Method and system for browsing objects on a protected volume in a continuous data protection system

• US 20050182953A1
• Filed: 02/04/2005
• Published: 08/18/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NetApp, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Alacritus, Inc.
• Inventors: Chang, Yafen Peggy, Johnston, Craig Anthony, Trimmer, Donald Alvin, Stager, Roger Keith, Saxena, Pawan, Blaser, Rico
• Granted Patent: US 7,720,817 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/189
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1435 using file system or storage system metadata
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1446 Point-in-time backing up or restoration of persistent data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2071 using a plurality of controllers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/84 Using snapshots, i.e. a logical point-in-time copy of the data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/855 Details of asynchronous mirroring using a journal to transfer not-yet-mirrored changes
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99955 Archiving or backup

Abstract

A method for browsing objects on a protected volume in a continuous data protection system begins by displaying a list of top-level objects to a user who selects a top-level object to browse. A snapshot is selected from the selected top-level object and is decoded. A list of objects in the selected snapshot is displayed and the user selects an object to browse. The selected object is decoded and operations are performed on the selected object. The user can browse the protected volume by snapshots in the top-level object or by a range of time of coverage of the top-level object.

Claims

1. A method for browsing objects on a protected volume in a continuous data protection system, comprising the steps of:

(a) displaying a list of top-level objects to a user;

(b) selecting a top-level object by the user to browse;

(c) selecting a snapshot from the selected top-level object;

(d) decoding the selected snapshot;

(e) displaying a list of objects in the selected snapshot;

(f) selecting an object by the user to browse;

(g) decoding the selected object; and

(h) performing operations on the selected object.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the user browses by snapshot and step (c) includes the steps of:

displaying a list of snapshots in the selected object; and

selecting a snapshot by the user.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the user browses by time and step (c) includes the steps of:

displaying a range of times of coverage of the protected volume; and

selecting a point in time by the user, whereby a snapshot corresponding to the selected point in time is used.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the user can dynamically change the selected point in time and steps (e) through (g) are dynamically performed to update the displayed objects to correspond to the newly selected point in time.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein step (g) includes the steps of:

determining if the selected object is a parent object; and

displaying a next level of objects if the selected object is a parent object.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein step (h) includes reading the contents of the selected object.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein step (h) includes recovering the selected object.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein step (h) includes using the selected object to interact with another application.

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

examining the selected snapshot; and

determining if the selected snapshot is self-consistent, the examining and determining steps being performed prior to step (d).

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein if the selected snapshot is not self-consistent, then determining if the selected snapshot contains an application journal.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein if the selected snapshot contains an application journal, then using the application journal to adjust the selected snapshot in time until it is self-consistent.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein if the selected snapshot does not contain an application journal, then presenting a warning to the user that the snapshot is not self-consistent and that the snapshot does not contain an application journal.

13. A system for browsing objects on a protected volume in a continuous data protection system, comprising:

display means for displaying a list of objects to a user to browse;

selecting means for selecting an object by the user;

decoding means for decoding the object selected by the user; and

performing means for performing an action on the selected object.

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein

said display means displays a list of top-level objects to the user;

said selecting means is used by the user to select a top-level object;

said decoding means decodes the selected top-level object;

said display means displays a list of snapshots in the selected top-level object;

said selecting means is used by the user to select a snapshot;

said decoding means decodes the selected snapshot;

said display means displays a list of objects in the selected snapshot;

said selecting means is used by the user to select an object;

said decoding means decodes the selected object; and

said performing means performing an action on the selected object.

15. The system according to claim 13, wherein

said display means displays a list of top-level objects to the user;

said selecting means is used by the user to select a top-level object;

said decoding means decodes the selected top-level object;

said display means displays a range of times of coverage on the protected volume;

said selecting means is used by the user to select a point in time of the coverage on the protected volume;

said decoding means decodes a snapshot corresponding to the selected point in time;

said display means displays a list of objects in the decoded snapshot;

said selecting means is used by the user to select an object;

said decoding means decodes the selected object; and

said performing means performing an action on the selected object.

16. The system according to claim 15, wherein

said selecting means is used by the user to dynamically change the selected point in time;

said decoding means decodes a second snapshot corresponding to the newly selected point in time; and

said display means displays a list of objects in the decoded second snapshot, whereby the displayed list of objects dynamically changes according to the newly selected time.

17. The system according to claim 13, wherein said performing means reads the contents of the selected object.

18. The system according to claim 13, wherein said performing means recovers the selected object.

19. The system according to claim 13, wherein said performing means uses the selected object to interact with another application.

20. A method for browsing objects by snapshot on a protected volume in a continuous data protection system, comprising the steps of:

displaying a list of snapshots of at least a portion of the protected volume to a user;

selecting a snapshot by the user;

decoding the selected snapshot;

displaying a list of objects in the selected snapshot;

selecting an object by the user to browse;

decoding the selected object; and

performing operations on the selected object.

21. A method for browsing objects by time on a protected volume in a continuous data protection system, comprising the steps of:

displaying a range of times of coverage of the protected volume;

selecting a point in time by the user;

decoding a snapshot corresponding to the selected point in time;

displaying a list of objects in the decoded snapshot;

selecting an object by the user to browse;

decoding the selected object; and

performing operations on the selected object.