Interfacing with a virtual database system

A method of creating a virtual database system, the method comprising:

• configuring for presentation, one or more user interfaces configured to receive information comprising:
• information identifying a source database,
• information identifying a point in time of the source database,
• information identifying a destination database server, and
• information describing a policy specifying a schedule for receiving point-in-time copies of the source database;
• receiving a plurality of point-in-time copies comprising database blocks of the source database, the point-in-time copies received in accordance with the policy specifying the schedule for receiving point in time copies;
• storing the received plurality of point-in-time copies on a storage system;
• receiving, from the one or more user interfaces, information identifying the source database for providing data for storage in a virtual database being created;
• wherein the one or more user interfaces are configured to present a list of potential source databases to a user, and wherein receiving information identifying the source database comprises receiving a selection of the source database from the list of potential source databases presented via the one or more user interfaces;
• receiving, from the one or more user interfaces, information identifying the destination database server for accessing the virtual database being created;
• wherein the one or more user interfaces are configured to present a list of potential destination database servers to a user, and wherein receiving information identifying the destination database server comprises receiving a selection of the destination database server from the list of potential destination database servers presented via the one or more user interfaces;
• and
• creating the virtual database on the storage system the creating of the virtual database comprising:
• receiving, from the one or more user interfaces, information identifying a point in time for association with the virtual database being created;
• identifying a point-in-time copy from the plurality of point-in-time copies comprising information stored in the source database prior to the identified point-in time;
• creating a set of files for the virtual database, the set of files identifying a set of database blocks associated with the identified point-in-time copy, wherein one or more database blocks from the set of database blocks are shared with another virtual database.

A computer program product having a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing computer-executable code for creating a virtual database, the code comprising instructions for:

• configuring for presentation, one or more user interfaces for receiving a request for creating a virtual database, the one or more user interfaces configured to receive:
• information identifying a source database for providing data for the virtual database being created,
• information identifying a point in time associated with the source database, and
• information identifying a destination database server for accessing the virtual database being created;
• receiving, from the one or more user interfaces, information identifying a source database for providing data for storage in a virtual database being created;
• wherein the one or more user interfaces are configured to present a list of potential source databases to a user, and wherein receiving information identifying the source database comprises receiving a selection of the source database from the list of potential source databases presented via the one or more user interfaces;
• receiving, from the one or more user interfaces, information identifying a point in time, such that the source database comprises information stored prior to the point in time;
• receiving, from the one or more user interfaces, information identifying a destination database server for accessing the virtual database being created;
• wherein the one or more user interfaces are configured to present a list of potential destination database servers to a user, and wherein receiving information identifying the destination database server comprises receiving a selection of the destination database server from the list of potential destination database servers presented via the one or more user interfaces;
• and
• storing on a storage system, a plurality of point-in-time copies of the source database, the point-in-time copies comprising database blocks such that at least some of the database blocks are associated with multiple point-in-time copies of the source database;
• creating the virtual database on the storage system, the creating of the virtual database comprising creating a set of files for the virtual database, the set of files linked with a set of database blocks comprising information stored in the source database prior to the point in time, wherein one or more of the database blocks of the set of database blocks are shared with at least another virtual database.