METHODS FOR GENERATING A UNIFIED VIRTUAL SNAPSHOT AND SYSTEMS THEREOF

• US 20130204893A1
• Filed: 12/20/2012
• Published: 08/08/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: F5 Networks, Inc. (F5 Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: F5 Networks, Inc. (F5 Incorporated)
• Inventors: Nicklin, Jonathan Case, Skardal, Harald
• Application Number:
  US13/722,647
• Publication Number:
  US 20130204893A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/769
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1448 Management of the data involved in backup or backup restore
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/148 File search processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/188 Virtual file systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/815 Virtual
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/82 Solving problems relating to consistency
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/84 Using snapshots, i.e. a logical point-in-time copy of the data

Abstract

A method, computer readable medium, and system for generating a unified virtual snapshot in accordance with embodiments of the present invention includes invoking with a file virtualization system a capture of a plurality of physical snapshots. Each of the physical snapshots comprises content at a given point in time in one of the plurality of data storage systems. A unified virtual snapshot is generated with the file virtualization system based on the captured plurality of the physical snapshots.

Claims

1. A method for utilizing a virtual snapshot, the method comprising:

associating a request relating to a file in one of a plurality of data storage systems to one of one or more physical snapshots of one of the plurality of data storage systems in a virtual snapshot;

invoking an execution of the request relating to the file at the one of the plurality of data storage systems based on the associating; and

providing a response based on the invoked execution of the request.

2. The method as set forth in claim 1 further comprising searching a virtual snapshot listing directory to identify the virtual snapshot based on one or more factors.

3. The method as set forth in claim 2 wherein the one or more factors comprise a date range for the virtual snapshot.

4. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the associating is based on a search of virtualization metadata to associate the request to the one or one or more physical snapshots or a search in the one or more physical snapshots for a target identified in the request to associate the request to the one or one or more physical snapshots

5. The method as set forth in claim 1 further comprising translating the request for the invocation of the execution of the request at the one of the plurality of data storage systems based on the associating.

6. The method as set forth in claim 5 wherein the providing the response based on the invoked execution of the request further comprises:

receiving the response from the invoked execution of the request; and

translating the received response to another format suitable for a requesting system which submitted the request; and

providing the translated response to the requesting system.

7. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon instructions for utilizing a virtual snapshot comprising machine executable code which when executed by at least one processor, causes the processor to perform steps comprising:

associating a request relating to a file in one of a plurality of data storage systems to one of one or more physical snapshots of one of the plurality of data storage systems in a virtual snapshot;

invoking an execution of the request relating to the file at the one of the plurality of data storage systems based on the associating; and

providing a response based on the invoked execution of the request. 20

8. The medium as set forth in claim 7 further comprising searching a virtual snapshot listing directory to identify the obtained virtual snapshot based on one or more factors.

9. The medium as set forth in claim 8 wherein the one or more factors comprise a date range for the virtual snapshot.

10. The medium as set forth in claim 7 wherein the associating is based on a search of virtualization metadata to associate the request to the one or one or more physical snapshots or a search in the one or more physical snapshots for a target identified in the request to associate the request to the one or one or more physical snapshots.

11. The medium as set forth in claim 7 further comprising translating the request for the invocation of the execution of the request at the one of the plurality of data storage systems based on the associating.

12. The medium as set forth in claim 11 wherein the providing the response based on the invoked execution of the request further comprises:

receiving the response from the invoked execution of the request; and

translating the received response to another format suitable for a requesting system which submitted the request; and

providing the translated response to the requesting system.

13. A file virtualization system, comprising:

at least one of configurable hardware logic configured to be capable of implementing or a processor coupled to a memory and configured to execute programmed instructions stored in the memory comprising;

associating a request relating to a file in one of a plurality of data storage systems to one of one or more physical snapshots of one of the plurality of data storage systems in a virtual snapshot;

invoking an execution of the request relating to the file at the one of the plurality of data storage systems based on the associating; and

providing a response based on the invoked execution of the request.

14. The system as set forth in claim 13 wherein the identification system searches a virtual snapshot listing directory stored in one or more memory systems to identify the obtained virtual snapshot based on one or more factors.

15. The system as set forth in claim 14 wherein the one or more factors comprise a date range for the virtual snapshot.

16. The system as set forth in claim 13 wherein the association system associates based on a search of virtualization metadata to associate the request to the one or one or more physical snapshots or a search in the one or more physical snapshots for a target identified in the request to associate the request to the one or one or more physical snapshots.

17. The system as set forth in claim 13 wherein the invocation system translates the request for the invocation of the execution of the request at the one of the plurality of data storage systems based on the associating.

18. The system as set forth in claim 17 wherein the invocation system receives and translates the response to another format suitable for a requesting system which submitted the request and the communication system provides the translated response to the requesting system.