Method and system for providing common coordination and administration of multiple snapshot providers

• US 6,708,227 B1
• Filed: 04/24/2000
• Issued: 03/16/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Zhigu Holdings Limited
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Golds, David P., Steiner, Stefan R., Oltean, Paul, Cabrera, Luis Felipe
• Primary Examiner(s): Follansbee, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): BULLOCK JR, LEWIS ALEXANDER
• Application Number:
  US09/556,533
• Time in Patent Office: 1,422 Days
• Field of Search: 709/328, 709/331, 709/332, 709/310, 709/223-226, 709/229, 709/201-203, 709/104, 711/161, 711/162
• US Class Current: 719/328
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1438 Restarting or rejuvenating
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1451 by selection of backup contents
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/84 Using snapshots, i.e. a logical point-in-time copy of the data

Abstract

A service specified by an application programming interface (API) acts as a coordinator/manager of different volume snapshot providers and an administrator of snapshot providers. The API acts to standardize protocols used in connection with different snapshot providers. An Interface Volume Snapshot Service Coordinator (VSSC) with appropriate API calls is provided, which is used to coordinate and administer multiple snapshot providers as well as maintain other snapshot information. The VSSC achieves this coordination and administration whether or not the snapshot providers are hardware-based, software-based or based in a combination of different underlying technologies. The VSSC thus performs coordination and administration operations, in addition to other operations relating to snapshot providers.

Claims

1. A computer system, comprising:

plurality of snapshot providers;

a service; and

a volume snapshot service coordinator with communications according to an application programming interface (API),

wherein said service requests a snapshot set, said volume snapshot service coordinator coordinates and administers the performance of said snapshot set by at least one of said plurality of snapshot providers and the delivery of said snapshot set to said service.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein snapshot set identification information is associated with said snapshot set.

3. A system according to claim 2, wherein said snapshot set identification information includes a snapshot set ID and one or more of a snapshot service provider ID.

4. A system according to claim 2, wherein said snapshot set identification information is communicated to said service with said snapshot set.

5. A system according to claim 1, wherein said volume snapshot service coordinator standardizes error messaging communications between said service and said coordinator.

6. A system according to claim 1, wherein a snapshot provider of said plurality of snapshot providers is a software-based provider.

7. A system according to claim 1, wherein a snapshot provider of said plurality of snapshot providers is a hardware-based provider.

8. A system according to claim 1, wherein a snapshot provider of said plurality of snapshot providers is a snapshot provider that makes calls to and communicates with another snapshot provider.

9. A system according to claim 1, wherein said service is a backup service.

10. A method for standardizing communications between a service and a plurality of snapshot providers including the acts of:

the service requesting a snapshot set according to a standard protocol;

determining which of a plurality of snapshot providers will provide snapshots for the snapshot set;

performing the snapshots with said snapshot providers determined according to said determining; and

aggregating the performed snapshots to form said snapshot set.

11. A method according to claim 10, further comprising communicating said snapshot set to said service.

12. A method according to claim 10, further comprising determining snapshot set identification information for association with said snapshot set.

13. A method according to claim 12, further comprising communicating said snapshot set and snapshot set identification information to said service.

14. A method according to claim 10, further comprising storing said snapshot set and snapshot set identification information.

15. A method according to claim 10, further comprising communicating error messaging information to said service according to said standard protocol.

16. A method according to claim 10, wherein a coordinator object interfaces communications between said service to said plurality of snapshot providers.

17. A method according to claim 10, wherein communications between said service and a coordinator object are formatted according to an application programming interface.

18. A method according to claim 10, wherein said snapshot providers include a software-based provider.

19. A method according to claim 10, wherein said snapshot providers include a hardware-based provider.

20. A method according to claim 10, wherein said snapshot providers include a snapshot provider that makes calls to and communicates with another snapshot provider.

21. A method according to claim 10, wherein said service is a backup service.

22. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for instructing a computer to perform the acts recited in claim 10.

23. A memory for storing data for access in a computing system, comprising:

a data structure for storing snapshot set identification information, the data structure comprising;

an identifier identifying a snapshot set; and

an identifier identifying a snapshot service provider among a plurality of snapshot service providers.

24. An application programming interface (API) for standardizing communications calls for a snapshot set including standardizing communications of snapshot set identification information stored in a data structure, as recited in claim 23.

25. An application programming interface (API) for use in a computer system, wherein said API protocol standardizes communications between a service and a plurality of snapshot service providers via a coordinator object.

26. An API according to claim 25, wherein said API standardizes coordination and administration of snapshots by a plurality of snapshot providers.

27. An API according to claim 25, wherein said API specifies a protocol for snapshot set identification information.

28. An API according to claim 27, wherein said snapshot set identification information includes a snapshot set ID and one or more of a snapshot service provider ID.

29. An API according to claim 25, wherein said API specifies a protocol for error messaging communications between said service and a coordinator object.