Network redirector systems and methods for performing data replication
First Claim
1. A method for handling data to be copied in a computer network, the method comprising:
- monitoring operations sent to a file system by an application executing on a source system;
generating at least one consistency marker that indicates a first time on the source system, wherein the consistency marker further indicates to a destination system that the destination system take a snapshot of the data in the destination system;
identifying from the operations a plurality of data modification operations, wherein execution of one or more of the data modification operations modify data stored on a first storage device;
buffering a first copy of the plurality of data modification operations;
forwarding the first copy to the destination system to create a second copy of the plurality of data modification operations on the destination system;
forwarding the at least one consistency marker to the destination system;
executing at least a portion of the first copy of the plurality of data modification operations on the source computer while separately executing at least a first portion of the second copy of the plurality of data modification operations in a first process to replicate data to at least a first volume associated with the destination system;
executing at least a second portion of the second copy of the plurality of data modification operations in a second process to replicate data to at least a second volume associated with the destination system so as to replicate on a second storage device a duplicate of the data stored on the first storage device; and
while executing the first or second process, in response to destination system detecting the consistency marker, performing at a second time, occurring after the first time, at least a first snapshot of the replicated data on the first volume associated with the destination system and at a third time, occurring after the first time, at least a second snapshot of the replicated data on the second volume associated with the destination system;
sending communications from the destination system to the source system that the destination system has performed the first and second snapshots of the replicated data on the destination system and associating the first and second snapshots with the first time of the consistency marker on the source system; and
using the first and second snapshots from the destination system as a snapshot of data on the source system associated with the first time of the consistency marker.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Performing data management operations on replicated data in a computer network. Log entries are generated for data management operations of an application executing on a source system. Consistency point entries are used to indicate a time of a known good, or recoverable, state of the application. A destination system is configured to process a copy of the log and consistency point entries to replicate data in a replication volume, the replicated data being a copy of the application data on the source system. When the replicated data represents a known good state of the application, as determined by the consistency point entries, the destination system(s) may perform a storage operation (e.g., snapshot, backup) to copy the replicated data and to logically associate the copied data with a time information (e.g., time stamp) indicative of the source system time when the application was in the known good state.
580 Citations
17 Claims
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1. A method for handling data to be copied in a computer network, the method comprising:
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monitoring operations sent to a file system by an application executing on a source system; generating at least one consistency marker that indicates a first time on the source system, wherein the consistency marker further indicates to a destination system that the destination system take a snapshot of the data in the destination system; identifying from the operations a plurality of data modification operations, wherein execution of one or more of the data modification operations modify data stored on a first storage device; buffering a first copy of the plurality of data modification operations; forwarding the first copy to the destination system to create a second copy of the plurality of data modification operations on the destination system; forwarding the at least one consistency marker to the destination system; executing at least a portion of the first copy of the plurality of data modification operations on the source computer while separately executing at least a first portion of the second copy of the plurality of data modification operations in a first process to replicate data to at least a first volume associated with the destination system; executing at least a second portion of the second copy of the plurality of data modification operations in a second process to replicate data to at least a second volume associated with the destination system so as to replicate on a second storage device a duplicate of the data stored on the first storage device; and while executing the first or second process, in response to destination system detecting the consistency marker, performing at a second time, occurring after the first time, at least a first snapshot of the replicated data on the first volume associated with the destination system and at a third time, occurring after the first time, at least a second snapshot of the replicated data on the second volume associated with the destination system; sending communications from the destination system to the source system that the destination system has performed the first and second snapshots of the replicated data on the destination system and associating the first and second snapshots with the first time of the consistency marker on the source system; and using the first and second snapshots from the destination system as a snapshot of data on the source system associated with the first time of the consistency marker. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A system for selecting application data to be copied in a computer network, the system comprising:
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at least one computer application executing in one or more processors on a source system, the at least one computer application configured to generate operations associated with data on a first storage device, wherein the computer application generates at least one consistency marker that indicates a first time on the source system, wherein the consistency marker further indicates to a destination system that the destination system take a snapshot of the data in the destination system, and wherein the computer application sends the operations to a file system; a filter module disposed between the at least one computer application and the file system, the filter module configured to identify from the operations a plurality of data modification operations, wherein execution of one or more of the data modification operations modify data stored on a first storage device; a buffer; and a network redirector component in communication with the filter module and configured to temporarily store a first copy of the data modification operations in the buffer, the network redirector component being further configured to transmit the first copy to a destination system to create a second copy of the plurality of data modification operations on the destination system, wherein the network redirector is further configured to forward the at least one consistency marker to the destination system; a destination system that executes in one or more computer processors a least a first portion of the second copy of the plurality of data modification operations in a first process to replicate data to at least a first volume associated with the destination system at least a second portion of the second copy of the plurality of data modification operations in a second process to replicate data to at least a second volume associated with the destination system while the source system executes at least a portion of the first copy of data modification operations so as to replicate on a second storage device a duplicate of data stored on the first storage device, wherein the destination system is further configured based on the consistency marker, to perform at a second time, occurring after the first time, at least a first snapshot of the replicated data on the first volume associated with the destination system and at a third time, occurring after the first time, at least a second snapshot of the replicated data on the second volume associated with the destination system; and wherein the destination system is further configured to send communications to the source system that the destination system has performed the first and second snapshots of the replicated data on the destination system, wherein the first and second snapshots are associated with the first time of the consistency marker on the source system and using the first and second snapshots from the destination system as a snapshot of data on the source system associated with the first time of the consistency marker. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A system for acquiring data for replication on a network storage device, the system comprising:
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means for generating operations sent to a file system by an application executing on a source system, wherein the operations are associated with the writing of data on a first storage device; means for generating at least one consistency marker that indicates a first time on the source system, wherein the consistency marker further indicates to a destination system that the destination system take a snapshot of the data in the destination system; means for identifying from the operations a plurality of data modification operations, wherein execution of one or more of the data modification operations modify data stored on the first storage device, said means for identifying being disposed between said means for generating and the first storage device; and means for temporarily storing a first copy of the data modification operations, said means for storing being further configured to transmit the first copy to the destination system to create a second copy of the plurality of data modification operations on the destination system and to transmit the at least one consistency marker to the destination system; means for executing at least a portion of the first copy of the plurality of data modification operations on the source computer; means for separately executing at least a fist portion of the second copy of the plurality of data modification operations in a first process to replicate data to at least a first volume associated with the destination system and executing at least a second portion of the second copy of the plurality of data modification operations in a second process to replicate data to at least a second volume associated with the destination system; and means for detecting the consistency marker while executing the first or second process and in response to the consistency marker performing at a second time, occurring after the first time, at least a first snapshot of the replicated data on the first volume associated with the destination system and at a third time, occurring after the first time, at least a second snapshot of the replicated data on the second volume associated with the destination system; and means for sending communications from the destination system to the source system that the destination system has preformed the first and second snapshots of the replicated data on the destination system; means for associating the first and second snapshots with the first time of the consistency marker on the source system. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17)
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Specification