Delta partitions for backup and restore

• US 20140214767A1
• Filed: 01/30/2013
• Published: 07/31/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Valtrus Innovations Limited (f/k/a Dolya Holdco 9 Limited) (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Graefe, Goetz, Kuno, Harumi
• Granted Patent: US 9,195,727 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/645
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1451 by selection of backup contents
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/27 Replication, distribution or synchronisation of data between databases or within a distributed database system; Distributed database system architectures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/278 Data partitioning, e.g. horizontal or vertical partitioning

Abstract

Systems and methods of using delta partitions for backup and restore are disclosed. An example method may include after a full backup, separating change information from static information. The method may also include concentrating the change information in a delta partition prior to a differential backup. The method may also include incrementally backing up only the delta partition during the differential backup.

Claims

1. A method of using delta partitions for backup and restore, comprising:

after a full backup, separating change information from static information;

concentrating the change information in a delta partition prior to a differential backup; and

incrementally backing up only the delta partition during the differential backup.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising creating a new delta partition after each full backup.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising converting backed up delta partitions to read-only status.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising maintaining at least two delta partitions, one of the delta partitions including most recent updates and another one of the delta partitions providing access to records and recent past versions.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising managing deletions by inserting tombstone records in the delta partition.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising merging all multiple delta partitions immediately preceding full backups.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising merging multiple recent delta partitions immediately preceding differential backups.

8. A system using delta partitions for backup and restore, comprising:

a backup manager conducting a full backup and a differential backup of stored information;

a separator operating on the stored information between the full backup and the differential backup to separate change information from static information; and

a concentrator to store the change information in a delta partition prior to the differential backup, wherein the backup manager only backs up the delta partition during the differential backup.

9. The system of claim 8, further comprising a new delta partition for each full backup.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein backed up delta partitions are converted to read-only status.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein at least one delta partition includes most recent updates and at least one delta partition provides access to records and recent past versions.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein all delta partitions are merged immediately preceding full backups.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein multiple recent delta partitions are merged immediately preceding differential backups.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the stored information is in a B-tree, and the delta partition is a dedicated partition for maintaining change information in the B-tree.

15. The system of claim 8, wherein the stored information includes indexes stored on pages in a database structure, and the delta partition is a dedicated page in the database structure.

16. The system of claim 8, further comprising a query engine to locate records satisfying a query predicate, the query predicate indicating the change information, wherein the located records are automatically merged into the delta partition.

17. A system including machine readable instructions stored as program code on a non-transient computer readable medium, the machine readable instructions executable by a processor to:

separate change information from static information following a full backup;

concentrate the change information in a delta partition prior to a differential backup; and

back up only the delta partition during the differential backup.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the stored information is in a B-tree, and the delta partition is a dedicated partition for maintaining change information in the B-tree.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the stored information includes indexes stored on pages in a database structure, and the delta partition is a dedicated page in the database structure.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the machine readable instructions are further executable by the processor to locate records satisfying a query predicate, the query predicate indicating the change information, wherein the located records are automatically merged into the delta partition.