System and method for managing data deduplication of storage systems utilizing persistent consistency point images

• US 20080005201A1
• Filed: 06/29/2006
• Published: 01/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NetApp, Inc.
• Original Assignee: NetApp, Inc.
• Inventors: Ting, Daniel, DeStefano, John Frederick, Manley, Stephen L., Zheng, Ling
• Granted Patent: US 7,921,077 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/204
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1435 using file system or storage system metadata
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1453 using de-duplication of the data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/84 Using snapshots, i.e. a logical point-in-time copy of the data

Abstract

A system and method for managing data deduplication of a storage system utilizing persistent consistency point images (PCPIs). Once a target PCPI of a data transfer is generated, a backup management module of the storage system alerts a data deduplication module to begin deduplication of the data contained within the target PCPI. Once the deduplication procedure has been completed, the active file system of the storage system has been deduplicated, however, the target PCPI remains un-deduplicated. In response, the backup management module generates and exports a revised target PCPI. The previous target PCPI may then be deleted, thereby transitioning the exported PCPI'"'"'s image of the state of the file system to a deduplicated state.

Claims

1. A method for managing data deduplication on a storage system, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a transfer of data from a source;

generating a target persistent consistency point image of the transferred data;

performing data deduplication on the transferred data; and

generating a revised target persistent consistency point image.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of receiving data from the source comprises the steps of receiving one or more data streams, each of the one or more data streams associated with a data collection to be backed up to the storage system.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the data collection comprises a volume.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the data collection comprises a file system.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of generating a target persistent consistency point image of the transferred data further comprises the step of exporting the target persistent consistency point image to one or more clients.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of, in response to generating the revised persistent consistency point image, deleting the target persistency point image.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the target persistent consistency point image is exported to one or more clients, whereby data deduplication occurs transparently to the one or more clients.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein after the data deduplication of the transferred data, each block of the transferred data is unique.

9. A system configured to manage data deduplication, the system comprising:

one or more clients operatively interconnected with a storage system executing a storage operating system, the storage operating system including a backup management module adapted to receive a transfer of data from the clients and further configured to generate a target persistent consistency point image of the transferred data; and

a deduplication module executing on the storage system and adapted to perform data deduplication on the transferred data;

wherein the backup management module is further adapted to generate, in response to the deduplication module performing data deduplication on the transferred data, a revised target persistent consistency point image.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the transferred data comprises a volume.

11. The system of claim 9 wherein the transferred data comprises a file system.

12. The system of claim 9 wherein the backup management module is further adapted to export the target persistent consistency point image to the one or more clients.

13. The system of claim 9 wherein the backup management module is further adapted to delete, in response to generating a revised target persistent consistency point image, the target persistent consistency point image.

14. The system of claim 9 wherein the backup management module is further adapted to initiate a backup data transfer during execution of the deduplication procedure.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the deduplication module is further adapted to yield to the backup management module whereby the backup data transfer is not slowed by the deduplication procedure.

16. A method for managing data deduplication on a storage system, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a transfer of data from a source;

performing a data deduplication procedure on the transferred data; and

generating a target persistent consistency point image of the transferred data.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the step of receiving data from the source comprises the steps of receiving one or more data streams, each of the one or more data streams associated with a data collection to be backed up to the storage system.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein the data collection comprises a volume.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein the data collection comprises a file system.

20. The method of claim 16 wherein the step of generating a target persistent consistency point image of the transferred data further comprises the step of exporting the target persistent consistency point image to one or more clients.

21. A system configured to manage data deduplication, the system comprising:

one or more clients operatively interconnected with a storage system executing a storage operating system, the storage operating system including a backup management module adapted to receive a transfer of data from the clients;

a deduplication module executing on the storage system and adapted to perform a data deduplication on the transferred data; and

wherein the backup management module is further adapted to generate, in response to the deduplication module performing the data deduplication procedure on the transferred data, a target persistent consistency point image of the transferred data.

22. The system of claim 21 wherein the transferred data comprises a volume.

23. The system of claim 21 wherein the transferred data comprises a file system.

24. The system of claim 23 wherein the backup management module is further adapted to export the target persistent consistency point image to the one or more clients.