Automated backup and recovery for content repository

• US 7,693,889 B1
• Filed: 12/28/2005
• Issued: 04/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Emc IP Holding Company LLC (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: EMC Corporation (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Ozekinci, Yasemin Ugur, Owens, Ken, Barrero, Anselmo, Gardner, Brian, Zajac, Suavek, Armorer, Peter, Kilday, Roger W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rones; Charles
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mahmood; Rezwanul
• Application Number:
  US11/321,066
• Time in Patent Office: 1,560 Days
• Field of Search: 707/101, 707/102, 707/200, 707/204, 707/104.1
• US Class Current: 707/653
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1458 Management of the backup or restore process
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1466 to make the backup process non-disruptive
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1469 Backup restoration techniques

Abstract

Performing a backup is disclosed. A first set of data associated with a second set of data is backed up. The first set of data is made available for use before backing up the second set of data. The second set of data is backed up within a prescribed interval after completing the backup of the first set of data. One of the first set of data and the second set data comprises metadata associated with the other of the first set of data and the second set of data and the other comprises one or more items of managed content.

Claims

1. A method of performing a backup, comprising:

using a processor to back up a first set of data associated with a second set of data, wherein the second set of data comprises one or more items of managed content;

making the first set of data available for use for content management functions before backing up the second set of data, wherein the first set of data comprises metadata used for content management functions to manage said one or more items of managed content; and

using a processor to back up the second set of data within a prescribed interval after completing the backup of the first set of data and after the first set of data has been made available for use, wherein;

the prescribed interval is determined at least in part by a maximum permissible amount of inconsistency between the first and second sets of data;

backing up the first set of data and backing up the second set of data are performed in a manner that enables the first set and the second set to be restored in a recoverable state of consistency; and

the recoverable state of consistency allows the second set to contain data not associated with the first set but does not allow the first set to inconsistently reference data not contained in the second set.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein backing up the first set is performed at least in part by using a third party database backup utility.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein any inconsistencies in the recoverable state of consistency only includes one or more of the following:

a known inconsistency, a tolerated inconsistency, a non-error causing inconsistency, and an inconsistency generated during the prescribed interval.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein when performing the restore, one or more available restore points are determined, and each restore point is associated with a correlated group of at least two sets of backup data.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the first set of data is made available for use during the backup of the first set of data.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the first set of data is made available for use once the backup of the first set of data has been completed.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the metadata is stored in one or more of the following formats:

a database format, an index data format, and a log data format.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising backing up a third set of data associated with the first set, the second set, or both the first and the second set.

9. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising receiving configuration preferences at least in part used in performing the backup.

10. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the backup is performed periodically, on a prescribed basis, or substantially concurrent with a received indication.

11. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

quiescing the first set of data and the second set of data before backing up the first and the second sets of data;

unquiescing the first set of data when making the first set of data available for use; and

unquiescing the second set of data after the backup of the second set of data.

12. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein quiescing the first set of data includes performing one or more of the following:

preparing the first set of data for creating a consistent backup state, allowing read access to the first set but not allowing updates to the first set, flushing one or more buffers associated with the first set, disabling updates to the first set, and logging data transactions associated with the first set.

13. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein unquiescing the first set of data includes performing one or more of the following:

re-enabling updates, ending transaction logging, and implementing changes requested to the first set while quiesced.

14. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising correlating together the produced backup of the first set and the produced backup of the second set.

17. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the first set of data is stored in a database;

backing up the first set of data includes quiescing the database; and

making the first set of data available for use before backing up the second set of data includes unquiescing the database prior to backing up the one or more items of managed content.

18. The method as recited in claim 17, wherein making available includes allowing updates.

15. A system for performing a backup, comprising:

a processor configured to;

backup a first set of data associated with a second set of data, wherein the second set of data comprises one or more items of managed content;

make the first set of data available for use for content management functions before backup of the second set of data, wherein the first set of data comprises metadata used for content management functions to manage said one or more items of managed content; and

backup the second set of data within a prescribed interval after completing the backup of the first set of data and after the first set of data has been made available for use, wherein;

the prescribed interval is determined at least in part by a maximum permissible amount of inconsistency between the first and second sets of data;

backing up the first set of data and backing up the second set of data are performed in a manner that enables the first set and the second set to be restored in a recoverable state of consistency; and

the recoverable state of consistency allows the second set to contain data not associated with the first set but does not allow the first set to inconsistently reference data not contained in the second set; and

an interface coupled to the processor for communicating with a backup storage.

19. The system as recited in claim 15, wherein any inconsistencies in the recoverable state of consistency only includes one or more of the following:

a known inconsistency, a tolerated inconsistency, a non-error causing inconsistency, and an inconsistency generated during the prescribed interval.

20. The system as recited in claim 15, wherein the processor is further configured to:

quiesce the first set of data and the second set of data before backing up the first and the second sets of data;

unquiesce the first set of data when making the first set of data available for use; and

unquiesce the second set of data after the backup of the second set of data.

16. A computer program product for performing a backup, the computer program product being embodied in a computer readable storage medium and comprising computer instructions for:

backing up a first set of data associated with a second set of data, wherein the second set of data comprises one or more items of managed content;

making the first set of data available for use for content management functions before backing up the second set of data, wherein the first set of data comprises metadata used for content management functions to manage said one or more items of managed content; and

backing up the second set of data within a prescribed interval after completing the backup of the first set of data and after the first set of data has been made available for use, wherein;

the prescribed interval is determined at least in part by a maximum permissible amount of inconsistency between the first and second sets of data;

backing up the first set of data and backing up the second set of data are performed in a manner that enables the first set and the second set to be restored in a recoverable state of consistency; and

the recoverable state of consistency allows the second set to contain data not associated with the first set but does not allow the first set to inconsistently reference data not contained in the second set.

21. The computer program product as recited in claim 16, wherein any inconsistencies in the recoverable state of consistency only includes one or more of the following:

a known inconsistency, a tolerated inconsistency, a non-error causing inconsistency, and an inconsistency generated during the prescribed interval.

22. The computer program product as recited in claim 16, further comprising computer instructions for:

quiescing the first set of data and the second set of data before backing up the first and the second sets of data;

unquiescing the first set of data when making the first set of data available for use; and

unquiescing the second set of data after the backup of the second set of data.