Block-level live browsing and private writable snapshots using an ISCSI server
First Claim
1. A system for providing private writable snapshots to user computing devices, the system comprising:
- a first computing device comprising an Internet Small Computer Systems Interface (ISCSI) service;
a second computing device in communication with the first computing device via ISCSI protocol; and
wherein the first computing device using the ISCSI service is configured to;
receive from the second computing device a first unique identifier and a first request for a first private writable snapshot of a first volume,if a first snapshot of the first volume was not previously created, generate a first snapshot of the first volume,from the first snapshot, generate a sparse file designated a master sparse file which corresponds to the first snapshot,from the master sparse file, generate a private sparse file having the first unique identifier,present the private sparse file as a logical unit number (LUN) to the second computing device; and
wherein the second computing device is configured to, by mounting the LUN, access the private sparse file for browsing data blocks obtained from the first volume and further for implementing changes to the data blocks obtained from the first volume without changing the first snapshot.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An illustrative ISCSI server computing device provides user computing devices with “private writable snapshots” of a desired volume of data and/or further provides “private writable backup copies.” The ISCSI service is provided without invoking snapshot limits imposed by storage arrays and further without specialized backup software and pseudo-disk drivers installed on the user computing devices. A user can browse as well as edit personal versions of any number and/or versions of block-level backup copies—the “private writable backup copies.” Likewise, a user can browse and edit personal versions of any number of snapshots of one or more versions of one or more desired data volumes—the “private writable snapshots.” A user can have any number of co-existing private writable snapshots and private writable backup copies. Sparse files, extent-files, software snapshots, and/or media agents co-residing on the ISCSI server are used in the illustrative embodiments.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. A system for providing private writable snapshots to user computing devices, the system comprising:
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a first computing device comprising an Internet Small Computer Systems Interface (ISCSI) service; a second computing device in communication with the first computing device via ISCSI protocol; and wherein the first computing device using the ISCSI service is configured to; receive from the second computing device a first unique identifier and a first request for a first private writable snapshot of a first volume, if a first snapshot of the first volume was not previously created, generate a first snapshot of the first volume, from the first snapshot, generate a sparse file designated a master sparse file which corresponds to the first snapshot, from the master sparse file, generate a private sparse file having the first unique identifier, present the private sparse file as a logical unit number (LUN) to the second computing device; and wherein the second computing device is configured to, by mounting the LUN, access the private sparse file for browsing data blocks obtained from the first volume and further for implementing changes to the data blocks obtained from the first volume without changing the first snapshot. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A computer-readable medium, excluding transitory propagating signals, storing instructions that, when executed by at least one computing device comprising one or more processors and computer memory, cause the computing device to perform operations comprising:
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receiving from a second computing device via ISCSI protocol, a first unique identifier and a first request for a first private writable snapshot of a first volume; if a first snapshot of the first volume was not previously created, generating a first snapshot of the first volume; from the first snapshot, generating a sparse file designated a master sparse file which corresponds to the first snapshot; from the master sparse file, generating a private sparse file having the first unique identifier received from the second computing device; presenting by the first computing device the private sparse file as a logical unit number (LUN) to the second computing device, to be mounted thereby as the LUN, thereby granting the first computing access to the private sparse file as the first private writable snapshot. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11)
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12. A method for providing private writable snapshots to user computing devices, the method comprising:
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receiving, by a first computing device that executes an Internet Small Computer Systems Interface (ISCSI) service, from a second computing device in communication with the first computing device via ISCSI protocol, a first unique identifier and a first request for a first private writable snapshot of a first volume; if a first snapshot of the first volume was not previously created, generating by the first computing device a first snapshot of the first volume; from the first snapshot, generating by the first computing device a sparse file designated a master sparse file which corresponds to the first snapshot; from the master sparse file, generating by the first computing device a private sparse file having the first unique identifier received from the second computing device; presenting by the first computing device the private sparse file as a logical unit number (LUN) to the second computing device; and mounting the LUN by the second computing device, thereby acquiring access to the private sparse file for browsing data blocks obtained from the first volume and further for implementing changes to the data blocks obtained from the first volume without changing the first snapshot, and wherein the private sparse file is based on the first snapshot and the master sparse file, and incorporates changes generated by the second computing device that are written to the private sparse file, thereby becoming a private writable snapshot. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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Specification