Method and system for providing a file system overlay

• US 7,437,387 B2
• Filed: 08/30/2002
• Issued: 10/14/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: NetApp, Inc.
• Original Assignee: NetApp, Inc.
• Inventors: Trimmer, Don Alvin, Blaser, Rico, Cohen, Gavin David
• Primary Examiner(s): Rones; Charles
• Assistant Examiner(s): Choi; Michele C
• Application Number:
  US10/231,674
• Publication Number:
  US 20040044706A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,237 Days
• Field of Search: 707/200, 707/201, 707/203, 707/204, 707/10, 707/100, 707/1, 711/162, 711/6, 711/112, 703/24
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/10 File systems; File servers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99952 Coherency, e.g. same view to multiple users
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99955 Archiving or backup

Abstract

A method and system wherein a plurality of different file system views may be provided for the same data. Data copied in a sequential format to a disk based repository using a data protection application is decoded so that the data may be presented and accessed using a standard file system view. The standard file system may be used to randomly access the data as desired.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for providing a plurality of different file system views for same data, the method comprising the steps of:

identifying a format used by a data protection application to copy data to a virtual tape library;

selecting a decoder based on the identified format;

processing the data using the selected decoder to extract meta-data from the virtual tape library; and

implementing a file system overlay for the data using the extracted meta-data;

presenting and randomly accessing the data stored in a sequential format using the file system overlay with a standard file system.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the virtual tape library is a disk based repository for storing backup data in the same manner as a physical tape library.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of processing the data further comprises:

reading the data copied to the virtual tape library;

identifying which type of data protection application was used to write the data;

extracting meta-data based on the type of data protection application used to write the data; and

reading the data from the virtual tape library in random access format.

4. A computer implemented method for providing a plurality of different file system views for same data, the method comprising the steps of:

copying data in sequential format to a disk based repository using a data protection application;

identifying which type of data protection application was used to copy the data;

extracting meta-data based on the type of data protection application used to copy the data;

decoding the data copied in sequential format to the disk based repository;

presenting and accessing the data using a standard file system view, wherein the decoding is based on the type of data protection application used to copy the data to the disk based repository;

reading the data copied to the disk based repository in random access format;

and

presenting the data in the standard file system view using a file system overlay wherein the data copied in a sequential format to the disk based repository is randomly accessed using a standard file system.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the data copied to the disk based repository using the data protection application is copied as if the data protection application was copying the data to a physical tape library.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein the disk based repository is a virtual tape library for storing backup data in the same manner as a physical tape library.

7. A computer system for providing a plurality of different file system views for same data, the system comprising:

a disk based repository;

a data protection application configured to copy data in sequential format to the disk based repository;

a decoder configured to decode the data copied in sequential format to the disk based repository, the decoder is selected from a plurality of decoders based on the type of data protection application used to copy the data to the disk based repository; and

wherein data is presented using a file system overlay with a standard file system view to randomly access data copied in a sequential format to the disk based repository with a standard file system.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the disk based repository is a virtual tape library configured to store backup data in the same manner as a physical tape library.