MANAGING STRUCTURED DATA IN A DATA STORAGE SYSTEM
First Claim
1. An information management system comprising:
- a client computing system comprising computer hardware and having a database application executing thereon configured to generate structured database data which is stored on one or more storage devices in a primary storage subsystem, wherein the database application organizes the database data as a plurality of data blocks and metadata associated with the plurality of data blocks; and
one or more secondary storage controller computers including computing hardware configured to copy data between the primary storage subsystem and a secondary storage subsystem;
the client computing system further configured to;
map the stored database data into a plurality of data extents, each data extent comprising data blocks and metadata associated with the data blocks;
store a mapping of the data extents to the to the data blocks and the metadata associated with the data blocks;
monitor the one or more storage devices in the primary storage subsystem to identify when the database application modifies the metadata associated with the data blocks, but the data blocks remain unchanged;
in response to instructions to create a secondary copy of the database data on the one or more storage devices the primary storage subsystem;
identify modified metadata where the data blocks associated with the modified metadata remain unchanged; and
forward the modified metadata to the one or more secondary storage controller computers without forwarding unchanged data blocks associated with the modified metadata.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
According to certain aspects, a client computing system can be configured to map stored database data into a plurality of second data units having a second level of granularity larger than first data units; store a mapping of the second data units to the first data units; monitor writes to the database data by the database application; identify of the writes changed first data units of the first data units which have changed as a result of the writes; use the mapping to identify changed second data units of the second data units which each include at least one of the changed first data units; maintain a table listing the changed second data units; and in response to instructions to create a secondary copy of the database data, consult the table to identify the changed second data units, and forward the changed second data units to secondary storage controller computer(s).
57 Citations
20 Claims
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1. An information management system comprising:
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a client computing system comprising computer hardware and having a database application executing thereon configured to generate structured database data which is stored on one or more storage devices in a primary storage subsystem, wherein the database application organizes the database data as a plurality of data blocks and metadata associated with the plurality of data blocks; and one or more secondary storage controller computers including computing hardware configured to copy data between the primary storage subsystem and a secondary storage subsystem; the client computing system further configured to; map the stored database data into a plurality of data extents, each data extent comprising data blocks and metadata associated with the data blocks; store a mapping of the data extents to the to the data blocks and the metadata associated with the data blocks; monitor the one or more storage devices in the primary storage subsystem to identify when the database application modifies the metadata associated with the data blocks, but the data blocks remain unchanged; in response to instructions to create a secondary copy of the database data on the one or more storage devices the primary storage subsystem; identify modified metadata where the data blocks associated with the modified metadata remain unchanged; and forward the modified metadata to the one or more secondary storage controller computers without forwarding unchanged data blocks associated with the modified metadata. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method of backing up application data in an information management system, the method comprising:
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using a client computing system comprising computer hardware and having a database application executing thereon configured to generate structured database data which is stored on one or more storage devices in a primary storage subsystem, wherein the database application organizes the database data as a plurality of data blocks and metadata associated with the plurality of data blocks; mapping the stored database data into a plurality of data extents, each data extent comprising data blocks and metadata associated with the data blocks; storing a mapping of the data extents to the data blocks and the metadata associated with the data blocks; monitoring the one or more storage devices in the primary storage subsystem to identify when the database application modifies the metadata associated with the data blocks, but the data blocks remain unchanged; in response to instructions to create a secondary copy of the database data on the one or more storage devices the primary storage subsystem; identifying modified metadata where the data blocks associated with the modified metadata remain unchanged; and forwarding the modified metadata to one or more secondary storage controller computers without forwarding unchanged data blocks associated with the modified metadata; and using the one or more secondary storage controller computers, copying the forwarded second data units to one or more storage devices in the secondary storage subsystem. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification