backup of the second unit of data, based on the first derivation function and not based on any backup of the first unit of data.
A system to reduce storage costs associated with backing up a database, based on derivation functions, the system comprising:
- one or more computer processors;
- and
- a memory containing a program, which when executed by the one or more computer processors is configured to perform an operation comprising:
- receiving a first request to back up at least a first unit of data stored in the database;
- responsive to the first request and a determination that the first unit of data is, at least in part, derived from a second unit of data stored in the database, generating a backup of the second unit of data and not of the first unit of data, wherein each of the first unit of data and the second unit of data is contained in a respective, distinct column in the database, wherein the second unit of data is not identical to the first unit of data;
- retrieving a first derivation function of the derivation functions, specifying how to derive the first unit of data based on the second unit of data;
- and
- responsive to a second request to restore at least the first unit of data, restoring the first unit of data from the backup of the second unit of data, based on the first derivation function and not based on any backup of the first unit of data.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.