Method and system for creating and using removable disk based copies of backup data

• US 20040153739A1
• Filed: 12/09/2002
• Published: 08/05/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NetApp, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Alacritus, Inc.
• Inventors: Chang, Yafen Peggy, Johnston, Craig Anthony, Trimmer, Don Alvin, Stager, Roger Keith, Blaser, Rico
• Granted Patent: US 7,567,993 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 714/7
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1458 Management of the backup or restore process
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1469 Backup restoration techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/815 Virtual middleware or OS functionality using virtual machines to implement generic software techniques for error detection or fault masking G06F11/1484
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99955 Archiving or backup

Abstract

A method and system for copying backup data to a virtual tape library (VTL) where additional copies of data written to the VTL may be created and used for offsite storage is disclosed. Backup data written to the VTL may be copied to the VTL'"'"'s default storage area as well as a predetermined set of disks that may be removed and stored offsite, as desired.

Claims

1. A method for creating and using removable disk based copies of backup data, the method comprising:

a. receiving a signal indicating that a data protection application wants to begin writing data to a tape library;

b. determining whether to copy data written by the data protection application to a predetermined set of disks within a virtual tape library;

c. copying data written by the data protection application to a default storage area where it is determined that data written by the data protection will not be copied to the predetermined set of disks;

d. determining whether data written by the data protection application will be copied to the default storage area where it is determined that the data will be copied to the predetermined set of disks;

e. copying data written by the data protection application to the predetermined set of disks where it is determined that the data will be copied to the predetermined set of disks and it is determined that the data will not be copied to the default storage area; and

f. copying data written by the data protection application simultaneously to the predetermined set of disks and the default storage area where it is determined that the data will be written to the predetermined set of disks and it is determined that the data will copied to the default storage area.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the virtual tape library is a disk based storage medium.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the predetermined set of disks is a plurality of removable disks.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the predetermined set of disks is a plurality of removable data blades.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of copying data as needed from the default storage area to the predetermined set of disks.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of copying data as needed from the predetermined set of disks to the default storage area.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of removing the predetermined set of disks from the virtual tape library.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the predetermined set of disks may be powered down separately from the default storage area.

9. A method for creating and using removable disk based copies of backup data, the method comprising:

a. receiving a signal indicating that a data protection application wants to begin writing data to a tape library;

b. determining whether to copy data written by the data protection application to a predetermined set of disks within a virtual tape library;

c. copying data written by the data protection application to a default storage area where it is determined that data written by the data protection will not be copied to the predetermined set of disks;

d. determining whether data written by the data protection application will be copied to the default storage area where it is determined that the data will be copied to the predetermined set of disks;

e. copying data written by the data protection application to the predetermined set of disks where it is determined that the data will be copied to the predetermined set of disks and it is determined that the data will not be copied to the default storage area;

f. copying data written by the data protection application simultaneously to the predetermined set of disks and the default storage area where it is determined that the data will be written to the predetermined set of disks and it is determined that the data will copied to the default storage area;

g. copying data as needed from the default storage area to the predetermined set of disks;

h. copying data as needed from the predetermined set of disks to the default storage area; and

i. removing the predetermined set of disks from the virtual tape library.

10. A system for creating and using removable disk based copies of backup data comprising:

a. a data protection application connected to a virtual tape library, the data protection application being adapted to copy backup data from a computer network to a tape library; and

b. wherein backup data written by the data protection application may be selectively copied to a predetermined set of disks and a default storage area, the predetermined set of disks and default storage both being disk based storage mediums for storing data as if the backup data were written to a physical tape.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the predetermined set of disks is a plurality of removable disks.

12. The system of claim 10 wherein the predetermined set of disks is a plurality of removable data blades.

13. The system of claim 10 wherein the predetermined set of disks may be powered down separately from the default storage.