Method and system for automated, no downtime, real-time, continuous data protection
First Claim
1. Apparatus comprising a processor and program code to implement a finite state machine with a plurality of states and to effect transitions between the states, the finite state machine providing a data protection service to a data source associated with a host and comprising:
- a first state for acting upon an upload event;
a second state for acting upon a backup event, the finite state machine transitioning from the first state to the second state upon the occurrence of a given incident;
a third state for acting upon a resynchronization event, the finite state machine transitioning from the second state to the third state upon the occurrence of a given incident;
a fourth state for acting upon a recovery initiation event, the finite state machine transitioning to the fourth state from either the second state or the third state upon the occurrence of a given incident; and
a fifth state for acting upon a recovery event, the finite state machine transitioning from the fourth state to the fifth state upon the occurrence of a given incident;
wherein, upon completion of the recovery event, the finite state machine transitions from the fifth state back to the second state upon the occurrence of a given incident.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A data management system or “DMS” provides an automated, continuous, real-time, substantially no downtime data protection service to one or more data sources associated with a set of application host servers. To facilitate the data protection service, a host driver embedded in an application server captures real-time data transactions, preferably in the form of an event journal that is provided to other DMS components. The driver functions to translate traditional file/database/block I/O and the like into a continuous, application-aware, output data stream. The host driver includes an event processor that provides the data protection service, preferably by implementing a finite state machine (FSM). In particular, the data protection is provided to a given data source in the host server by taking advantage of the continuous, real-time data that the host driver is capturing and providing to other DMS components. The state of the most current data in DMS matches the state of the data in the host server; as a consequence, the data protection is provided under the control of the finite state machine as a set of interconnected phases or “states.” The otherwise separate processes (initial data upload, continuous backup, blackout and data resynchronization, and recovery) are simply phases of the overall data protection cycle. As implemented by the finite state machine, this data protection cycle preferably loops around indefinitely until, for example, a user terminates the service. A given data protection phase (a given state) changes only as the state of the data and the environment change (a given incident).
154 Citations
28 Claims
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1. Apparatus comprising a processor and program code to implement a finite state machine with a plurality of states and to effect transitions between the states, the finite state machine providing a data protection service to a data source associated with a host and comprising:
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a first state for acting upon an upload event;
a second state for acting upon a backup event, the finite state machine transitioning from the first state to the second state upon the occurrence of a given incident;
a third state for acting upon a resynchronization event, the finite state machine transitioning from the second state to the third state upon the occurrence of a given incident;
a fourth state for acting upon a recovery initiation event, the finite state machine transitioning to the fourth state from either the second state or the third state upon the occurrence of a given incident; and
a fifth state for acting upon a recovery event, the finite state machine transitioning from the fourth state to the fifth state upon the occurrence of a given incident;
wherein, upon completion of the recovery event, the finite state machine transitions from the fifth state back to the second state upon the occurrence of a given incident. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A method of protecting a data source associated with a host, comprising:
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generating an application aware, real-time event data stream; and
protecting the data source without interrupting the application aware, real-time event data stream, wherein data protection is provided by continuously transitioning among a set of states. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21)
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22. A method of protecting a data source associated with a host, comprising:
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generating from the data source an application aware, real-time event data stream; and
providing the data source initial data upload, continuous backup, data resynchronization and data recovery as phases of an integrated data protection cycle without interrupting the application aware, real-time event data stream.
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23. A system for providing a data protection service to a data source associated with a host, comprising:
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program code executable in a processor that generates an application aware, real-time event data stream associated with the data source; and
program code executable in a processor to implement a finite state machine, the finite state machine protecting the data source without interrupting the application aware, real-time event data stream by continuously transitioning among a set of states. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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Specification