SYSTEM FOR AUTOMATICALLY RECOVERING A COMPUTER MEMORY USING SHADOWED DATA AND FILE DIRECTORY STRUCTURES

• US 20080104148A1
• Filed: 10/31/2007
• Published: 05/01/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Carbonite LLC (Open Text Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Rebit, Inc. (Open Text Corporation)
• Inventors: Schwaab, David, Probst, Nathan, Batchelor, Dennis B.
• Granted Patent: US 8,126,851 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 11/1456 Hardware arrangements for backup
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1469 Backup restoration techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1471 involving logging of persistent data for recovery
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/84 Using snapshots, i.e. a logical point-in-time copy of the data

Abstract

The Data Shadowing System comprises a memory module that is connected to the monitored computer system via an existing input/output port to store the shadowed data. The memory module includes a memory device for data storage as well as software, including a control software component that is automatically installed on the monitored computer system when the memory module is first connected to the monitored computer system, as well as associated module software for maintaining a record of the data stored on the memory device. The Data Shadowing System automatically stores the data on the memory module in a single format, while representing it in a data management database in two formats: disk sectors and files. The Data Shadowing System thereby efficiently tracks and stores the state of multiple file systems over time, while allowing for correct disk-level and file-level restoration to a point-in-time without storing redundant data.

Claims

1. A data shadowing system for the automatic backup storage of data that is written in the memory of a monitored computer system and the selective retrieval of this data for restoration to said memory, comprising:

memory module means, connected to a monitored computer system, for storing a shadow copy of the data which is written in the memory of the monitored computer system; and

customer data file management means, resident in each of said plurality of monitored computer systems, for autonomously storing customer data files on said memory module means, comprising;

customer data file mapping means for autonomously mapping file directory structures associated with the customer data written in the memory of the monitored computer system into file tree information which identifies original names of customer data files as stored on said monitored computer system, and a location in said memory module means which stores said customer data,

change journal means for automatically tracking changes to said customer data files, including;

customer data file creation, customer data file movement, customer data file content changes, and customer data file renaming,

file history means, responsive to a modification of a customer data file, for generating a set of file change data indicative of a difference between said customer data file and said modified customer data file, and

mapping database means for storing said file tree information and said location in said memory module means which stores said customer data in a database in said monitored computer system;

wherein said memory module means comprises;

customer data file storage means for storing each of said customer data files in said memory module means and, for modified customer data files, for storing said set of file change data and substituting said modified customer data file for said customer data file in said memory module means; and

customer data file restoration means, responsive to a user requesting restoration of at least one customer data file, for autonomously writing said requested customer data file to said memory of said monitored computer system.

2. The data shadowing system of claim 1 wherein said customer data file restoration means comprises:

customer data file point in time means, responsive to said user identifying a previous version of said at least one customer data file, for revising said at least one customer data file with each set of said stored file change data associated with said at least one customer data file which has been stored in said memory module means retrospectively to said previous version.

3. The data shadowing system of claim 2 wherein said customer data file restoration means further comprises:

restored customer data file writing means, responsive to said at least one customer data file being revised by said customer data file point-in-time means, for writing said requested customer data file to said memory of said monitored computer system.

4. The data shadowing system of claim 1, further comprising:

system file management means for automatically mapping system files written in the memory of the monitored computer system into file tree information which identifies original names of system files as stored on said monitored computer system, and a location in said memory module means which stores said system files;

system file storage means for storing each of said system files in said memory module means; and

system file restoration means, responsive to a user requesting restoration of at least one system file, for autonomously writing said requested system file to said memory of said monitored computer system.

5. A data shadowing system for the automatic backup storage of data that is written in the memory of a monitored computer system and the selective retrieval of this data for restoration to said memory, comprising:

memory module means, connected to a monitored computer system, for storing a shadow copy of the data which is written in the memory of the monitored computer system; and

data management means, resident in each of said plurality of monitored computer systems, for autonomously storing customer data files on said memory module means, comprising;

customer data file mapping means for autonomously mapping file directory structures associated with the customer data written in the memory of the monitored computer system into file tree information which identifies original names of customer data files as stored on said monitored computer system, and a location in said memory module means which stores said customer data,

change journal means for automatically tracking changes to said customer data files, including;

customer data file creation, customer data file movement, customer data file content changes, and customer data file renaming,

file history means, responsive to a modification of a customer data file, for generating a set of file change data indicative of a difference between said customer data file and said modified customer data file,

system file management means for automatically mapping system files written in the memory of the monitored computer system into file tree information which identifies original names of system files as stored on said monitored computer system, and a location in said memory module means which stores said system files; and

mapping database means for storing said file tree information and said location in said memory module means which stores said customer data in a database in said monitored computer system;

wherein said memory module means comprises;

system file storage means for storing each of said system files in said memory module means,

customer data file storage means for storing each of said customer data files in said memory module means and, for modified customer data files, for storing said set of file change data and substituting said modified customer data file for said customer data file in said memory module means; and

monitored computer system memory restoration means, responsive to a user requesting restoration of the entirety of said memory of said monitored computer system, for autonomously reconstructing the entire contents of the monitored computer system memory.

6. The data shadowing system of claim 5, further comprising:

integrity point means for generating a snapshot of said memory of said monitored computer system comprising data corresponding to the file system image of said memory at a selected point-in-time.

