Ensuring data persistence and consistency in enterprise storage backup systems

• US 7,634,507 B2
• Filed: 08/30/2006
• Issued: 12/15/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: InMage Systems, Inc. (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Kumar, Satish, Gottemukkula, Yeganjaiah, Paygude, Kishor, Atluri, Rajeev, Kumar, Srin, Inala, Suman, Zavertnik, Greg
• Primary Examiner(s): Vital; Pierre M
• Assistant Examiner(s): EHICHIOYA, IRETE FRED
• Application Number:
  US11/513,556
• Publication Number:
  US 20080059542A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,203 Days
• Field of Search: 707/1, 707/100, 707/200, 709/217, 709/219, 709/224, 711/161, 711/162
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1471 involving logging of persistent data for recovery
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2038 with a single idle spare processing component
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2048 where the redundant components share neither address space nor persistent storage
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/82 Solving problems relating to consistency ensuring consistency in mirrored systems G06F11/2064

Abstract

Ensuring data persistence and consistency in enterprise storage backup systems method and apparatus are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method includes creating a data log structure (e.g., a log file) on a storage device (e.g., a Serial ATA drive, a SCSI drive, a SAS drive, a storage are network, etc) coupled to an application server to store a backup data generated by a filter module in a continuous backup environment and buffering the backup data generated by the filter module through a memory module that transfers the backup data to the data log structure on the storage device based on an occurrence of an event. The data log structure may be created by configuring a portion of the storage device as a dedicated resource available to the memory module to copy the backup data and the data log structure may be a file on the storage device coupled to the application server having the file system.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

creating a data log structure on a storage device coupled to an application server to store a backup data generated by a filter module in a continuous backup environment;

buffering the backup data generated by the filter module through a memory module that transfers the backup data to the data log structure on the storage device based on an occurrence of an event;

utilizing a paged memory of the memory module to buffer the backup data when a storage capacity of the memory module crosses a memory threshold in the continuous backup environment;

distinguishing a write associated to the paged memory from at least one of the backup data and the data write of the application server at the filter module using the detection algorithm when the paged memory accesses at least one of a page file and a swap volume on the storage device to buffer the backup data; and

allowing the write associated to the paged memory to pass through the filter module to prevent at least one of a system crash and the recursion loop that occurs when the filter module makes the redundant copy of the write during the transition of the write associated to the paged memory to the at least one of the page file and the swap volume on the storage device.

2. A method, comprising:

creating a data log structure on a storage device coupled to an application server to store a backup data generated by a filter module in a continuous backup environment;

buffering the backup data generated by the filter module through a memory module that transfers the backup data to the data log structure on the storage device based on an occurrence of an event;

extracting a meta-data information associated to the data write of the application server to ascertain a location of the data write when the data write of the application server is received by the filter module;

comparing the meta-data information of a particular data write to the meta-data information of a plurality of data writes to detect an overlapping pattern of the particular data write with other data write in the storage device;

performing a memory optimization when the storage capacity of the memory module crosses the memory threshold by retaining the particular data write when the particular data write exhibits the overlapping pattern;

utilizing a paged memory of the memory module to buffer the backup data when a storage capacity of the memory module crosses a memory threshold in the continuous backup environment;

distinguishing a write associated to the paged memory from at least one of the backup data and the data write of the application server at the filter module using the detection algorithm when the paged memory accesses at least one of a page file and a swap volume on the storage device to buffer the backup data;

and allowing the write associated to the paged memory to pass through the filter module to prevent at least one of a system crash and the recursion loop that occurs when the filter module makes the redundant copy of the write during the transition of the write associated to the paged memory to the at least one of the page file and the swap volume on the storage device.

3. A system comprising:

a data log module to create a data log structure on a storage device coupled to an application server to store a backup data generated by a filter module in a continuous backup environment;

the filter module to extract a descriptor information from a data write of the application server to position a pointer data in the memory buffer based on an analysis of the descriptor information such that the pointer data corresponds to an event data of the application server;

wherein the filter module coupled to a memory module to dump a backlog of data write of the application server to the data log structure resident on the application server to prevent the data loss triggered by the unplanned shut down event;

a buffer module to buffer the backup data generated by the filter module through the memory module that transfers the backup data to the data log structure on the storage device based on an occurrence of an event;

a paged memory of the memory module to buffer the backup data when a storage capacity of the memory module crosses a memory threshold in the continuous backup environment;

a discern module to distinguish a write associated to the paged memory from at least one of the backup data and the data write of the application server at the filter module using a detection algorithm when the paged memory accesses at least one of a page file and a swap volume on the storage device to buffer the backup data; and

a pass module to allow the write associated to the paged memory to pass through the filter module to prevent at least one of a system crash and a recursion loop that occurs when the filter module makes the redundant copy of the write during the transition of the write associated to the paged memory to the at least one of the page file and the swap volume on the storage device;

an extract module to extract a meta-data information associated to the data write of the application server to ascertain a location of the data write when the data write of the application server is received by the filter module;

a compare module to compare the meta-data information of a particular data write to the meta-data information of a plurality of data writes to detect an overlapping pattern of the particular data write with other data write in the storage device; and

a memory optimization module to perform a memory optimization when the storage capacity of the memory module crosses the memory threshold by retaining the particular data write when the particular data write exhibits the overlapping pattern.