UTILIZING SNAPSHOTS FOR ACCESS TO DATABASES AND OTHER APPLICATIONS

• US 20130262387A1
• Filed: 03/10/2013
• Published: 10/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CommVault Systems Incorporated
• Original Assignee: CommVault Systems Incorporated
• Inventors: Varadharajan, Prakash, Bansod, Ketan, Kumarasamy, Paramasivam, Nallathambi, Vimal Kumar, Vallabhaneni, Brahmaiah
• Granted Patent: US 9,092,500 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/639
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3664 Environments for testing or debugging software
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/214 Database migration support
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/275 Synchronous replication

Abstract

A method and system for utilizing snapshots to provide copies of a database or other application or large data structure to computing devices receives a request for access to a copy of a database, and performs a snapshot of a storage volume containing the requested database. The system then clones the snapshot and mounts the snapshot to a computing device, thus enabling the computing device to access a copy of the database. In some examples, the system automatically updates copies of a database on a scheduled basis (e.g., daily or weekly basis) to refresh a database regularly.

Claims

1. A computing device for providing access to a database within a testing environment, the computing device comprising:

memory having multiple instructions; and

a processor coupled to the memory and, in response to executing the instructions, configured to execute;

a snapshot component,

wherein the snapshot component is configured to create a clone of a snapshot, and

wherein the snapshot is of a volume of data containing software build data; and

a management component configured to mount the clone of the snapshot to a virtual device to provide the virtual device, within a testing environment, with access to the database

wherein providing the virtual device with access to the database enables the virtual device to manipulate the clone of the snapshot of the software build data, without affecting the volume of data containing the build data, and,

wherein the volume of data is a data storage device that is external to the computing device.

2. The computing device of claim 1, further configured to execute:

a request component, wherein the request component is configured to provide a user interface to the virtual device within the test environment that—

lists versions of the software build data available to be accessed by the virtual device and

receives a selection of an available version of the software build data to be accessed by the virtual device.

3. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the snapshot component is configured to cause a snapshot mechanism associated with the external array to create the snapshot of the volume of data containing the software build data.

4. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the management component is configured to implement a prescribed schedule for refreshing the software build data.

5. A computer-implementable method for providing a database to a computing device associated with a test user, the method comprising:

receiving a request from the computing device to access the database, wherein the database is within a group of databases;

performing a snapshot operation of a volume containing the requested database and cloning a resultant snapshot to create a clone snapshot,

wherein the snapshot and the clone snapshot are both state representations of the volume at a specific point in time;

mounting the clone snapshot to the computing device requesting access to the database; and

providing the computing device with access to the database via the mounted clone snapshot.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

receiving an indication of a database refresh schedule; and

automatically repeating the steps of performing a snapshot operation, cloning a snapshot, mounting a snapshot, and providing access to the database in accordance with the indicated database refresh schedule.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

capturing and playing back logs to bring the database and the mounted clone snapshot into a consistent state.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the volume containing the requested database is contained by a storage array in communication with the computing device over a network;

and

wherein a hardware snapshot mechanism associated with the storage array performs the snapshot operation of the volume containing the requested database.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein the volume containing the requested database is contained by a storage array in communication with the computing device over a network;

and

wherein a software snapshot mechanism associated with a data storage system that stores data to the storage array performs the snapshot operation of the volume containing the requested database.

10. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

deleting the mounted clone snapshot after the mounted clone snapshot is dismounted from the computing device.

11. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

providing a user interface presenting a list of accessible databases within the group of databases; and

wherein receiving the request from the computing device to access the database within the group of databases includes receiving the request via the provided user interface.

12. At least one non-transitory computer-readable medium whose contents, when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform a method of providing a database to a testing machine, comprising:

receiving a request from a testing machine to access a database within a group of databases;

performing a snapshot operation of a volume containing the requested database to create a snapshot and a clone of the snapshot;

mounting the clone snapshot to the testing machine requesting access to the database; and

providing the testing machine with access to the database via the mounted clone snapshot.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, further comprising:

receiving an indication of a database refresh schedule; and

automatically repeating the steps of performing a snapshot operation, cloning a snapshot, mounting a snapshot, and providing access, in accordance with the indicated database refresh schedule.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, further comprising:

capturing and playing back logs to bring the database and the mounted clone snapshot into a synchronized state.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the volume containing the requested database is contained by a storage array in communication with the testing machine over a network;

and

wherein a hardware snapshot mechanism associated with the storage array performs the snapshot operation of the volume containing the requested database.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the volume containing the requested database is contained by a storage array in communication with the computing device over a network;

and

wherein a software snapshot mechanism associated with a data storage system that stores data to the storage array performs the snapshot operation of the volume containing the requested database.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, further comprising:

deleting the snapshot after the snapshot is dismounted from the testing machine.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, further comprising:

providing a user interface presenting a list of accessible databases within the group of databases;

wherein receiving the request from the testing machine to access the database within the group of databases includes receiving the request via the provided user interface.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, further comprising:

providing a virtual software build environment accessible from the testing machine, wherein mounting the clone snapshot to the testing machine includes;

mounting the clone snapshot to a virtual machine in the virtual software build environment, and

connecting the virtual machine to the testing machine to enable a user of the testing machine to access the clone snapshot.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein providing the testing machine with access to the database via the mounted clone snapshot enables the testing machine to perform quality assurance operations on the database.