System and method for automatically and dynamically optimizing application data resources to meet business objectives

• US 7,246,254 B2
• Filed: 07/16/2003
• Issued: 07/17/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/16/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Trend Micro Inc.
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Alur, Nagraj Ramachandran, Gogate, Vitthal M., Narang, Inderpal Singh, Routray, Ramani Ranjan, Subramanian, Mahadevan
• Primary Examiner(s): Beausoliel, Robert
• Assistant Examiner(s): PUENTE, EMERSON C
• Application Number:
  US10/621,857
• Publication Number:
  US 20050015641A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,462 Days
• Field of Search: 714/1, 714/2
• US Class Current: 714/2
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1458 Management of the backup or restore process
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1461 Backup scheduling policy
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1469 Backup restoration techniques

Abstract

A system and method to automatically and dynamically optimize available resources to meet application data availability and business objectives. In one embodiment, a backup and data recovery system continually and dynamically adjust to the backup and recovery or restore process depending on the customer'"'"'s environment, workload, and business objectives. Acceptable tolerance of downtime due to recovery and backup impacts the customer'"'"'s business or system operation. From this high-level business requirement, the present system determines the backup and recovery plan details. The present system accepts application data availability policies based on business objectives, and devises, executes and refines a resource optimal backup and recovery strategy required to deliver the desired quality of service in the environments that have dynamically changing application workloads, business objectives, and hardware/software infrastructure technologies. In addition, the present system performs backups outside blocked windows to minimize the impact on the customer'"'"'s system.

Claims

1. A method of dynamically optimizing a plurality of application data resources comprising:

adjusting an execution strategy based on a variable system environment and a variable system workload;

dynamically refining the execution strategy to deliver a contracted quality of service and optimize the plurality of application data resources;

wherein if any one or more of the variable system environment or the variable system workload is determined to potentially adversely or positively impact a guaranteed quality of service, QoS, to be delivered to a system, readjusting the execution strategy to deliver the guaranteed QoS; and

wherein if the variable system environment and the variable system workload are determined to not potentially adversely or positively impact the guaranteed QoS, leaving the execution strategy unchanged and recording the fact the execution strategy has not been changed in response to the variable system environment and workload.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the variable system environment comprises a modified hardware.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the variable system environment comprises a modified software.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the application data resources comprise backup ant restore objects.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the variable workload accounts for the number of queries, transactions, and uses in a system that generates data modifications to the backup and restore objects.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the execution strategy comprises a backup and restore plan.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein adjusting the execution strategy comprises determining if a backup frequency needs to be adjusted, when new objects are added or existing objects are dropped.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein adjusting the execution strategy comprises determining a backup technology to be used.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein adjusting the execution strategy comprises determining a restore technology to be used.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein dynamically refining the execution strategy comprises continuously monitoring and responding to the variable system environment and workload, without client input.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein, dynamically refining the execution strategy comprises refining a coarseness of the execution strategy to improve a guaranteed quality of service, QoS, based on, actual runtime statistics.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the application data resources comprise an eclectic mix of application data resources.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein dynamically refining the execution strategy comprises spanning the execution strategy across multiple systems.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of application data resources are allowable at an application level.

15. A method of dynamically optimizing a plurality of application data resources comprising;

adjusting an execution strategy based on a variable system environment and a variable system workload;

dynamically refining the execution strategy to deliver a contracted quality of service and optimize the plurality of application data resources;

associating a plurality of application dimensions with allowable technologies; and

wherein the plurality of application dimensions comprise;

recovery time, performance impact, data retention, and logical recovery time.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein associating the plurality of application dimensions with allowable technologies comprises introducing a plurality of service offering elements, SOEs, that are associated with each application dimension.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein for each service offering package, SOP, there exists one and only one SOE that is associated with each application dimension;

and

wherein each SOE is associated with at least one allowable technology.

18. A computer program product having a plurality of instruction codes embedded on a computer readable medium for dynamically optimizing a plurality of application data resources, comprising:

a first set of instruction codes for adjusting an execution strategy based on a variable system environment and a variable system workload;

a second set of instruction codes for dynamically refining the execution strategy to deliver a contracted quality of service and optimize the plurality of application data resources;

wherein if any one or more of the variable system environment or the variable system workload is determined to potentially, adversely or positively impact a guaranteed quality of service, QoS, to be delivered to a system, the first set of instruction codes readjusts the execution strategy to deliver the guaranteed QoS; and

wherein if the variable system environment and the variable system workload are determined to not potentially, adversely or positively impact the guaranteed QoS, the first set of instruction codes leaves the execution strategy unchanged, and a third set of instruction codes records the fact that the execution strategy has not been changed in response to the variable system environment and workload.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the execution strategy comprises of backup and restore plan.

20. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the second set of instruction codes refines a coarseness of the execution strategy to improve a guaranteed quality of service, QoS based on actual runtime statistics.

21. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the second set of instruction codes spans the execution strategy across multiple systems.

22. A computer program product having a plurality of instruction codes embedded on a medium for dynamically optimizing a plurality of application data resources, comprising:

a first set of instruction codes for adjusting an execution strategy based on a variable system environment and a variable system workload;

a second set of instruction codes for dynamically refining the execution strategy to deliver a contracted quality of service and optimize the plurality of application data resources;

a third set of instruction codes for associating a plurality of application dimensions with allowable technologies; and

wherein the plurality of application dimensions comprise;

recovery time, performance impact, data retention, and logical recovery time.

23. The computer program product of claim 22, wherein the third set of instruction codes associating the plurality of application dimensions with allowable technologies comprises introducing a plurality of service offering elements, SOEs, that are associated with each application dimension.

24. The computer program product of claim 23, wherein for each service offering package, SOP, there exists one and only one SOE that is associated with each application dimension;

and

wherein each SOE is associated with at least one allowable technology.

25. A system for dynamically optimizing a plurality of application data resources comprising:

a processor

means for adjusting an execution strategy based on a variable system environment and a variable system workload;

means for dynamically refining the execution strategy to deliver a contracted quality of service and optimize the plurality of application data resources;

wherein if any one or more of the variable system environment or the variable system workload is determined to potentially, adversely or positively impact a guaranteed quality of service, QoS, to be delivered to a system, the adjusting means readjusts the execution strategy to deliver the guaranteed QoS; and

wherein if the variable system environment and the variable system workload are determined to not potentially, adversely or positively impact the guaranteed QoS, the adjusting means leaves the execution strategy unchanged and records the fact that the execution strategy has not been changed in response to the variable system environment and workload.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the execution strategy comprises a backup and restore plan.

27. The system of claim 25, wherein the refining means refines a coarseness of the execution strategy to improve a guaranteed quality of service, QoS based on actual runtime statistics.

28. The system of claim 25, wherein the refining means spans the execution strategy across multiple systems.

29. A system for dynamically optimizing a plurality of application data resources, comprising:

a processor

means for adjusting an execution strategy based on a variable system environment and a variably system workload;

means for dynamically refining the execution strategy to deliver a contracted quality of service and optimize the plurality of application data resources;

means for associating a plurality of application dimensions with allowable technologies; and

wherein the plurality of application dimensions comprise;

recover time, performance impact, data retention, and logical recovery time.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein the associating means introduces a plurality offering elements, SOEs, that correspond to each application dimension.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein for each service offering package, SOP, there exists one and only one SOE that is associated with each application dimension;

and

wherein each SOE is associated with at least one allowable technology.