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US 8,914,327 B2Granted
Methods and systems for searching a backup volume
AssigneeApple Inc.
InventorJohn M. Hornkvist
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Methods and systems for searching a backup volume use, in one embodiment, a move marker file to indicate attributes for a new name space and optionally indicate attributes for a prior name space of a directory on a source volume, the directory having been moved between backup snapshot operations in which data on the source volume is backed up to the backup volume. Other embodiments are also described.
Claims19
A machine readable non-transitory storage medium containing executable instructions which when executed cause a data processing system to perform a method, the method comprising:
- creating a first backup of a source volume, the first backup being stored on a backup volume;
- automatically receiving an input that a directory has been moved or renamed in a hierarchical file system of the source volume of the data processing system, the directory being moved or renamed after creating the first backup;
- storing an identifier that indicates that the directory has been moved or renamed;
- creating, on the backup volume, a move marker data structure in response to the directory having been moved or renamed, the move marker data structure specifying a first time parameter for a new name space associated with a new name or new path of the directory;
- creating a second backup of the source volume, the second backup being a snapshot stored on the backup volume and containing the moved or renamed directory;
- wherein the move marker data structure specifies a second time parameter indicating an ending date and time for an old name space associated with the prior name or path of the directory before being moved or renamed;
- wherein the first time parameter is a beginning date and time for the new name space;
- and
- wherein the backup volume includes a plurality of move marker data structures, each of which includes the same name space identifier for the first and the second time parameters to allow a query to find all move markers without requiring multiple passes through a set of directories.
6 more elements
A data processing system for searching a backup volume, the system comprising:
- a source volume on a source storage device, to store data in a hierarchical file system;
- a backup volume on a backup storage device, attached to the source volume, the backup volume to store backups of the source volume;
- a first backup, stored on the backup volume, to preserve a snapshot of the source volume at a first time point;
- a second backup, stored on the backup volume, to preserve a snapshot of the source volume at a second time point;
- and
- a move marker data structure, stored on the backup volume, the move marker data structure to specify at least one time parameter and a name space identifier for a directory that has been moved or renamed between the first time point and the second time point, wherein the backup volume includes a plurality of the move marker data structures, each specifying the same name space identifier, to allow a query to find the plurality of move markers during a search of the backup volume.
3 more elements
A method of performing a backup operation comprising:
- creating a first backup of a source volume, the first backup being stored on a backup volume;
- receiving an input that a directory has been moved or renamed in a hierarchical file system of the source volume of the data processing system, the directory being moved or renamed after creating the first backup;
- storing, on the source volume, an identifier that indicates that the directory has been moved or renamed;
- creating, on the backup volume, a move marker data structure in response to the directory having been moved or renamed, the move marker data structure specifying a first time parameter representing a beginning date and time for a new name space associated with a new name or new path of the directory, and a second time parameter indicating an ending date and time for an old name space associated with the prior name or path of the directory;
- and
- creating a second backup of the source volume, the second backup being a snapshot stored on the backup volume and containing the moved or renamed directory, wherein the backup volume includes a plurality of move marker data structures, each including the same name space identifier for the first and the second time parameters, to allow a query to find all move markers without requiring multiple passes through a set of directories.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.