Data management systems, data management system storage devices, articles of manufacture, and data management methods

• US 7,657,533 B2
• Filed: 11/26/2003
• Issued: 02/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Gold, Stephen, Burose, Harald
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong; Don
• Assistant Examiner(s): DANG, THANH HA T
• Application Number:
  US10/723,949
• Publication Number:
  US 20050114408A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,260 Days
• Field of Search: 707/204, 707/203, 707/10, 707/101, 707/202, 707/205
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1451 by selection of backup contents
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1456 Hardware arrangements for backup
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1464 for networked environments
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1469 Backup restoration techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/80 Database-specific techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/065 Replication mechanisms

Abstract

Data management systems, data management system storage devices, articles of manufacture, and data management methods are described. According to one embodiment, a data management system includes a plurality of storage devices individually comprising a physical storage space, wherein the physical storage space of one of the storage devices is configured to store a baseline version of a data object and the physical storage space of an other of the storage devices is configured to store a delta version of the data object and processing circuitry configured to control storage operations of at least one of the storage devices, to process a restore request with respect to the data object, to access the delta version from the other of the storage devices responsive to the restore request, and to initiate communication of data of the baseline version and the delta version of the data object to a computer system.

Claims

1. A data management system comprising:

a plurality of storage devices individually comprising a physical storage space, wherein the physical storage space of a first storage device of the plurality of storage devices is configured to store a baseline version of a data object and the physical storage space of a second storage device of the plurality of storage devices is configured to store at least one of a plurality of delta versions of the data object in response to a determination that available storage space on at least one of the plurality of storage devices does not currently exist with respect to predefined storage limits; and

processing circuitry configured to control storage operations of at least one of the plurality of storage devices to process a restore request with respect to the data object, to access the delta versions from the second storage device of the plurality of storage devices responsive to the restore request, wherein accessing the delta versions includes querying a tracking database of a cell manager to obtain data indicating storage locations of the delta versions, and to initiate communication of data of the baseline version and the delta versions of the data object to a computer system, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to act as a proxy to extract remotely stored delta versions, wherein restoring the data object includes combining the baseline version of the data object with the remote delta versions of the delta object.

2. The data management system of claim 1, wherein a client agent of the computer system is configured to combine the delta versions with the baseline version to provide a restored version of the data object.

3. The data management system of claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry comprises processing circuitry of the first storage device of the plurality of storage devices which stores the baseline version of the data object.

4. The data management system of claim 3, wherein the the first storage device of the plurality of storage devices is configured to receive at least one of the delta versions from the computer system, and the processing circuitry is configured to forward the at least one of the delta versions to the second storage device of the plurality of storage devices.

5. The data management system of claim 4, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to forward the at least one of the delta versions to the second storage device of the plurality of storage devices responsive to a status of capacity of the first storage device of the plurality of storage devices.

6. The data management system of claim 4, further comprising a database configured to store information regarding storage operations of each of the plurality of storage devices, and wherein the processing circuitry is configured to access the database to obtain a location of the at least one of the delta versions of the data object on the second storage device of the plurality of storage devices responsive to the restore request.

7. The data management system of claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry comprises processing circuitry of a client agent associated with the computer system.

8. The data management system of claim 1, further comprising a local area network configured to communicate at least one of the delta versions intermediate the first storage device of the plurality of storage devices and the second storage device of the plurality of storage devices.

9. The data management system of claim 1, further comprising a storage area network configured to communicate at least one of the delta versions, intermediate the first storage device of the plurality of storage devices and the second storage device of the plurality of storage devices.

10. The data management system of claim 1, wherein the computer system is a host device external of the data management system.

11. The data management system of claim 1, wherein the computer system, is a host device external of the data management system and the computer system is configured to execute an application program to generate the baseline and delta versions of the data object.

12. The data management system of claim 1, wherein the data object comprises a data file.

13. The data management system of claim 1, wherein the data object comprises a data file and the delta version of the data file only comprises changes made to the baseline version of the data file.

14. The data management system of claim 13, wherein the delta version of the data file does not include content of the data file which is unchanged with respect to the baseline version of the data file.

15. The data management system of claim 1, further comprising a client agent of a target computer configured to receive a restored data object.

16. A data management system comprising:

a hardware memory component;

a plurality of storage subsystems;

storage means for storing data corresponding to a plurality of data objects;

processing means for controlling storage operations with respect to the hardware memory component; and

database means for tracking storage locations of data of the data objects in the corresponding plurality of storage subsystems;

wherein the processing means of a first subsystem of the plurality of storage subsystems includes means for controlling the storage of a baseline version of a data object using the storage means corresponding to the first subsystem of the plurality of storage subsystems and means for initiating the storage of a delta version of the data object using a second subsystem of the plurality of storage subsystems;

wherein the database means comprises means for storing information regarding the storage location of the delta version using the second subsystem of the plurality of storage subsystems; and

wherein the processing means outputs the delta version to the second subsystem of the plurality of storage subsystems after determining that insufficient storage capacity exists at the first subsystem of the plurality of storage subsystems to store the delta version, wherein the processing means is further configured to verify storage of the baseline version of data with a manager means for tracking purposes using the database means, wherein the processing means is further configured to query a tracking database of a cell manager to obtain data indicating storage locations for the delta version.

17. The data management system of claim 16, wherein the processing means of the second subsystem of the plurality of storage subsystems comprises means for uncompressing data of the delta version, and means for initiating communication of the uncompressed data of the delta version to the first storage subsystem of the plurality of storage subsystems.

18. The data management system of claim 16, wherein the processing means for the first subsystem of the plurality of storage subsystems comprises means for accessing the database, and means for forwarding a request to the second subsystem of the plurality of storage subsystems to obtain the delta version from the second subsystem of the plurality of storage subsystems responsive to the accessing the database.

