Flexible hierarchy of relationships and operations in data volumes

• US 7,103,737 B1
• Filed: 07/01/2003
• Issued: 09/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Veritas Technologies, LLC (Whitehouse Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Veritas Operating Corporation (Gen Digital Inc.)
• Inventors: Kiselev, Oleg, Colgrove, John A., Karr, Ronald S., Pendharkar, Niranjan S., Kekre, Anand A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sparks, Donald
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rutz, Jared
• Application Number:
  US10/610,603
• Time in Patent Office: 1,162 Days
• Field of Search: 711/161
• US Class Current: 711/161
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1448 Management of the data involved in backup or backup restore
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1456 Hardware arrangements for backup
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1466 to make the backup process non-disruptive
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1474 in transactions G06F16/20 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/84 Using snapshots, i.e. a logical point-in-time copy of the data
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99955 Archiving or backup

Abstract

Disclosed is an apparatus or method performed by a computer system for creating a hierarchy of data volumes. Each data volume in the hierarchy is a point-in-time (PIT) copy of another data volume in the hierarchy or a PIT copy of a data volume V. In one embodiment of the apparatus or method, the contents of a first data volume in the hierarchy can be refreshed to the contents of a second data volume in the hierarchy such that the first data volume becomes a PIT copy of the second data volume. Before the first data volume is fully refreshed to the contents of the second data volume, data of the first data volume can be read or modified.

Claims

1. A method in a data processing system, comprising:

creating data volumes V_1,1–

V_1,n wherein data volume V_1,1 is created as a point-in-time (PIT) copy of a volume V, wherein each data volume V_1,x of data volumes V_1,2–

V_1,n is created as a PIT copy of data volume V<sub>1,x−

1</sub>, and wherein each of data volumes V_1,1–

V_1,n and V_2,1–

V_2,m are initially created as virtual PIT copies;

creating data volumes V_2,1–

V_2,m wherein data volume V_2,1 is created as a PIT copy of the volume V, and wherein each data volume V_2,y of data volumes V_2,2–

V_2,m is created as a PIT copy of data volume V<sub>2,y−

1</sub>

generating a refresh instruction for refreshing the data contents of data volume V_2,y to the data contents of one of the data volumes V_1,1–

V_1,n;

converting data volume V_2,y from a virtual data volume into a real data volume after generation of the refresh instruction;

modifying first data of data volume V_2,y before the conversion of data volume V_2,y.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein volume V is a primary data volume.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

refreshing the data contents of data volume V_2,y to the data contents of one of the data volumes V_1,1–

V_1,n.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

copying data from one of the data volumes V_1,1–

V_1,n to data volume V_2,y in response to generation of a refresh instruction.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising copying the first data from data volume V_2,y to data volume V_2,y+1 before the modification of data in data volume V_2,y.

6. A computer readable medium storing instructions executable by a computer system, wherein the computer system implements a method in response to executing the instructions, the method comprising:

creating data volumes V_1,1–

V_1,n wherein data volume V_1,1 is created as a point-in-time (PIT) copy of a primary data volume V, and wherein each data volume V_1,x of data volumes V_1,2–

V_1,n is created as a PIT copy of data volume V<sub>1,x−

1</sub>;

creating data volumes V_2,1–

V_2,m wherein data volume V_2,1 is created as a PIT copy of the primary data volume V, and wherein each data volume V_2,y of data volumes V_2,2–

V_2,m is created as a PIT copy of data volume V<sub>2,y−

1</sub>;

wherein data volumes V_1,1–

V_1,n and V_2,1–

V_2,m are initially created as virtual PIT copies;

generating a refresh instruction for refreshing the data contents of data volume V_2,y to the data contents of one of the data volumes V_1,1–

V_1,n;

converting data volume V_2,y from a virtual data volume into a real data volume after generation of the refresh instruction;

modifying first data of data volume V_2,y before the conversion of data volume V_2,y.

7. The computer readable medium of claim 6 wherein the method further comprises:

refreshing the data contents of data volume V_2,y to the data contents of one of the data volumes V_1,1–

V_1,n.

8. The computer readable medium of claim 7 wherein the method further comprises:

copying data from one of the data volumes V_1,1–

V_1,n to data volume V_2,y in response to generation of a refresh instruction.

9. The computer readable medium of claim 6 wherein the method further comprises:

copying data from one of the data volumes V_1,1–

V_1,n to data volume V_2,y in response to generation of the refresh instruction.

10. The computer readable medium of claim 6 wherein the method further comprises:

copying the first data from data volume V_2,y to data volume V_2,y+1 before the modification of data in data volume V_2,y.

11. An apparatus comprising:

one or more memories for storing data volumes;

a circuit for creating data volumes V_1,1–

V_1,n and data volumes V_2,1–

V_2,m in the one or more memories, wherein the first circuit creates data volume V_1,1 as a point-in-time (PIT) copy of a primary data volume V, wherein the circuit creates data volume V_2,1 as a PIT copy of the primary data volume V, wherein each data volume V_1,x of data volumes V_1,2–

V_1,n is created by the first circuit as a PIT copy of data volume V<sub>1,x−

1</sub>, and wherein each data volume V_2,y of data volumes V_2,2–

V_2,m is created by the circuit as a PIT copy of data volume V<sub>2,y−

1</sub>;

a second circuit for generating a refresh instruction for refreshing the data contents of data volume V_2,y to the data contents of one of the data volumes V_1,1–

V_1,n;

a third circuit coupled to the second circuit and the one or more memories, wherein the third circuit is configured to copy data from one of the data volumes V_1,1–

V_1,n to data volume V_2,y in response to generation of the refresh instruction.

12. A computer system comprising:

one or more memories for storing data volumes;

a computer system coupled to the one or more memories;

a memory for storing instructions executable by the computer system, wherein the computer system implements a method in response to executing the instructions, the method comprising;

creating data volumes V_1,1–

V_1,n in the one or more memories, wherein data volume V_1,1 is created as a point-in-time (PIT) copy of a primary data volume V, and wherein each data volume V_1,x of data volumes V_1,2–

V_1,n is created as a PIT copy of data volume V<sub>1,x−

1</sub>;

creating data volumes V_2,1–

V_2,m in the one or more memories, wherein data volume V_2,1 is created as a PIT copy of the primary data volume V, and wherein each data volume V_2,y of data volumes V_2,2–

V_2,m is created as a PIT copy of data volume V<sub>2,y−

1</sub>

refreshing the data contents of data volume V_2,y to the data contents of one of the data volumes V_1,1–

V_1,n.

13. A computer system comprising:

one or more memories for storing data volumes;

a computer system coupled to the one or more memories;

a memory for storing instructions executable by the computer system, wherein the computer system implements a method in response to executing the instructions, the method comprising;

creating data volumes V_1,1–

V_1,n in the one or more memories, wherein data volume V_1,1 is created as a point-in-time (PIT) copy of a primary data volume V, and wherein each data volume V_1,x of data volumes V_1,2–

V_1,n is created as a PIT copy of data volume V<sub>1,x−

1</sub>;

creating data volumes V_2,1–

V_2,m in the one or more memories, wherein data volume V_2,1 is created as a PIT copy of the primary data volume V, and wherein each data volume V_2,y of data volumes V_2,2–

V_2,m is created as a PIT copy of data volume V<sub>2,y−

1</sub>;

generating a refresh instruction for refreshing the data contents of data volume V_2,y to the data contents of one of the data volumes V_1,1–

V_1,n;

copying data from one of the data volumes V_1,1–

V_1,n to data volume V_2,y in response to generation of the refresh instruction.