CONTROLLING RESOURCE ALLOCATION FOR BACKUP OPERATIONS

• US 20090307285A1
• Filed: 06/06/2008
• Published: 12/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Veritas Technologies, LLC (Whitehouse Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Symantec Corporation (NortonLifeLock Inc.)
• Inventors: Gipp, Stephan, Swift, Jeremy
• Granted Patent: US 8,326,804 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1458 Management of the backup or restore process
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1464 for networked environments

Abstract

Various embodiments of a computer system and methods are disclosed. In one embodiment, a computer system includes a backup application coupled to interconnected storage resources. The backup application creates a database of storage resources, wherein each database entry corresponds to one or more storage resources and is associated with one or more user-defined attributes describing the suitability of the associated resources for a backup operation. The backup application creates and stores a configuration of storage resources for a backup operation. Each storage resource is selected based on a value of an associated attribute. The storage resources may include logical unit numbers (LUNs), mount points providing access to LUNs, and hosts having physical access or network access through other hosts to mount points. An attribute specifies that the associated storage resources are either required or preferred for a backup operation. The database and configuration are created at backup application run time.

Claims

1. A method for allocating resources for use in a backup operation, the method comprising:

creating a database comprising a plurality of entries which correspond to one or more storage resources and are associated with one or more user-defined attributes, wherein each attribute describes a suitability of an associated resource for use in one or more of a plurality of backup operations;

creating a configuration of one or more storage resources to be used in a backup operation, wherein each storage resource in the configuration is selected from the database based on a value of an associated attribute; and

storing the configuration for use in subsequent backup operations.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more storage resources selected for use in the backup operation includes one or more resources selected from the group comprising:

a storage logical unit number (LUN);

a group of LUNs;

a mount point providing access to a LUN or group of LUNs;

a group of mount points providing access to one or more LUNs;

a host having physical access to one or more mount points;

a group of hosts having physical access to one or more mount points; and

one or more hosts having network access to a host having physical access to one or more mount points.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein an attribute of the one or more attributes specifies that the associated one or more storage resources are either required or preferred for a particular backup operation.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein each attribute describes the suitability of the associated resources for use in an operation selected from the group comprising:

image backup;

image restore;

backup image synthesizing;

backup image staging;

backup image duplication;

backup image replication;

backup image compressing;

backup image decompressing;

backup image de-duplication; and

backup image indexing.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the database of storage resources and the configuration are created at run time of the backup application.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein either a data source or a data target of the backup operation is a client in a client-server system.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein either a data source or a data target of the backup operation is an application program.

8. A computer system comprising:

a backup application coupled to a plurality of interconnected storage resources, wherein the backup application is configured to;

create a database comprising a plurality of entries which correspond to one or more storage resources and are associated with one or more user-defined attributes, wherein each attribute describes a suitability of an associated resource for use in one or more of a plurality of backup operations;

create a configuration of one or more storage resources to be used in a backup operation, wherein each storage resource in the configuration is selected from the database based on a value of an associated attribute; and

store the configuration for use in subsequent backup operations.

9. The system as recited in claim 8, wherein the one or more storage resources selected for use in the backup operation includes one or more resources selected from the group comprising:

a storage logical unit number (LUN);

a group of LUNs;

a mount point providing access to a LUN or group of LUNs;

a group of mount points providing access to one or more LUNs;

a host having physical access to one or more mount points;

a group of hosts having physical access to one or more mount points; and

one or more hosts having network access to a host having physical access to one or more mount points.

10. The system as recited in claim 9, wherein an attribute of the one or more attributes specifies that the associated one or more storage resources are either required or preferred for a particular backup operation.

11. The system as recited in claim 10, wherein each attribute describes the suitability of the associated resources for use in an operation selected from the group comprising:

image backup;

image restore;

backup image synthesizing;

backup image staging;

backup image duplication;

backup image replication;

backup image compressing;

backup image decompressing;

backup image de-duplication; and

backup image indexing.

12. The system as recited in claim 8, wherein the database of storage resources and the configuration are created at run time of the backup application.

13. The system as recited in claim 8, wherein either a data source or a data target of the backup operation is a client in a client-server system.

14. The system as recited in claim 8, wherein either a data source or a data target of the backup operation is an application program.

15. A computer readable medium storing computer instructions that are executable by a processor to:

creating a database comprising a plurality of entries which correspond to one or more storage resources and are associated with one or more user-defined attributes, wherein each attribute describes a suitability of an associated resource for use in one or more of a plurality of backup operations;

create a configuration of one or more storage resources to be used in a backup operation, wherein each storage resource in the configuration is selected from the database based on a value of an associated attribute; and

store the configuration for use in subsequent backup operations.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the one or more storage resources selected for use in the backup operation includes one or more resources selected from the group comprising:

a storage logical unit number (LUN);

a group of LUNs;

a mount point providing access to a LUN or group of LUNs;

a group of mount points providing access to one or more LUNs;

a host having physical access to one or more mount points;

a group of hosts having physical access to one or more mount points; and

one or more hosts having network access to a host having physical access to one or more mount points.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein an attribute of the one or more attributes specifies that the associated one or more storage resources are either required or preferred for a particular backup operation.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein each attribute describes the suitability of the associated resources for use in an operation selected from the group comprising:

image backup;

image restore;

backup image synthesizing;

backup image staging;

backup image duplication;

backup image replication;

backup image compressing;

backup image decompressing;

backup image de-duplication; and

backup image indexing.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the database of storage resources and the configuration are created at run time of the backup application.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein either a data source or a data target of the backup operation is an application program.