PRIORITIZATION OF DATA ITEMS FOR BACKUP IN A COMPUTING ENVIRONMENT

• US 20140337295A1
• Filed: 07/25/2014
• Published: 11/13/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Haselton, William R., Van Hise, David G.
• Granted Patent: US 10,579,477 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/646
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1451 by selection of backup contents
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1453 using de-duplication of the data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1461 Backup scheduling policy
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1464 for networked environments
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3409 for performance assessment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/122 using management policies backup systems G06F11/1446; file migration policies for HSM systems G06F16/185
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/81 Threshold
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/835 Timestamp
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/29 using a combination of thresholds

Abstract

Described are embodiments of an invention for prioritizing data items for backup in a computing environment. The computing environment includes a plurality of clients coupled through a network to a backup system for backing up items stored locally on the client. Each client includes a continuous data protection (CDP) module that prioritizes the order of files transmitted to the backup system for storage on one or more storage devices based on policy. The CDP module builds an initial backup list and a CDP backup list. The initial backup list includes any item that meets the criteria of the initial backup profile. The CDP backup list includes items that have been modified since the initial backup process began. The data that is the most critical to a user is often the most recently modified data. Thus, the CDP module preferentially performs a backup of items on the CDP backup list.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for prioritizing a backup process in a computing environment having at least one client coupled to a backup system, the method comprising:

performing an initial backup process of an initial backup list of a first client at a preliminary backup rate;

determining if a CDP list of said first client includes at least one CDP item that has been modified during performance of said initial backup process of said first client;

throttling said initial backup process of said initial backup list of said first client below said preliminary backup rate in response to determining that said CDP list includes at least one CDP item that has been modified during performance of said initial backup process of said first client, wherein said throttling said initial backup process comprises at least one of pausing said initial backup process of said initial backup list of said first client and slowing said initial backup process of said initial backup list of said first client below said preliminary backup rate;

performing a CDP backup of said at least one CDP item that has been modified during performance of said initial backup process client while said initial backup process of said initial backup list of said first client is below said preliminary backup rate.

2. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

resuming the performance of said initial backup process of said initial backup list of said first client at said preliminary backup rate in response to determining that said CDP list of said first client does not include at least one CDP item for backup.

3. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

comparing a backup system timestamp of said at least one initial backup item with a client timestamp of said at least one initial backup item; and

transmitting said at least one initial backup item for back up to said backup system only if said client timestamp is more recent than said backup system timestamp.

4. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising wherein the CDP backup list includes a plurality of CDP items, ordering said plurality of CDP items on said CDP backup list according to policy such that said CDP items are backed up preferentially based on said order.

5. The computer implemented method of claim 4, wherein said policy orders said plurality of CDP items on said CDP backup list based on a time of the last modification of said CDP item, such that the most recently modified CDP item is backed up first.

6. The computer implemented method of claim 4, wherein said policy orders said plurality of CDP items on said CDP backup list such that said CDP items which have previously been deduplicated are backed up prior to CDP items which have not been previously deduplicated.

7. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising wherein the initial backup list includes a plurality of initial backup items, ordering said plurality of initial backup items on said initial backup list according to policy such that said initial backup items which have previously been deduplicated are backed up prior to initial backup items which have not been previously deduplicated.

8. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

selecting one item from one of said CDP backup list and said initial backup list of said first client;

determining if a processor utilization of said backup system is less than a processor utilization threshold;

determining if a network usage between said first client and said backup system is greater than a network usage threshold; and

in response to the processor utilization of said backup system being less than said processor utilization threshold and said network usage between said first client and said backup system is greater than said network usage threshold performing compression on said selected item.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having executable instructions stored thereon for causing components of a computing environment to perform a method, wherein the computing environment has at least one client coupled to a backup system, the method comprising:

performing an initial backup process of an initial backup list of a first client at a preliminary backup rate;

determining if a CDP list of said first client includes at least one CDP item that has been modified during performance of said initial backup process of said first client;

throttling said initial backup process of said initial backup list of said first client below said preliminary backup rate in response to determining that said CDP list includes at least one CDP item that has been modified during performance of said initial backup process of said first client, wherein said throttling said initial backup process comprises at least one of pausing said initial backup process of said initial backup list of said first client and slowing said initial backup process of said initial backup list of said first client below said preliminary backup rate;

performing a CDP backup of said at least one CDP item that has been modified during performance of said initial backup process client while said initial backup process of said initial backup list of said first client is below said preliminary backup rate.

10. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, further including instructions for resuming the performance of said initial backup process of said initial backup list of said first client at said preliminary backup rate in response to determining that said CDP list of said first client does not include at least one CDP item for backup.

11. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, further including instructions for:

comparing a backup system timestamp of said at least one initial backup item with a client timestamp of said at least one initial backup item; and

transmitting said at least one initial backup item for back up to said backup system only if said client timestamp is more recent than said backup system timestamp.

12. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, further including instructions for ordering a plurality of CDP items on said CDP backup list according to policy such that said CDP items are backed up preferentially based on said order.

13. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein said policy orders said plurality of CDP items on said CDP backup list based on a time of the last modification of said CDP item, such that the most recently modified CDP item is backed up first.

14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein said policy orders said plurality of CDP items on said CDP backup list such that said CDP items which have previously been deduplicated are backed up prior to CDP items which have not been previously deduplicated.

15. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, further including instructions for ordering a plurality of initial backup items on said initial backup list according to policy such that said initial backup items which have previously been deduplicated are backed up prior to initial backup items which have not been previously deduplicated.

16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, further including instructions for:

selecting one item from one of said CDP backup list and said initial backup list of said first client;

determining if a processor utilization of said backup system is less than a processor utilization threshold;

determining if a network usage between said first client and said backup system is greater than a network usage threshold; and

performing compression on said selected item in response to said processor utilization of said backup system being less than said processor utilization threshold and said network usage between said first client and said backup system is greater than said network usage threshold.

17. A computing environment comprising:

at least one client coupled to a backup system, wherein said at least one client includes a first client, and said first client includes a processor and a memory coupled to said processor;

said memory including computer-readable instructions implemented by said processor to;

perform an initial backup process of an initial backup list of a first client at a preliminary backup;

determine if a CDP list of said first client includes at least one CDP item that has been modified during performance of said initial backup process of said first client;

throttle said initial backup process of said initial backup list of said first client below said preliminary backup rate in response to a determination that said CDP list includes at least one CDP item that has been modified during performance of said initial backup process of said first client, wherein said throttle of said initial backup process comprises at least one of pausing said initial backup process of said initial backup list of said first client and slowing said initial backup process of said initial backup list of said first client below said preliminary backup rate;

perform a CDP backup of said at least one CDP item that has been modified during performance of said initial backup process client while said initial backup process of said initial backup list of said first client is below said preliminary backup rate.

18. The computing environment of claim 17, further comprising the computer-readable instructions implemented by said processor to:

resume the performance of said initial backup process of said initial backup list of said first client at said preliminary backup rate in response to determining that said CDP list of said first client does not include at least one CDP file for backup.

19. The computing environment of claim 17, further comprising the computer-readable instructions implemented by said processor to:

compare a backup system timestamp of said at least one initial backup file with a client timestamp of said at least one initial backup file; and

transmit said at least one initial backup file for back up to said backup system only if said client timestamp is more recent than said backup system timestamp.

20. The computing environment of claim 17, further comprising the computer-readable instructions implemented by said processor to order a plurality of CDP files on said CDP backup list according to policy such that said CDP files are backed up preferentially based on said order.

21. The computing environment of claim 20, further comprising the computer-readable instructions implemented by said processor to order said plurality of CDP files on said CDP backup list based on a time of the last modification of said CDP file, such that the most recently modified CDP file is backed up first.

22. The computing environment of claim 20, further comprising the computer-readable instructions implemented by said processor to order said plurality of CDP files on said CDP backup list such that said CDP files which have previously been deduplicated are backed up prior to CDP files which have not been previously deduplicated.

23. The computing environment of claim 17, further comprising the computer-readable instructions implemented by said processor to order a plurality of initial backup files on said initial backup list according to policy such that said initial backup files which have previously been deduplicated are backed up prior to initial backup files which have not been previously deduplicated.

24. The computing environment of claim 17, further comprising the computer-readable instructions implemented by said processor to:

select one file from one of said CDP backup list and said initial backup list of said first client;

determine if a processor utilization of said backup system is less than a processor utilization threshold;

determine if a network usage between said first client and said backup system is greater than a network usage threshold; and

in response to said

processor utilization of said backup system being less than said processor utilization threshold and said network usage between said first client and said backup system is greater than said network usage threshold perform compression on said selected file.