Backup control apparatus and method eliminating duplication of information resources

• US 20080028007A1
• Filed: 09/18/2006
• Published: 01/31/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Nakamura, Takaki, Ishii, Yohsuke
• Granted Patent: US 7,873,599 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/204
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1451 by selection of backup contents
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1453 using de-duplication of the data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1456 Hardware arrangements for backup
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1469 Backup restoration techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2094 Redundant storage or storage space G06F11/2056 takes precedence

Abstract

A backup control apparatus references duplication management information comprising first stored location information indicating the stored location of a first information resource and second stored location information indicating the stored location of a second information resource which duplicates the first information resource, and identifies, from among a plurality of information resources belonging to a backup region, the first information resource stored in the location indicated by the first stored location information, and a second information resource stored in the location indicated by the second stored location information corresponding to the first stored location information. Then the backup control apparatus replaces the identified second information resource with linked information indicating a link to the identified first information resource, and backs up the backup region in which the second information resource is replaced with the linked information.

Claims

1. A backup control apparatus, comprising:

a duplication management unit, which stores duplication management information comprising first stored location information indicating the location in which a first information resource is stored, and second stored location information indicating the location in which a second information resource, which duplicates the first information resource, is stored;

a duplication identification unit, which identifies the first information resource stored in the location indicated by said first stored location information and the second information resource stored in the location indicated by the second stored location information corresponding to the first stored location information, among a plurality of information resources belonging to a backup region;

an information replacement control unit, which replaces said identified second information resource with linked information indicating a link to said identified first information resource; and

a backup unit, which backs up said backup region in which said second information resource is replaced with said linked information.

2. The backup control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said first information resource is a replication source information resource, and said second information resource is a replication destination information resource, generated by replication of said replication source information resource.

3. The backup control apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a replication unit which stores another information resource by replicating a certain information resource, and a duplication management appending unit, which appends to said duplication management information first stored location information indicating the location in which said certain information resource is stored, and second stored location information indicating the location in which said other information resource is stored.

4. The backup control apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an information resource updating unit which updates information resources, and a duplication management information deletion unit which, when the stored location information indicating the stored location of an updated information resource is included in said duplication management information, deletes the stored location information, and stored location information corresponding to the stored location, from said duplication management information.

5. The backup control apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an information resource migrating unit, which alters the stored location of an information resource to another stored location, and a duplication management information alteration unit which, when pre-alteration location information indicating the stored location before alteration is included in said duplication management information, alters the pre-alteration location information to information indicating said other stored location.

6. The backup control apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an information resource migrating unit, which alters the stored location of an information resource to another stored location, and a duplication management information deletion unit which, when information indicating said other stored location is included in said duplication management information, deletes this information, and stored location information corresponding to this information, from said duplication management information.

7. The backup control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said information resources are directories and/or files managed by a file system.

8. The backup control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said linked information comprises symbolic link information, constituted by a relative path name to said first information resource, taking said second information resource as a base point.

9. The backup control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of information resources belonging to the backup target are a portion of numerous information resources, said information replacement control unit judges whether said first information resource which duplicates said second information resource belongs to said backup target, and when said first information resource does not belong to said backup target, does not replace said second information resource with said linked information, and said backup unit backs up the backup region, comprising said second information resource not replaced with said linked information.

10. The backup control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said first information resource is a replication source file, and said second information resource is a replication destination file generated by replicating said replication source file,

said linked information is a symbolic link file constituted by a relative path name to said first file, with the second file as a base point,

a plurality of information resources belonging to the backup target are a portion of numerous information resources,

said backup control apparatus further comprises a replication unit, which stores another file by replicating a certain file;

a duplication management information appending unit, which appends to said duplication management information first stored location information indicating the location in which said certain file is stored and second stored location information indicating the location in which said other file is stored;

an information resource updating unit which updates files; and

a duplication management information deletion unit which, when stored location information indicating the stored location of an updated file is included in said duplication management information, deletes the stored location information and stored location information corresponding to the stored location from said duplication management information;

said information replacement control unit judges whether said first file, which duplicates said second file, belongs to said backup target, and when the first information resource does not belong to the backup target, does not replace said second file with said symbolic link file; and

said backup unit backs up the backup region, comprising said second file which is not replaced by said symbolic link file.

