BACKUP SYSTEM AND BACKUP METHOD

• US 20110246731A1
• Filed: 03/18/2009
• Published: 10/06/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Ninose, Kenta, Kawamura, Shunji
• Application Number:
  US12/527,411
• Publication Number:
  US 20110246731A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 711/162
• 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 11/1466 to make the backup process non-disruptive
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1469 Backup restoration techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/84 Using snapshots, i.e. a logical point-in-time copy of the data

Abstract

Provided are a backup system and a backup method for backing up data written by a host into a logical volume provided by a storage system, wherein an update location in the logical volume updated by the host is managed, and the storage system is controlled to selectively back up the data written into the update location in the logical volume based on the management result of the update location. It is thereby possible to ensure a fast data read speed in the backup of raw volumes and an easy multiplatform backup, whereby a backup system and a backup method capable of performing backup efficiently are realized.

Claims

1. A backup system for backing up data written by a host into a logical volume provided by a storage system, comprising:

an update location management unit for managing an update location in the logical volume updated by the host; and

a backup control unit for controlling the storage system to selectively back up the data written into the update location in the logical volume based on the management result of the update location management unit.

2. The backup system according to claim 1,

wherein the update location management unit includes a controller of the storage system;

wherein the backup control unit includes a management host connected to the storage system;

wherein the controller manages the update location by recording the update location from a prescribed point in the logical volume into a first bitmap; and

wherein the management host reads the first bitmap from the storage system and controls the storage system to selectively back up the data written into the update location in the logical volume based on the first bitmap that was read.

3. The backup system according to claim 1,

wherein the update location management unit manages an update location from the previous backup in the logical volume.

4. The backup system according to claim 1,

wherein the update location management unit manages an update location in the logical volume after acquiring a full backup of that logical volume.

5. The backup system according to claim 1,

wherein the logical volume includes a virtual volume to which a storage area is dynamically allocated according to its usage;

wherein the update location management unit manages an area in the virtual volume to which the storage area was allocated and creates a second bitmap representing an area in the virtual volume to which the storage area was allocated based on the management result; and

wherein the backup control unit reads the second bitmap from the storage system regarding the virtual volume and controls the storage system to selectively back up data written into an area in the virtual volume to which the storage area was allocated based on the second bitmap that was read.

6. The backup system according to claim 1,

wherein the backup control unit determines the consistency/inconsistency of data written into the update location in the logical volume and corresponding data that was previously backed up and controls the storage system to back up the data written into the logical volume when the data are inconsistent.

7. The backup system according to claim 6,

wherein the backup control unit determines the consistency/inconsistency of data written into the update location in the logical volume and corresponding data that was previously backed up based on the hash values of both data.

8. A backup method for backing up data written by a host into a logical volume provided by a storage system, comprising:

a first step of managing an update location in the logical volume updated by the host; and

a second step of controlling the storage system to selectively back up the data written into the update location in the logical volume based on the management result of the update location.

9. The backup method according to claim 8,

wherein, at the first step, the update location is managed by recording the update location from a prescribed point in the logical volume into a first bitmap;

and

wherein, at the second step, the first bitmap is read from the storage system and the storage system is controlled to selectively back up the data written into the update location in the logical volume based on the first bitmap that was read.

10. The backup method according to claim 8,

wherein, at the first step, the update location from the previous backup in the logical volume is managed.

11. The backup method according to claim 8,

wherein, at the first step, an update location in the logical volume after acquiring a full backup of that logical volume is managed.

12. The backup method according to claim 8,

wherein the logical volume includes a virtual volume to which a storage area is dynamically allocated according to its usage;

wherein, at the first step, an area in the virtual volume to which the storage area was allocated is managed and a second bitmap representing an area in the virtual volume to which the storage area was allocated is created based on the management result; and

wherein, at the second step, the second bitmap is read from the storage system regarding the virtual volume and the storage system is controlled to selectively back up data written into an area in the virtual volume to which the storage area was allocated based on the second bitmap that was read.

13. The backup method according to claim 8,

wherein, at the second step, the consistency/inconsistency of data written into the update location in the logical volume and corresponding data that was previously backed up is determined and the storage system is controlled to back up the data written into the logical volume when the data are inconsistent.

14. The backup method according to claim 13,

wherein, at the second step, the consistency/inconsistency of data written into the update location in the logical volume and corresponding data that was previously backed up is determined based on the hash values of both data.