METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR BLOCK BASED VOLUME BACKUP

• US 20100306174A1
• Filed: 06/02/2009
• Published: 12/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: OTANI, Toshio
• Granted Patent: US 8,370,302 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/640
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1464 for networked environments
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/84 Using snapshots, i.e. a logical point-in-time copy of the data

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention provide methods and apparatuses for block based storage subsystem to have backup ability to a file based storage service such as HTTP or cloud storage service. In one embodiment, a storage system is coupled via a network to a storage service which has one or more file servers. The storage system comprises a processor; a memory; a volume-based snapshot control module configured to create a snapshot volume of data at a certain time, the snapshot volume being a block-based volume which is divided into a plurality of portions; and a copy control module configured to read each portion of the snapshot volume and send said each portion as file data to the storage service via the network, and to generate mapping information between an address of said each portion in the storage system and a file identifier of the file data of said each portion in the storage service.

Claims

1. In a system including a storage system coupled via a network to a storage service which has one or more file servers, the storage system comprising:

a processor;

a memory;

a volume-based snapshot control module configured to create a snapshot volume of data at a certain time, the snapshot volume being a block-based volume which is divided into a plurality of portions; and

a copy control module configured to read each portion of the snapshot volume and send said each portion as file data to the storage service via the network, and to generate mapping information between an address of said each portion in the storage system and a file identifier of the file data of said each portion in the storage service.

2. The storage system according to claim 1,

wherein the volume-based snapshot control module is configured to create a next generation snapshot volume at a next time after the certain time, the next generation snapshot volume being a block-based volume which is divided into a plurality of next portions, the plurality of next portions including one or more updated portions at the next time which are updated from corresponding one or more of the portions of the snapshot volume at the certain time;

and

wherein the copy control module is configured to read each updated portion of the next generation snapshot volume and send said each updated portion as file data to the storage service via the network, and to generate next mapping information between an address of said each updated portion in the storage system and a file identifier of the file data of said each updated portion in the storage service.

3. The storage system according to claim 1,

wherein the volume-based snapshot control module is configured to create a next generation snapshot volume at a next time after the certain time, the next generation snapshot volume being a block-based volume which is divided into a plurality of next portions, the plurality of next portions including one or more updated portions at the next time which are updated from corresponding one or more of the portions of the snapshot volume at the certain time;

and

wherein, for each updated portion of the next generation snapshot volume, the copy control module is configured to read the corresponding portion of the snapshot volume at the certain time prior to being updated to said each updated portion and send said corresponding portion as file data to the storage service via the network, and to generate new mapping information between an address of said corresponding portion in the storage system and a file identifier of the file data of said corresponding portion in the storage service.

4. The storage system according to claim 1,

wherein the volume-based snapshot control module is configured to create a next generation snapshot volume at a next time after the certain time, the next generation snapshot volume being a block-based volume which is divided into a plurality of next portions, the plurality of next portions including one or more updated portions at the next time which are updated from corresponding one or more of the portions of the snapshot volume at the certain time;

and

wherein the copy control module is configured to read each updated portion of the next generation snapshot volume and send said each updated portion as file data to the storage service via the network, and to generate next mapping information between an address of said each updated portion in the storage system and a file identifier of the file data of said each updated portion in the storage service, the next mapping information including a timestamp of the next time for said each updated portion.

5. The storage system according to claim 1,

wherein the file identifier is an HTTP URL (Uniform Resource Locator).

6. The storage system according to claim 1,

wherein the portions of the snapshot volume have different sizes.

7. The storage system according to claim 1,

wherein the volume-based snapshot control module is configured to create a next generation snapshot volume at a next time after the certain time, the next generation snapshot volume being a block-based volume which is divided into a plurality of next portions, the plurality of next portions including one or more updated portions at the next time which are updated from corresponding one or more of the portions of the snapshot volume at the certain time;

and

wherein the volume-based snapshot control module is configured to delete any of the portions of the snapshot volume which have been updated to the updated portions at the next time in the next generation snapshot volume; and

further comprising

a resource allocation control module configured, if a deleted portion of the snapshot volume has been sent to the storage service as file data with a file identifier, to delete the file data and file identifier for the deleted portion.

8. In a system including a storage system coupled via a network to a storage service which has one or more file servers, the storage system including a processor and a memory, a method of volume backup comprising:

creating a snapshot volume of data in the storage system at a certain time, the snapshot volume being a block-based volume which is divided into a plurality of portions;

reading each portion of the snapshot volume and sending said each portion as file data to the storage service via the network; and

generating mapping information between an address of said each portion in the storage system and a file identifier of the file data of said each portion in the storage service.

9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising:

creating a next generation snapshot volume in the storage system at a next time after the certain time, the next generation snapshot volume being a block-based volume which is divided into a plurality of next portions, the plurality of next portions including one or more updated portions at the next time which are updated from corresponding one or more of the portions of the snapshot volume at the certain time;

reading each updated portion of the next generation snapshot volume and sending said each updated portion as file data to the storage service via the network; and

generating next mapping information between an address of said each updated portion in the storage system and a file identifier of the file data of said each updated portion in the storage service.