11. A control apparatus system, comprising a plurality of backup control apparatuses, wherein

each of said plurality of backup control apparatuses comprises an information resource management unit which manages a plurality of information resources, and a backup unit which backs up two or more information resources belonging to a backup region among a plurality of information resources managed by itself and/or other backup control apparatuses among said plurality of backup control apparatuses;

at least one of said plurality of backup control apparatuses comprises a duplication management unit, which stores duplication management information comprising first stored location information indicating the location in which a first information resource managed by the apparatus itself is stored and second stored location information indicating the location in which a second information resource, which duplicates the first information resource, is stored;

a duplication identification unit, which identifies, among two or more information resources belonging to a backup region, the first information resource stored in the location indicated by said first stored location information and the second information resource stored in the location indicated by the second stored location information corresponding to the first stored location information;

and an information replacement control unit, which replaces said identified second information resource with linked information indicating linking to said identified first information resource; and

said backup unit of the one or more backup control apparatuses backs up said backup region, in which said second information resource is replaced with said linked information.

12. The control apparatus system according to claim 11, wherein

other backup control apparatuses other than said one or more backup control apparatus among said plurality of backup control apparatuses comprise a prescribed processing execution unit which executes prescribed processing to replicate, update, or migrate any of the plurality of information resources managed by the apparatus itself, and a notification unit which notifies said one or more backup control apparatuses of information relating to the prescribed processing when said prescribed processing is executed;

and

said one or more backup control apparatuses comprise a reception unit which receives information relating to said prescribed processing, and a duplication management information updating unit which updates said duplication management information using said received information.

13. The control apparatus system according to claim 11, wherein, when said prescribed processing is replication, the information relating to said prescribed processing comprises first stored location information indicating the location in which the replication source information resource is stored, and second stored location information indicating the location in which the replication destination information resource is stored, and said duplication management information updating unit appends said received first stored location information and second stored location information to said duplication management information.

14. The control apparatus system according to claim 11, wherein, when said prescribed processing is updating, the information relating to said prescribed processing comprises stored location information indicating the location in which the updated information resource is stored, and said duplication management information updating unit deletes said received stored location information and the stored location information corresponding thereto from said duplication management information.

15. The control apparatus system according to claim 11, wherein, when said prescribed processing is migration, the information relating to said prescribed processing comprises first stored location information indicating the location in which the migration source information resource is stored, and second stored location information indicating the location in which the migration destination information resource is stored, and said duplication management information updating unit alters the stored location information in said duplication management information matching said received first stored location information to said received second stored location information.

16. The control apparatus system according to claim 11, wherein said one or more backup control apparatuses are all of said plurality of backup control apparatuses, and each backup control apparatus further comprises:

a prescribed processing execution unit, which executes prescribed processing to replicate, update or migrate any of a plurality of information resources which the apparatus itself manages;

a notification unit, which, when said prescribed processing has been executed, notifies backup control apparatuses other than itself among said plurality of backup control apparatuses, of information relating to the prescribed processing;

a reception unit, which receives information relating to said prescribed processing; and

a duplication management information updating unit, which updates said duplication management information using said received information.

17. A backup control method, comprising the steps of:

referencing duplication management information comprising first stored location information indicating the location in which a first information resource is stored, and second stored location information indicating the location in which a second information resource, which duplicates the first information resource, is stored;

identifying the first information resource stored in the location indicated by said first stored location information, and the second information resource stored in the location indicated by the second stored location information corresponding to the first stored location information, among a plurality of information resources belonging to a backup region;

replacing said identified second information resource with linked information indicating a link to said identified first information resource; and

backing up said backup region in which said second information resource is replaced with said linked information.

18. The backup control method according to claim 17, wherein said first information resource is a replication source information resource, and said second information resource is a replication destination information resource, generated by replication of said replication source information resource.

19. The backup control method according to claim 17, wherein said information resources are directories and/or files managed by a file system.

20. The backup control method according to claim 17, wherein said linked information comprises symbolic link information, constituted by a relative path name to said first information resource, taking said second information resource as a base point.