Method, system and computer-readable media for backing up information contained in a database

• US 7,917,472 B2
• Filed: 11/03/2008
• Issued: 03/29/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Objectivity, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Objectivity, Inc.
• Inventors: Persson, Mats Stefan
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, CAM LINH T
• Application Number:
  US12/290,881
• Publication Number:
  US 20100114828A1
• Time in Patent Office: 876 Days
• Field of Search: 707/640, 707644-654
• US Class Current: 707/640
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1451 by selection of backup contents

Abstract

A system, computer-readable media and method for backup one or more databases and restoring one or more databases using incremental backups are provided. Persistent collection objects are generated in the process of performing a database backup. A collection objects may order records, e.g., objects, in relation to and within pluralities of records. These pluralities of records may be referred to, or organized as, pages or containers of pages, comprising software objects. The persistent database backup collection object may include a time and date of a generation of an incremental backup database by a distinguishable and specific database archiving process (“backup event”), an event number of an incremental backup generation, one or more database identifiers, one or more container identifiers, and/or identifiers of individual records, e.g., object identifiers.

Claims

1. In an information technology system, a method of backing up data contained in a federated software database comprising a plurality of software databases each database comprising a plurality of pages of software objects, the method comprising:

creating, by a processor, an initial backup populated with a full backup of the federated database;

setting, by the processor, a backup event counter to an initial event value;

creating, by the processor, an initial backup collection associated with the initial event value, wherein each backed-up object is sorted by database number and page number;

updating, by the processor, a plurality of objects of the federated database;

updating, by the processor, the backup event counter to a first event value;

generating, by the processor, a first incremental backup by storing each page having an object that was updated after the initial backup process into a first incremental backup; and

creating, by the processor, a first incremental backup collection associated with the first event value, wherein each backed-up object of the first incremental backup is sorted by database number and page number, whereby an individual database or page may be restored by reference to the initial backup collection and the first incremental backup collection.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

updating the backup event counter to a second event value;

generating a second incremental backup by storing each page having an object that was updated after first incremental backup process;

creating a second incremental backup collection associated with the second event value, wherein each backed-up object of the second incremental backup is sorted by database number and page number, whereby an individual database or page may be restored by reference to the initial backup collection and the first incremental backup collection.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

organizing separate pluralities of pages within each database into containers;

assigning unique container identifiers, each container identifier unique with a comprising database;

expanding the initial backup collection and the first incremental backup collection to include container numbers of each stored page; and

additionally sorting the initial backup collection and the first incremental backup by container identifiers, whereby an individual database or page may be restored by reference to the initial backup collection and the first incremental backup collection.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

capturing a time stamp of each backup population event;

expanding the initial backup collection and the first incremental backup collection to include a relevant time stamp of backup generation; and

additionally sorting the initial backup collection and the first incremental backup by time stamp, whereby an individual database or page may be restored by reference to the initial backup collection and the first incremental backup collection.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

assigning an initial database version number to each database upon creation of the initial backup;

incrementing each database version number when a software object comprised with an associated database is updated;

expanding the initial backup collection and the first incremental backup collection to include the initial database version number of each stored page; and

additionally sorting the initial backup collection and the first incremental backup by data base version number, whereby an individual database or page may be restored by reference to the initial backup collection and the first incremental backup collection.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

assigning an initial page version number to each page upon creation of the initial backup;

incrementing each page version number when a software object comprised with an associated page is updated;

expanding the initial backup collection and the first incremental backup collection to include the page version number of each stored page; and

additionally sorting the initial backup collection and the first incremental backup by page version number, whereby an individual database or page may be restored by reference to the initial backup collection and the first incremental backup collection.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

assigning an unique object identifier to each object;

expanding the initial backup collection to include the unique object identifier of each stored object;

expanding the first incremental backup collection to include the unique object identifier of each stored object; and

additionally sorting the initial backup collection and the first incremental backup by unique object identifier, whereby an individual database or page may be restored by reference to the initial backup collection and the first incremental backup collection.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising compressing each stored page for storage in the initial backup.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising compressing each stored page for storage in the first incremental backup.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sequentially generating a plurality of incremental backups, each incremental backup comprising a plurality of pages containing objects having been updated after the most recent incremental backup generation and before the generation of the instant incremental backup; and

generating a dedicated incremental backup collection for each incremental backup, each dedicated incremental backup containing, wherein each backed-up object of the incremental backups and the initial backup collection are sorted by database number and page number, whereby an individual database or page may be restored by reference to the initial backup collection, the first incremental backup collection, and the dedicated incremental backup collections.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

capturing a time stamp of each backup population event;

expanding the initial backup collection, the first incremental backup collection and each dedicated incremental backup collection to include a relevant time stamp of backup generation; and

additionally sorting the initial backup collection, the first incremental collection and each dedicated incremental backup collection by time stamp values, whereby an individual database or page may be restored by reference to the initial backup collection, the first incremental backup collection, and the dedicated incremental backup collections.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

assigning an initial database version number to each database upon creation of the initial backup;

incrementing each database version number when a software object comprised with an associated database is updated;

expanding the initial backup collection, the first incremental backup collection and each dedicated incremental backup collection to include the database version number of each stored page; and

additionally sorting the initial backup collection, the first incremental collection and each dedicated incremental backup collection by the database version number of each stored page, whereby an individual database or page may be restored by reference to the initial backup collection, the first incremental backup collection, and the dedicated incremental backup collections.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

assigning an initial page version number to each page upon creation of the initial backup;

incrementing each page version number when a software object comprised with an associated page is updated;

expanding the initial backup collection, the first incremental backup collection and each dedicated incremental backup collection to include the page version number of each stored page; and

additionally sorting the initial backup collection, the first incremental collection and each dedicated incremental backup collection by the page version number of each stored page, whereby an individual database or page may be restored by reference to the initial backup collection, the first incremental backup collection, and the dedicated incremental backup collections.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

assigning an unique object identifier to each object;

expanding the initial backup collection, the first incremental backup collection and each dedicated incremental backup collection to include the unique object identifier of each stored object; and

additionally sorting the initial backup collection, the first incremental collection and each dedicated incremental backup collection by the unique object identifier of each stored object, whereby an individual database or page may be restored by reference to the initial backup collection, the first incremental backup collection, and the dedicated incremental backup collections.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium, the non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising machine-readable, software encoded instructions to direct an information technology system to:

create an initial backup populated with a full backup of the federated database;

set a backup event counter to an initial event value;

create an initial backup collection associated with the initial event value, wherein each backed-up object is sorted by database number and page number;

update a plurality of objects of the federated database;

update the backup event counter to a first event value;

generate a first incremental backup by storing each page having an object that was updated after the initial backup process into a first incremental backup; and

create a first incremental backup collection associated with the first event value, wherein each backed-up object of the first incremental backup is sorted by database number and page number, whereby an individual database or page may be restored by reference to the initial backup collection and the first incremental backup collection.