Single index to query multiple backup formats
First Claim
1. A non-transitory computer program product comprising a computer-readable storage medium having contents stored thereon that when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to implement a method of facilitating browsing of data items stored in a backup or archive storage system, the method comprising:
- receiving, at a computer via a network, a search query from a user for a data item stored in the storage system,wherein the storage system is remotely located from the computer, andwherein the data item is stored in a first data format associated with archiving the data item in the storage system;
querying an index table for an entry corresponding to the data item, wherein the index table includes information regarding data stored in the first data formats within the storage system, the information including;
first access information for the data item to allow access to the data item, wherein the first access information comprises an archive file identification from a set of pre-determined archive file identification values indicating that a corresponding archive file is storing data in a snapshot format; and
second access information to allow access to the data item, thereby allowing direct access to the data item based on information from the index table;
determining, based on the entry, that the data item has a second data format associated with a type of secondary copy of the data item;
performing, by the computer, a restoration operation to restore the data item from the first data format to a third data format that permits presentation of at least a portion of the data item to the user,wherein the restoration operation includes;
a first data staging operation in which the data item in the first data format is staged into the second data format and stored at the computer;
and a second data staging operation in which the data item in the second data format is staged to the third data format for presentation to the user,wherein the first data format, the second data format, and the third data format are different.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The disclosed techniques include generation of a single index table when backing up data in a first backup format to a backup storage system that uses a second backup format. Using the single index table, a query for a data item can be answered by searching the single index table. The single index table avoids having to search through multiple index tables, each corresponding to a different backup format that may be used for backing up the searched data item.
419 Citations
19 Claims
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1. A non-transitory computer program product comprising a computer-readable storage medium having contents stored thereon that when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to implement a method of facilitating browsing of data items stored in a backup or archive storage system, the method comprising:
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receiving, at a computer via a network, a search query from a user for a data item stored in the storage system, wherein the storage system is remotely located from the computer, and wherein the data item is stored in a first data format associated with archiving the data item in the storage system; querying an index table for an entry corresponding to the data item, wherein the index table includes information regarding data stored in the first data formats within the storage system, the information including; first access information for the data item to allow access to the data item, wherein the first access information comprises an archive file identification from a set of pre-determined archive file identification values indicating that a corresponding archive file is storing data in a snapshot format; and second access information to allow access to the data item, thereby allowing direct access to the data item based on information from the index table; determining, based on the entry, that the data item has a second data format associated with a type of secondary copy of the data item; performing, by the computer, a restoration operation to restore the data item from the first data format to a third data format that permits presentation of at least a portion of the data item to the user, wherein the restoration operation includes; a first data staging operation in which the data item in the first data format is staged into the second data format and stored at the computer; and a second data staging operation in which the data item in the second data format is staged to the third data format for presentation to the user, wherein the first data format, the second data format, and the third data format are different. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A computer-implemented method of enabling browsing of data items stored in an archive storage system, the method comprising:
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receiving, at a computer via a network, a search query from a user for a data item stored in the storage system in a format for storage media that stores the data item and a format associated with a backup operation performed on the data item, wherein the storage system is remotely located from the computer; querying, by the computer, an index table for an entry corresponding to the data item, wherein the index table includes information including; first access information for the data item to allow access to the data item, wherein the first access information comprises an archive file identification from a set of pre-determined archive file identification values indicating that a corresponding archive file is storing data in a snapshot format; and second access information to allow access to the data item, thereby allowing direct access to the data item based on information from the index table; determining, by the computer, based on the entry, that the selected data item is stored in an archive file format associated with the backup operation performed on the data item; and performing, by the computer, a restoration operation to restore the data item from the format for the storage media that stores the data item to a presentation format, which presents at least some of the selected data to the user, wherein the restoration operation includes; a first data staging operation where the data item is temporarily staged into the archive file format; and a second staging operation where the data item in the archive file format is staged to the presentation format, wherein the format for the storage media, the archive file format, and the presentation format are different. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. An apparatus for browsing data items stored in an archive storage system in multiple formats, the apparatus comprising:
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means for receiving, at a computer, via a network, a search query from a user for a data item stored in the storage system in a format for storage media that stores the data item, wherein the storage system is remotely located from the computer; means for querying an index table for an entry corresponding to the data item, wherein the index table includes information comprising; first access information for the data item to allow access to the data item, wherein the first access information comprises an archive file identification from a set of pre-determined archive file identification values indicating that a corresponding archive file is storing data in an archive format; and second access information to allow access to the data item, thereby allowing direct access to the data item based on information from the index table; means for determining, based on the entry, that the data item is stored in an archive file format associated with a data storage operation performed on the data item; means for performing, by the computer, a restoration operation to restore the data item from the format for the storage media that stores the data item to a presentation format, which presents at least some of the selected data to the user, wherein the format for the storage media and the presentation format are different. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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Specification