Data protection using change-based measurements in block-based backup

• US 10,496,323 B2
• Filed: 08/02/2017
• Issued: 12/03/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Emc IP Holding Company LLC (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Emc IP Holding Company LLC (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Chopra, Shelesh, Mandic, Vladimir
• Primary Examiner(s): Portka, Gary J
• Application Number:
  US15/667,256
• Publication Number:
  US 20170329529A1
• Time in Patent Office: 853 Days
• Field of Search: 711161, 711162
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1451 by selection of backup contents
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3034 where the computing system component is a storage system, e.g. DASD based or network based digital input from or digital output to record carriers G06F3/06; digital recording or reproducing G11B20/18; for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS], H04L67/1097
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/81 Threshold
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/84 Using snapshots, i.e. a logical point-in-time copy of the data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0619 in relation to data integrity, e.g. data losses, bit errors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/064 Management of blocks
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/065 Replication mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0683 Plurality of storage devices

Abstract

Data protection using change-based measurements in block-based backup is disclosed. Block change information indicating an extent of change associated with a volume may be determined. The block change information may be based at least in part on stored information indicating monitored changes to blocks in the volume. A backup operation may be initiated based at least in part on the determined block change information.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

obtaining block change information, wherein at least part of the block change information indicates an extent of change associated with a volume, the block change information being based at least in part on stored information indicating block-level changes to a first set of one or more blocks in the volume or one or more access events with respect to a second set of one or more blocks in the volume;

determining a type of backup operation of a backup operation based at least in part on the block change information, the determining the type of backup operation comprising;

determining an extent of block-level changes to the first set of the one or more blocks;

determining an extent of access events with respect to the second set of the one or more blocks; and

determining the type of back up operation based at least in part on whether a combination of the extent of block-level changes to the first set of the one or more blocks and the extent of access events with respect to the second set of the one or more blocks exceeds a predefined threshold; and

initiating the backup operation based at least in part on the determined type of backup operation and the block change information.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

monitoring the block change information, wherein the monitoring of the block change information comprises tracking block-level changes to the first set of one or more blocks in a volume, and storing the block change information, wherein the block change comprises information associated with the block-level changes and one or more access events with respect to a second set of one or more blocks in the volume.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein initiating a backup operation includes:

determining that the block change information exceeds a threshold value;

determining an occurrence of a backup-trigger event based at least in part on the determination that the block change information exceeds the threshold; and

initiating the backup operation based at least in part on the determined occurrence.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising receiving backup settings including the threshold value.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein initiating a backup operation includes:

determining that the block change information satisfies a backup-trigger rule;

determining an occurrence of a backup-trigger event based at least in part on the determination that the rule has been satisfied; and

initiating the backup operation based at least in part on the determined occurrence.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the backup-trigger rule includes a combination of threshold values.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the backup-trigger rule includes two or more trigger conditions combined using logical operators.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the extent of change includes a percentage change to blocks in the volume.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the extent of change includes a number of blocks in the volume changed over a period of time.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining the block change information comprises:

querying a data structure comprising the information indicating the monitored changes to the first set of one or more blocks in the volume; and

determining the block change information based at least in part on information received at least in part in response to the querying the data structure.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein querying the data structure comprises:

querying the data structure at predetermined intervals.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein initiating the backup operation includes initiating an incremental backup of the first set of one or more blocks in the volume.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein initiating the backup operation includes:

retrieving information identifying at least one of the first set of one or more blocks changed since a previous backup from a data structure comprising the information indicating monitored changes to blocks in the volume; and

initiating a backup operation to backup the identified at least one of the first set of one or more blocks.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising resetting the data structure based at least in part on a completion of the backup operation.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the initiating the backup operation based at least in part on the determined block change information comprises:

determining that the extent of change exceeds one of a plurality of threshold values based at least in part on the block change information;

in response to a determination that the extent of change is determined to exceed a first threshold value,

determining that a first backup trigger event occurred; and

initiating a first backup operation based at least in part on the determined occurrence of the first backup trigger event, wherein the first backup operation is associated with the first backup trigger event and the first threshold value; and

in response to a determination that the extent of change is determined to exceed a second threshold value,

determining that a second backup trigger event occurred; and

initiating a second backup operation based at least in part on the determined occurrence of the second backup trigger event, wherein the second backup operation is associated with the second backup trigger event and the second threshold value.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the backup operation includes using a mapping of blocks in the volume with blocks in a backup volume in connection with backing up corresponding data.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the block change information comprises time information associated with a time at which a corresponding one or more blocks were changed.

18. A system, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory coupled with the processor, wherein the memory is configured to provide the processor with instructions which when executed cause the processor to;

obtain block change information, wherein at least part of the block change information indicates an extent of change associated with a volume, the block change information being based at least in part on stored information indicating block-level changes to a first set of one or more blocks in the volume or one or more access events with respect to a second set of one or more blocks in the volume;

determine a type of backup operation of a backup operation based at least in part on the block change information, to determine the type of backup operation comprising;

determining an extent of block-level changes to the first set of the one or more blocks;

determining an extent of access events with respect to the second set of the one or more blocks; and

determining the type of back up operation based at least in part on whether a combination of the extent of block-level changes to the first set of the one or more blocks and the extent of access events with respect to the second set of the one or more blocks exceeds a predefined threshold; and

initiate the backup operation based at least in part on the determined type of backup operation and the block change information.

19. A computer program product, the computer program product being embodied in a tangible non-transitory computer readable storage medium and comprising computer instructions for:

obtaining block change information, wherein at least part of the block change information indicates an extent of change associated with a volume, the block change information being based at least in part on stored information indicating block-level changes to a first set of one or more blocks in the volume or one or more access events with respect to a second set of one or more blocks in the volume;

determining a type of backup operation of a backup operation based at least in part on the block change information, the determining the type of backup operation comprising;

determining an extent of block-level changes to the first set of the one or more blocks;

determining an extent of access events with respect to the second set of the one or more blocks; and

determining the type of back up operation based at least in part on whether the combination of the extent of block-level changes to the first set of the one or more blocks and the extent of access events with respect to the second set of the one or more blocks exceeds a predefined threshold; and

initiating the backup operation based at least in part on the determined type of backup operation and the block change information.