Method and a computer system for synchronising backups of objects and of meta data about the objects

• US 20060129618A1
• Filed: 11/23/2005
• Published: 06/15/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Maier, Albert
• Application Number:
  US11/286,766
• Publication Number:
  US 20060129618A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1448 Management of the data involved in backup or backup restore

Abstract

Techniques are provided for synchronizing a backup of objects stored in a data management system with a backup of meta data about the objects kept and maintained by a second system. For each file the second system is using for maintaining the meta data, a corresponding data link value pointing to the associated file is inserted in an administration table, the objects are backed up together with the administration table, wherein the backup automatically backs up each file for which the corresponding data link value has been inserted into the administration table, and the data link values are removed from the administration table.

Claims

1. A method for synchronizing a backup of objects stored in a data management system with a backup of meta data about the objects kept and maintained by a second system, further comprising:

for each file the second system is using for maintaining the meta data, inserting a corresponding data link value pointing to the associated file in an administration table;

backing up the objects together with the administration table, wherein the backup automatically backs up each file for which the corresponding data link value has been inserted into the administration table; and

removing the data link values from the administration table.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

restoring the objects and the administration table consisting of the data link values pointing to the files used by the second system, wherein the restoring is preceded by checking whether the second system is running and stopping the second system if the second system is running and is succeeded by deleting data link values and restarting the second system if the second system was running when the checking was performed.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the data management system is chosen as a relational data management system.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the objects and the administration table are backed up by a standard online backup.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the second system is a search engine maintaining indexes for the objects stored in the data management system.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein inserting the corresponding data link value for each file and removing the data link values is performed by the second system in response to calls by an application as separate commands.

7. The method according claim 1, wherein the data management system provides an Application Programming Interface (API) to the second system allowing the second system to integrate the inserting of the corresponding data link value for each file and the removing of the data link values into appropriate data management system backup commands.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the data management system allows the second system to specify information for inserting the corresponding data link value for each file and for removing the data link values.

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

determining each file the second system is using for maintaining the meta data; and

creating one or more statements to insert each corresponding data link value into the administration table.

10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

performing a reset backup command.

11. A computer system comprising:

a data management system with objects stored therein, said data management system supporting backup and recovery;

a system unit referencing external data and enabling the data management system to have control of the external data without moving the external data, wherein the system unit is coupled to the data management system;

a second system external to the data management system maintains meta data about the objects stored in the data management system and synchronizes a backup of the objects with a backup of the meta data, wherein the second system is coupled to the system unit; and

wherein the system unit, for each file that the second system is using for maintaining the meta data, inserts a corresponding data link value pointing to the associated file in an administration table, backs up the objects together with the administration table, wherein the backup automatically backs up each file for which the corresponding data link value has been inserted into the administration table, and removes the data link values from the administration table.

12. The computer system according to claim 11, further comprising:

restoring the objects and the administration table consisting of the data link values pointing to the files used by the second system, wherein the restoring is preceded by checking whether the second system is running and stopping running of the second system if the second system is running and is succeeded by deleting data link values and restarting the second system if the second system was running when the checking was performed.

13. The computer system according to claim 11, wherein the data management system is a relational data management system.

14. The computer system according to claim 11, wherein the second system is a search engine maintaining indexes for the objects stored in the data management system.

15. The computer system according to claim 11, wherein inserting the corresponding data link value for each file and removing the data link values is performed by the second system in response to calls by an application as separate commands.

16. The computer system according claim 11, wherein the data management system provides an Application Programming Interface (API) to the second system allowing the second system to integrate the inserting of the corresponding data link value for each file and the removing of the data link values into appropriate data management system backup commands.

17. The computer system according to claim 11, wherein the data management system allows the second system to specify information inserting the corresponding data link value for each file and for removing the data link values.

18. The computer system according to claim 11, further comprising:

determining each file the second system is using for maintaining the meta data; and

creating one or more statements to insert each corresponding data link value into the administration table.

19. The computer system according to claim 11, further comprising:

performing a reset backup command.

20. A computer program product with a computer-readable medium and a computer program stored on the computer-readable medium with a program code, wherein when the computer program is run on a computer, the program code is suitable for carrying out:

for each file the second system is using for maintaining the meta data, inserting a corresponding data link value pointing to the associated file in an administration table,

backing up the objects together with the administration table, wherein the backup automatically backs up each file for which the corresponding data link value has been inserted into the administration table, and

removing the data link values from the administration table.

21. A computer program with a program code, wherein when the computer program is run on a computer, the program code is suitable for carrying out:

for each file the second system is using for maintaining the meta data, inserting a corresponding data link value pointing to the associated file in an administration table,

backing up the objects together with the administration table, wherein the backup automatically backs up each file for which the corresponding data link value has been inserted into the administration table, and

removing the data link values from the administration table.

22. A computer-readable medium with a computer program stored thereon, the computer program comprising a program code which is suitable for carrying out:

for each file the second system is using for maintaining the meta data, inserting a corresponding data link value pointing to the associated file in an administration table,

backing up the objects together with the administration table, wherein the backup automatically backs up each file for which the corresponding data link value has been inserted into the administration table, and

removing the data link values from the administration table.

23. A computer-readable medium according to claim 22, wherein the program code is suitable for carrying out:

restoring the objects and the administration table consisting of the data link values pointing to the files used by the second system, wherein the restoring is preceded by checking whether the second system is running and stopping running of the second system if the second system is running and is succeeded by deleting data link values and restarting the second system if the second system was running when the checking was performed.

24. The computer-readable medium according to claim 22, wherein the data management system is chosen as a relational data management system.

25. The computer-readable medium according to claim 22, wherein the second system is a search engine maintaining indexes for the objects stored in the data management system.

26. The computer-readable medium according to claim 22, wherein inserting the corresponding data link value for each file and removing the data link values is performed by the second system in response to calls by an application as separate commands.

27. The computer-readable medium according claim 22, wherein the data management system provides an Application Programming Interface (API) to the second system allowing the second system to integrate the inserting of the corresponding data link value for each file and the removing of the data link values into appropriate data management system backup commands.

28. The computer-readable medium according to claim 22, wherein the data management system allows the second system to specify information for inserting the corresponding data link value for each file and for removing the data link values.

29. The computer-readable medium according to claim 22, wherein the program code is suitable for carrying out:

determining each file the second system is using for maintaining the meta data; and

creating one or more statements to insert each corresponding data link value into the administration table.

30. The computer-readable medium according to claim 22, wherein the program code is suitable for carrying out:

performing a reset backup command.