19. The data management system of claim 16, wherein the processing means for the first subsystem of the plurality of storage subsystems comprises means for generating a restored version of the data object using the baseline version and the delta version, and means for outputting the restored version of the data object to a computer system.

20. A data management system storage device comprising:

an interface configured to communicate data with respect to other storage devices of a data management system, and to communicate data of a data object with respect to a computer system;

a physical storage space configured to store a baseline version of the data object at an initial moment in time; and

processing circuitry configured to receive a request to store a delta version of the data object at a subsequent moment in time after the initial moment in time, to obtain information regarding a capacity of a storage device, and to initiate storage of the delta version of the data object using one of the other storage devices of the data management system responsive to an analysis of the obtained information, wherein the processing circuitry outputs the delta version to the one of the other storage devices after determining that insufficient storage capacity exists at the storage device to store the delta version, the processing circuitry being further configured to verify storage of the baseline version of the data object with a cell manager for tracking purposes using a tracking database, the processing circuitry further configured to query a tracking database of the cell manager to obtain data indicating storage locations of the delta version.

21. The data management system storage device of claim 20, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to access the tracking database to identify a storage location of the delta version, and to output a request to access the delta version to the other storage devices responsive to the accessing the tracking database.

22. The data management system storage device of claim 20, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to combine the delta version with the baseline version to generate a restored version of the data object and to control communicating of the restored version of the data object to the computer system.

23. The data management system storage device of claim 20, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to initiate the storage using the other storage devices responsive to the obtained information indicating insufficient capacity to accommodate storage of the delta version.

24. The data management system storage device of claim 20, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to obtain the information regarding the capacity of the storage device responsive to the request.

25. A computer-readable storage medium that stores a program that, when executed by a computer, causes processing circuitry of a first storage device of a plurality of storage devices of a data management system to:

receive a request to store a baseline version of a data object;

store the baseline version using physical storage space of the the first storage device of the plurality of storage devices;

receive a request to store a delta version of the data object after effecting storage of the baseline version;

access information regarding a storage capacity status of the first storage device of the plurality of storage devices;

determine the first storage device of the plurality of storage devices has insufficient storage capacity to store the delta version;

store the delta version using a second storage device of the plurality of storage devices of the data management system after determining that the storage device of the plurality of storage devices has insufficient storage capacity to store the delta version; and

verify storage of the baseline version of the data object with a cell manager for tracking purposes using a tracking database, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to query the tracking database of the cell manager to obtain data indicating storage locations of the stored delta version.

26. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 25, wherein the program is configured to cause the processing circuitry to access the delta version stored using the second storage device of the plurality of storage devices, and to control communication of data of the baseline version and the delta version to a computer system.

27. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 26, wherein the program is configured to cause the processing circuitry to combine the delta version and the baseline version before the communication.

28. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 25, wherein the program is configured to cause the processing circuitry to initiate the storage responsive to the accessed information indicating insufficient capacity of the first storage device of the plurality of storage devices to accommodate storage of the delta version.

29. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 25, wherein the program further causes the processing circuitry of the first storage device of the plurality of storage devices to access the information regarding the status comprising capacity information of the first storage device of the plurality of storage devices responsive to receiving the request to store the delta version, and wherein the initiation of the storage of the delta version responsive to analysis of the capacity information.

30. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 25, wherein initiating the storage of the delta version using the second storage device of the plurality of storage devices responsive to the information includes indicating that the first storage device of the plurality of storage devices has insufficient capacity to store the delta version.

31. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 25, wherein the program further causes the processing circuitry of the first storage device of the plurality of storage devices to initiate the storage of the delta version using the second storage device of the plurality of storage devices to provide increased storage capacity of the data management system.

32. A data management method comprising:

receiving a baseline version of a data object of a computer system using a first storage device of a plurality of storage devices of a data management system;

storing the baseline version using the first storage device of the plurality of storage devices after the reception of the baseline version;

receiving a request using the one first storage device of the plurality of storage devices, wherein the request comprises a request to store a delta version of the baseline version;

analyzing a capacity of the first storage device of the plurality of storage devices;

determining the first storage device of the plurality of storage devices has insufficient storage capacity to store the delta version;

storing the delta version using a second storage device of the plurality of storage devices after determining that the first storage device of the plurality of storage devices has insufficient storage capacity to store the delta version;

verifying storage of the baseline version of the data object with a cell manager for tracking purposes using a tracking database; and

processing a restore request, wherein processing the restore request includes querying the tracking database of the cell manager to obtain data indicating storage locations of the delta version.

33. The data management method of claim 32, further comprising combining the delta version with the baseline version providing a restored version of the data object.

34. The data management method of claim 33, wherein the combining comprises combining using the first storage device of the plurality of storage devices.

35. The data management method of claim 33, wherein the combining comprises combining using a client agent of the computer system.

36. The data management method of claim 33, further comprising maintaining a database of a stored location of the delta version, and wherein the combining comprises accessing the database using the first storage device of the plurality of storage devices to identify the stored location of the delta version.

37. The data management method of claim 36, further comprising:

outputting a request from the first storage device of the plurality of storage devices to the second storage device of the plurality of storage devices responsive to the identification of the stored location; and

communicating the delta version from the other of the plurality of storage devices to the first storage device of the plurality of storage devices responsive to the request.

38. The data management method of claim 32, further comprising forwarding the delta version from the first storage device of the plurality of storage devices to the second storage device of the plurality of storage devices.

39. The data management method of claim 38, wherein the forwarding comprises forwarding responsive to the determining that an insufficient capacity of the first storage device of the plurality of storage devices exists.