10. The method according to claim 8, further comprising:

creating a next generation snapshot volume in the storage system at a next time after the certain time, the next generation snapshot volume being a block-based volume which is divided into a plurality of next portions, the plurality of next portions including one or more updated portions at the next time which are updated from corresponding one or more of the portions of the snapshot volume at the certain time; and

for each updated portion of the next generation snapshot volume, reading the corresponding portion of the snapshot volume at the certain time prior to being updated to said each updated portion and sending said corresponding portion as file data to the storage service via the network, and generating new mapping information between an address of said corresponding portion in the storage system and a file identifier of the file data of said corresponding portion in the storage service.

11. The method according to claim 8, further comprising:

creating a next generation snapshot volume in the storage system at a next time after the certain time, the next generation snapshot volume being a block-based volume which is divided into a plurality of next portions, the plurality of next portions including one or more updated portions at the next time which are updated from corresponding one or more of the portions of the snapshot volume at the certain time;

reading each updated portion of the next generation snapshot volume and sending said each updated portion as file data to the storage service via the network; and

generating next mapping information between an address of said each updated portion in the storage system and a file identifier of the file data of said each updated portion in the storage service, the next mapping information including a timestamp of the next time for said each updated portion.

12. The method according to claim 8,

wherein the file identifier is an HTTP URL (Uniform Resource Locator).

13. The method according to claim 8,

wherein the portions of the snapshot volume have different sizes.

14. The method according to claim 8, further comprising:

creating a next generation snapshot volume at a next time after the certain time, the next generation snapshot volume being a block-based volume which is divided into a plurality of next portions, the plurality of next portions including one or more updated portions at the next time which are updated from corresponding one or more of the portions of the snapshot volume at the certain time;

deleting any of the portions of the snapshot volume which have been updated to the updated portions at the next time in the next generation snapshot volume; and

if a deleted portion of the snapshot volume has been sent to the storage service as file data with a file identifier, deleting the file data and file identifier for the deleted portion.

15. A computer readable storage medium storage a plurality of instructions for controlling a data processor to perform volume backup for a storage system coupled via a network to a storage service which has one or more file servers, the plurality of instructions comprising:

instructions that cause the data processor to create a snapshot volume of data in the storage system at a certain time, the snapshot volume being a block-based volume which is divided into a plurality of portions;

instructions that cause the data processor to read each portion of the snapshot volume and send said each portion as file data to the storage service via the network; and

instructions that cause the data processor to generate mapping information between an address of said each portion in the storage system and a file identifier of the file data of said each portion in the storage service.

16. The computer readable storage medium according to claim 15, wherein the plurality of instructions further comprise:

instructions that cause the data processor to create a next generation snapshot volume in the storage system at a next time after the certain time, the next generation snapshot volume being a block-based volume which is divided into a plurality of next portions, the plurality of next portions including one or more updated portions at the next time which are updated from corresponding one or more of the portions of the snapshot volume at the certain time;

instructions that cause the data processor to read each updated portion of the next generation snapshot volume and send said each updated portion as file data to the storage service via the network; and

instructions that cause the data processor to generate next mapping information between an address of said each updated portion in the storage system and a file identifier of the file data of said each updated portion in the storage service.

17. The computer readable storage medium according to claim 15, wherein the plurality of instructions further comprise:

instructions that cause the data processor to create a next generation snapshot volume in the storage system at a next time after the certain time, the next generation snapshot volume being a block-based volume which is divided into a plurality of next portions, the plurality of next portions including one or more updated portions at the next time which are updated from corresponding one or more of the portions of the snapshot volume at the certain time; and

instructions that cause the data processor, for each updated portion of the next generation snapshot volume, to read the corresponding portion of the snapshot volume at the certain time prior to being updated to said each updated portion and send said corresponding portion as file data to the storage service via the network, and generate new mapping information between an address of said corresponding portion in the storage system and a file identifier of the file data of said corresponding portion in the storage service.

18. The computer readable storage medium according to claim 15, wherein the plurality of instructions further comprise:

instructions that cause the data processor to create a next generation snapshot volume in the storage system at a next time after the certain time, the next generation snapshot volume being a block-based volume which is divided into a plurality of next portions, the plurality of next portions including one or more updated portions at the next time which are updated from corresponding one or more of the portions of the snapshot volume at the certain time;

instructions that cause the data process or to read each updated portion of the next generation snapshot volume and send said each updated portion as file data to the storage service via the network; and

instructions that cause the data processor to generate next mapping information between an address of said each updated portion in the storage system and a file identifier of the file data of said each updated portion in the storage service, the next mapping information including a timestamp of the next time for said each updated portion.

19. The method according to claim 15,

wherein the portions of the snapshot volume have different sizes.

20. The method according to claim 15, wherein the plurality of instructions further comprise:

instructions that cause the data processor to create a next generation snapshot volume at a next time after the certain time, the next generation snapshot volume being a block-based volume which is divided into a plurality of next portions, the plurality of next portions including one or more updated portions at the next time which are updated from corresponding one or more of the portions of the snapshot volume at the certain time;

instructions that cause the data processor to delete any of the portions of the snapshot volume which have been updated to the updated portions at the next time in the next generation snapshot volume; and

instructions that cause the data processor, if a deleted portion of the snapshot volume has been sent to the storage service as file data with a file identifier, to delete the file data and file identifier for the deleted portion.