Method and system for building a database from backup data images
First Claim
1. A method for building a database from stored data images, comprising:
- receiving an identification of a previously-stored target backup image from any of one or more previously-stored data backup images, wherein the target backup image identifies a previous complete database and includes a copy of at least one table space of data from the previous complete database and description information that describes the previous complete database, wherein the description information includes a set of table space definitions describing a table space structure of the previous complete database;
receiving a list specifying a plurality of desired table spaces of data from the previous complete database to be included in a built database, the list specifying only a subset of the table spaces of the previous complete database;
restoring the desired table spaces from the one or more previously-stored data backup images to create the built database using the description information in the target backup image, the one or more previously-stored data backup images being a backup of the data and not being used in operating the previous complete database, wherein the built database is a partial database including only the subset of table spaces and is a newly-created database including the structure provided for the previous complete database, and wherein restoring the desired table spaces includes using the set of table space definitions in the target backup image to determine a table space structure for the built database, and retrieving and using the description information from the target backup image,at least one of the desired table spaces being included in the target backup image and being restored from the target backup image to the built database, wherein one of the one or more previously-stored data backup images is the target backup image, and wherein a desired point in time of a structure of the built database is equal to a point in time of storage of the target backup image,the target backup image not including all of the desired table spaces for the built database, and wherein the description information retrieved from the target backup image includes a recovery history file describing the one or more previously-stored data backup images that include the desired table spaces, at least one of the previously-stored data backup images including the desired table spaces which are not in the target backup image,a copy of the recovery history file being included in each of the one or more previously-stored data backup images, each copy of the recovery history file describing the target backup image and all of the one or more previously-stored data backup images storing all of the data of the previous complete database, wherein each copy of the recovery history file includes information identifying the following;
a) each of all table spaces of the previous complete database that were stored in corresponding data backup images,b) each of the corresponding data backup images in which each of the table spaces of the previous complete database was stored, andc) each point in time that each of the corresponding data backup images of the previous complete database were backed up; and
wherein restoring the desired table spaces includes scanning the recovery history file of the target backup image to determine desired backup images that include the desired table spaces not included in the target backup image, and restoring the desired backup images to the built database.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Building a database from stored backup data images. In one aspect, an identification of a target image is received, the target image including a copy of a logical storage unit of data from a previous database and description information that describes the previous database. The target image holds a copy of a subset of the data of the previous database. A received list has at least one desired logical storage unit of data from the previous database to be included in a built database. The desired logical storage unit is restored from at least one stored data image to the built database using the description information in the target image. Other aspects include the target image being a database image, and the desired logical storage units of data being a subset of database data.
44 Citations
19 Claims
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1. A method for building a database from stored data images, comprising:
- receiving an identification of a previously-stored target backup image from any of one or more previously-stored data backup images, wherein the target backup image identifies a previous complete database and includes a copy of at least one table space of data from the previous complete database and description information that describes the previous complete database, wherein the description information includes a set of table space definitions describing a table space structure of the previous complete database;
receiving a list specifying a plurality of desired table spaces of data from the previous complete database to be included in a built database, the list specifying only a subset of the table spaces of the previous complete database; restoring the desired table spaces from the one or more previously-stored data backup images to create the built database using the description information in the target backup image, the one or more previously-stored data backup images being a backup of the data and not being used in operating the previous complete database, wherein the built database is a partial database including only the subset of table spaces and is a newly-created database including the structure provided for the previous complete database, and wherein restoring the desired table spaces includes using the set of table space definitions in the target backup image to determine a table space structure for the built database, and retrieving and using the description information from the target backup image, at least one of the desired table spaces being included in the target backup image and being restored from the target backup image to the built database, wherein one of the one or more previously-stored data backup images is the target backup image, and wherein a desired point in time of a structure of the built database is equal to a point in time of storage of the target backup image, the target backup image not including all of the desired table spaces for the built database, and wherein the description information retrieved from the target backup image includes a recovery history file describing the one or more previously-stored data backup images that include the desired table spaces, at least one of the previously-stored data backup images including the desired table spaces which are not in the target backup image, a copy of the recovery history file being included in each of the one or more previously-stored data backup images, each copy of the recovery history file describing the target backup image and all of the one or more previously-stored data backup images storing all of the data of the previous complete database, wherein each copy of the recovery history file includes information identifying the following; a) each of all table spaces of the previous complete database that were stored in corresponding data backup images, b) each of the corresponding data backup images in which each of the table spaces of the previous complete database was stored, and c) each point in time that each of the corresponding data backup images of the previous complete database were backed up; and wherein restoring the desired table spaces includes scanning the recovery history file of the target backup image to determine desired backup images that include the desired table spaces not included in the target backup image, and restoring the desired backup images to the built database. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 17)
