Back to results
US 8,943,281 B1Granted
Method and apparatus for optimizing a backup chain using synthetic backups
AssigneeSymantec Corporation
InventorRussell R. Stringham
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and apparatus for optimizing a backup chain using synthetic backups is described. In one embodiment, a method for creating synthetic incremental backups to optimize a backup chain comprises accessing a backup chain, which further comprises a plurality of incremental backups and determining schedule information defining a number of incremental backups to use to create one or more synthetic incremental backups representing the plurality of incremental backups from the backup chain, wherein the number of backups is defined by a numerical progression.
Claims22
A method, comprising:
- accessing a backup chain comprising a base backup and a plurality of incremental backups;
- controlling a length of the backup chain, wherein controlling the length comprises
- specifying at least one of a maximum number of backups or an average number of backups allowed in the backup chain;
- creating a plurality of first synthetic incremental backups, wherein
- each of the plurality of first synthetic incremental backups is created from a respective N incremental backups in the backup chain,
- N is a pre-specified value that determines how many incremental backups are created between creation of each of the plurality of first synthetic incremental backups, and
- each of the plurality of first synthetic incremental backups is created in response to the creation of the respective N incremental backups in the backup chain;
- adjusting N in response to detecting the creation of M incremental backups;
- creating at least one second synthetic incremental backups from at least two of the plurality of first synthetic incremental backups, wherein
- the at least one second synthetic incremental backup is created in response to the creation of the at least two of the plurality of first synthetic incremental backups;
- and
- creating a synthetic base backup from a previously-created first or second synthetic incremental backup and the base backup, wherein
- the synthetic base backup is created in response to either a length of the backup chain or a size of one or more previously-created first or second synthetic incremental backups.
10 more elements
An apparatus, comprising:
- a storage subsystem storing a backup chain comprising a base backup and a plurality of incremental backups;
- and
- a storage controller configured to:
- control a length of the backup chain, wherein
- controlling the length comprises
- specifying at least one of a maximum number of backups or an average number of backups allowed in the backup chain;
- create a plurality of first synthetic incremental backups, wherein
- each of the plurality of first synthetic incremental backups is created from a respective N incremental backups of the plurality of incremental backups in the backup chain,
- N is a pre-specified value that determines how many incremental backups are created between creation of each of the plurality of first synthetic incremental backups, and
- each of the plurality of first synthetic incremental backups is created in response to the creation of the respective N incremental backups in the backup chain;
- adjust N in response to detecting the creation of M incremental backups;
- create at least one second synthetic incremental backups from at least two of the plurality of first synthetic incremental backups, wherein
- the at least one second synthetic incremental backup is created in response to the creation of the at least two of the plurality of first synthetic incremental backups;
- and
- create a synthetic base backup from a previously-created first or second synthetic incremental backup and the base backup, wherein
- the synthetic base backup is created in response to either a length of the backup chain or a size of one or more previously-created first or second synthetic incremental backups.
13 more elements
A system, comprising:
- a server for managing backups of data within a computing environment, comprising:
- a storage subsystem storing a backup chain comprising a base backup and a plurality of incremental backups, comprising:
- a storage controller configured to:
- control a length of the backup chain, wherein
- controlling the length comprises
- specifying at least one of a maximum number of backups or an average number of backups allowed in the backup chain;
- create a plurality of first synthetic incremental backups, wherein
- each of the plurality of first synthetic incremental backups is created from a respective N incremental backups of the plurality of incremental backups in the backup chain,
- N is a pre-specified value that determines how many incremental backups are created between creation of each of the plurality of first synthetic incremental backups, and
- each of the plurality of first synthetic incremental backups is created in response to the creation of the respective N incremental backups in the backup chain;
- adjust N in response to detecting the creation of M incremental backups;
- create at least one second synthetic incremental backups from at least two of the plurality of first synthetic incremental backups, wherein
- the at least one second synthetic incremental backup is created in response to the creation of the at least two of the plurality of first synthetic incremental backups;
- and
- create a synthetic base backup from a previously-created first or second synthetic incremental backup and the base backup, wherein
- the synthetic base backup is created in response to either a length of the backup chain or a size of one or more previously created first or second synthetic incremental backups.
13 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.