Saving multiple snapshots without duplicating common blocks to protect the entire contents of a volume
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A storage system comprising:
- data storage to store data associated with a volume, the volume having a buffer structure;
backup storage to store a backup image of the volume; and
a server coupled between the data storage and the backup storage, the server including a backup engine to generate the backup image including data blocks and metadata describing attributes of the data blocks, the data blocks and the metadata arranged in the backup image in a same order as they were retrieved without imposing any additional ordering constraints on the data blocks and the metadata, wherein the backup image does not correspond to the buffer structure of the volume.
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Abstract
An image-based backup backs up one or more snapshots of a volume without duplicating common data blocks. A backup engine receives a request to generate a backup image of a volume. In response to the request, the backup engine generates the backup image including data blocks and metadata describing attributes of the data blocks. The data blocks and the metadata arranged in the backup image in a same order as they were retrieved without imposing any additional ordering constraints on the data blocks and the metadata.
45 Citations
18 Claims
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1. A storage system comprising:
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data storage to store data associated with a volume, the volume having a buffer structure; backup storage to store a backup image of the volume; and a server coupled between the data storage and the backup storage, the server including a backup engine to generate the backup image including data blocks and metadata describing attributes of the data blocks, the data blocks and the metadata arranged in the backup image in a same order as they were retrieved without imposing any additional ordering constraints on the data blocks and the metadata, wherein the backup image does not correspond to the buffer structure of the volume. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A computer-implemented method comprising:
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reading a plurality of snapshots directly from a source data storage without going through a file system structure, each snapshot being a point-in-time image of a volume; generating a backup image including two or more of the plurality of the snapshots; identifying data blocks that are different between at least two of the snapshots; and storing the data blocks and metadata associated with the data blocks in the backup image, the data blocks and the metadata arranged in the backup image in a same order as they were retrieved without imposing any additional ordering constraints on the data blocks and the metadata, wherein the backup image does not correspond to a buffer structure of the volume. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11)
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12. A computer-implemented method comprising:
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receiving a request, by a server, to generate a backup image of a volume, the volume having a buffer structure; and in response to the request, generating the backup image including data blocks and metadata describing attributes of the data blocks, a backup engine arranging the data blocks and the metadata in the backup image in a same order as they were retrieved, wherein the backup image does not correspond to the buffer structure of the volume, and wherein the backup engine does not impose any additional ordering constraints on the data blocks and the metadata. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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Specification