- receiving an identification of a previously-stored target backup image from any of one or more previously-stored data backup images, wherein the target backup image identifies a previous complete database and includes a copy of at least one table space of data from the previous complete database and description information that describes the previous complete database, wherein the description information includes a set of table space definitions describing a table space structure of the previous complete database;
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7. A computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium including program instructions implemented by a computer system for building a database from stored data images, the program instructions for:
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receiving an identification of a previously-stored target backup image from any of one or more previously-stored data backup images, wherein the target backup image identifies a previous complete database and includes a copy of at least one table space of data from the previous complete database and description information that describes the previous complete database, wherein the description information includes a set of table space definitions describing a table space structure of the previous complete database; receiving a list specifying a plurality of desired table spaces of data from the previous complete database to be included in a built database, the list specifying only a subset of the table spaces of the previous complete database; restoring the desired table spaces from the one or more previously-stored data backup images to create the built database using the description information in the target backup image, the one or more previously-stored data backup images being a backup of the data and not being used in operating the previous complete database, wherein the built database is a partial database including only the subset of table spaces and is a newly-created database including the structure provided for the previous complete database, and wherein restoring the desired table spaces includes using the set of table space definitions in the target backup image to determine a table space structure for the built database, and retrieving and using the description information from the target backup image, at least one of the desired table spaces being included in the target backup image and being restored from the target backup image to the built database, wherein one of the one or more previously-stored data backup images is the target backup image, and wherein a desired point in time of a structure of the built database is equal to a point in time of storage of the target backup image, the target backup image not including all of the desired table spaces for the built database, and wherein the description information retrieved from the target backup image includes a recovery history file describing the one or more previously-stored data backup images that include the desired table spaces, at least one of the previously-stored data backup images including the desired table spaces which are not in the target backup image, a copy of the recovery history file being included in each of the one or more previously-stored data backup images, each copy of the recovery history file describing the target backup image and all of the one or more previously-stored data backup images storing all of the data of the previous complete database, wherein each copy of the recovery history file includes information identifying the following; a) each of all table spaces of the previous complete database that were stored in corresponding data backup images, b) each of the corresponding data backup images in which each of the table spaces of the previous complete database was stored, and c) each point in time that each of the corresponding data backup images of the previous complete database were backed up; and wherein restoring the desired table spaces includes scanning the recovery history file of the target backup image to determine desired backup images that include the desired table spaces not included in the target backup image, and restoring the desired backup images to the built database. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 18)
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12. A system for building a database from stored data images, the system comprising:
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a memory; a database for storing a built database;
data storage that stores a target backup image, wherein the target backup image is any of one or more previously-stored data backup images and identifies a previous complete database and includes a copy of at least one table space of data from the previous complete database and description information that describes the previous complete database, wherein the description information includes a set of table space definitions describing a table space structure of the previous complete database;a build processor in communication with the database and the data storage, the build processor operative to receive an identification of the target backup image and a list specifying a plurality of desired table spaces of data from the previous complete database to be included in a built database, the list specifying only a subset of the table spaces of the previous complete database, wherein the build processor restores the desired table spaces from the one or more previously-stored data backup images to create the built database using the description information in the target backup image, the one or more previously-stored data backup images being a backup of the data and not being used in operating the previous complete database, wherein the built database is a partial database including only the subset of table spaces and is a newly-created database including the structure provided for the previous complete database, and wherein restoring the desired table spaces includes using the set of table space definitions in the target backup image to determine a table space structure for the built database, and retrieving and using the description information from the target backup image, at least one of the desired table spaces being included in the target backup image and being restored from the target backup image to the built database, wherein one of the one or more previously-stored data backup images is the target backup image, and wherein a desired point in time of a structure of the built database is equal to a point in time of storage of the target backup image, the target backup image not including all of the desired table spaces for the built database, and wherein the description information retrieved from the target backup image includes a recovery history file describing the one or more previously-stored data backup images that include the desired table spaces, at least one of the previously-stored data backup images including the desired table spaces which are not in the target backup image, a copy of the recovery history file being included in each of the one or more previously-stored data backup images, each copy of the recovery history file describing the target backup image and all of the one or more previously-stored data backup images storing all of the data of the previous complete database, wherein each copy of the recovery history file includes information identifying the following; a) each of all table spaces of the previous complete database that were stored in corresponding data backup images, b) each of the corresponding data backup images in which each of the table spaces of the previous complete database was stored, and c) each point in time that each of the corresponding data backup images of the previous complete database were backed up; and wherein the build processor restores the desired table spaces including scanning the recovery history file of the target backup image to determine desired backup images that include the desired table spaces not included in the target backup image, and restoring the desired backup images to the built database. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 19)
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Specification