7. The data shadowing system of claim 6 wherein said monitored computer system memory restoration means comprises:

snapshot retrieval means for retrieving from said database said data corresponding to the file system image of said memory at a selected point-in-time indicated by said user; and

file restoration means for writing said system files and said customer data files identified in said snapshot to said memory of said monitored computer system.

8. The data shadowing system of claim 6 wherein said monitored computer system memory restoration means comprises:

snapshot retrieval means for retrieving from said database said data corresponding to the file system image of said memory at a selected point-in-time indicated by said user;

system file restoration means for writing said system files, whose location is identified in said database, from said identified location memory in said module means directly to said memory of said monitored computer system sector-by-sector; and

customer data file restoration means for writing each customer data file, whose location is identified in said database, from said identified location memory in said module means to said memory of said monitored computer system.

9. A method for the autonomous restoration of data, which was backed up from the memory of a monitored computer system, to said memory of the monitored computer system, comprising:

storing in a memory module, which is connected to a monitored computer system, a shadow copy of the data which is written in the memory of the monitored computer system; and

autonomously storing customer data files, resident in each of said plurality of monitored computer systems, on said memory module, comprising;

autonomously mapping file directory structures associated with the customer data files written in the memory of the monitored computer system into file tree information which identifies original names of customer data files as stored on said monitored computer system, and a location in said memory module which stores said customer data files,

automatically tracking changes to said customer data files, including;

customer data file creation, customer data file movement, customer data file content changes, and customer data file renaming,

generating, in response to a modification of a customer data file, a set of file change data indicative of a difference between said customer data file and said modified customer data file, and

storing said file tree information and said location in said memory module means which stores said customer data in a database in said monitored computer system;

wherein said step of storing in said memory module comprises;

storing each of said customer data files in said memory module and, for modified customer data files, for storing said set of file change data and substituting said modified customer data file for said customer data file in said memory module; and

autonomously writing, in response to a user requesting restoration of at least one customer data file, said requested customer data file to said memory of said monitored computer system.

10. The method for the autonomous restoration of data of claim 9 wherein said step of autonomously writing comprises:

revising, in response to said user identifying a previous version of said at least one customer data file, said at least one customer data file with each set of said stored file change data associated with said at least one customer data file which has been stored in said memory module retrospectively to said previous version.

11. The method for the autonomous restoration of data of claim 10 wherein said step of autonomously writing further comprises:

writing, in response to said at least one customer data file being revised by said customer data file point-in-time means, said requested customer data file to said memory of said monitored computer system.

12. The method for the autonomous restoration of data of claim 9, further comprising:

automatically mapping system files written in the memory of the monitored computer system into file tree information which identifies original names of system files as stored on said monitored computer system, and a location in said memory module which stores said system files;

storing each of said system files in said memory module; and

autonomously writing, in response to a user requesting restoration of at least one system file, said requested system file to said memory of said monitored computer system.

13. A method for the autonomous restoration of data, which was backed up from the memory of a monitored computer system, to said memory of the monitored computer system, comprising:

storing in a memory module, which is connected to a monitored computer system, a shadow copy of the data which is written in the memory of the monitored computer system; and

autonomously storing customer data files, resident in each of said plurality of monitored computer systems, on said memory module, comprising;

autonomously mapping file directory structures associated with the customer data files written in the memory of the monitored computer system into file tree information which identifies original names of customer data files as stored on said monitored computer system, and a location in said memory module which stores said customer data files,

automatically tracking changes to said customer data files, including;

customer data file creation, customer data file movement, customer data file content changes, and customer data file renaming,

generating, in response to a modification of a customer data file, a set of file change data indicative of a difference between said customer data file and said modified customer data file,

automatically mapping system files written in the memory of the monitored computer system into file tree information which identifies original names of system files as stored on said monitored computer system, and a location in said memory module which stores said system files; and

storing said file tree information and said location in said memory module which stores said customer data in a database in said monitored computer system;

wherein said step of storing in said memory module comprises;

storing each of said system files in said memory module,

storing each of said customer data files in said memory module and, for modified customer data files, for storing said set of file change data and substituting said modified customer data file for said customer data file in said memory module; and

autonomously reconstructing, in response to a user requesting restoration of the entirety of said memory of said monitored computer system, the entire contents of the monitored computer system memory.

14. The method for the autonomous restoration of data of claim 13, further comprising:

generating a snapshot of said memory of said monitored computer system comprising data corresponding to the file system image of said memory at a selected point-in-time.

15. The method for the autonomous restoration of data of claim 14 wherein said step of autonomously reconstructing comprises:

retrieving from said database said data corresponding to the file system image of said memory at a selected point in time indicated by said user; and

writing said system files and said customer data files identified in said snapshot to said memory of said monitored computer system.

16. The method for the autonomous restoration of data of claim 15 wherein said step of autonomously reconstructing comprises:

retrieving from said database said data corresponding to the file system image of said memory at a selected point-in-time indicated by said user;

writing said system files, whose location is identified in said database, from said identified location memory in said memory module directly to said memory of said monitored computer system sector-by-sector; and

writing each customer data file, whose location is identified in said database, from said identified location memory in said memory module to said memory of said monitored computer system.