Method and system for providing a file system overlay

• US 20040044706A1
• Filed: 08/30/2002
• Published: 03/04/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NetApp, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Alacritus, Inc. (NetApp, Inc.)
• Inventors: Trimmer, Don Alvin, Blaser, Rico, Cohen, Gavin David
• Granted Patent: US 7,437,387 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/204
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/10 File systems; File servers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99952 Coherency, e.g. same view to multiple users
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99955 Archiving or backup

Abstract

A method and system wherein a plurality of different file system views may be provided for the same data. Data copied in a sequential format to a disk based repository using a data protection application is decoded so that the data may be presented and accessed using a standard file system view. The standard file system may be used to randomly access the data as desired.

Claims

1. A method wherein a plurality of different file system views may be provided for the same data, the method comprising the steps of:

copying data in sequential format to a disk based repository using a data protection application;

decoding the data copied in sequential format to the disk based repository so that the data may be presented and accessed using a standard file system view; and

presenting the data in the standard file system view wherein the data may be randomly accessed.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the data copied to the disk based repository using a data protection application is copied as if the data protection application was copying the data to a physical tape library.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the disk based repository is a virtual tape library for storing backup data in the same manner as a physical tape library.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of decoding the data copied in sequential format further comprises:

reading the data copied to the disk based repository;

identifying which type of data protection application was used to copy the data;

extracting meta-data based on the type of data protection application used to copy the data; and

reading the data to disk in random access format.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the disk that the data is written to is located within the disk based repository.

6. A method wherein a plurality of different file system views may be provided for the same data, the method comprising the steps of:

identifying a format used by a data protection application to copy data to a virtual tape library;

selecting a decoder based on the identified format;

processing the data using the selected decoder to extract meta-data from the virtual tape; and

implementing a file system overlay for the data using the extracted meta-data so that the data may be presented and accessed using the file system overlay.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the disk based repository is a virtual tape library for storing backup data in the same manner as a physical tape library.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein the step of processing the data further comprises:

reading the data copied to the disk based repository;

identifying which type of data protection application was used to write the data;

extracting meta-data based on the type of data protection application used to write the data; and

reading the data to disk in random access format.

9. A system wherein a plurality of different file system views may be provided for the same data, the system comprising:

a disk based repository;

at least one decoder for decoding data copied to the disk based repository; and

wherein the decoded data is presented and accessed on the computer network without using the data protection application.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein data is copied from a computer network to the disk based repository using a data protection application.

11. The system of claim 9 wherein the at least one decoder is selected from a plurality of decoders based on the type of data protection application used to copy the data to the disk based repository.