Creating synthetic backup images on a remote computer system

• US 8,244,681 B2
• Filed: 06/09/2008
• Issued: 08/14/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Veritas Technologies, LLC (Whitehouse Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Symantec Operating Corporation (NortonLifeLock Inc.)
• Inventors: Laffin, Aaron Wallace
• Primary Examiner(s): Ly, Cheyne
• Assistant Examiner(s): OWYANG, MICHELLE N
• Application Number:
  US12/135,310
• Publication Number:
  US 20090307286A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,527 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 707/644
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1451 by selection of backup contents
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1456 Hardware arrangements for backup
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1464 for networked environments

Abstract

A local host computer system creates a full backup image and one or more incremental backup images. The local host computer system transmits data from the full backup image and the one or more incremental backup images to a remote host computer system. The remote host computer system receives the data from the full backup image and the one or more incremental backup images from the local host computer system, and creates a synthetic backup image using the data from the full backup image and the one or more incremental backup images. In some embodiments, complete copies of the full backup image and the one or more incremental backup images may be transmitted to the remote host computer system. In other embodiments only the portions of the incremental backup images that are actually needed to create the synthetic backup image may be transmitted to the remote host computer system, and unneeded portions may not be transmitted.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a first backup computer system;

a second backup computer system; and

a third backup computer system, wherein the first backup computer system and the second backup computer system are both coupled to the third backup computer system;

wherein the first backup computer system is configured to;

create a full backup image of a first data volume stored on a first client computer system coupled to the first backup computer system, wherein the full backup image of the first data volume includes backup data received from the first client computer system;

create a plurality of incremental backup images of the first data volume stored on the first client computer system, wherein each of the incremental backup images of the first data volume includes backup data received from the first client computer system;

create a first synthetic backup image from the full backup image of the first data volume and the plurality of incremental backup images of the first data volume;

wherein the second backup computer system is configured to;

create a full backup image of a second data volume stored on a second client computer system coupled to the second backup computer system, wherein the full backup image of the second data volume includes backup data received from the second client computer system;

create a plurality of incremental backup images of the second data volume stored on the second client computer system, wherein each of the incremental backup images of the second data volume includes backup data received from the second client computer system;

create a second synthetic backup image from the full backup image of the second data volume and the plurality of incremental backup images of the second data volume;

wherein the third backup computer system is configured to;

create a third synthetic backup image from the full backup image of the first data volume and the plurality of incremental backup images of the first data volume, wherein the third backup computer system is configured to initiate creation of the third synthetic backup image after copying the full backup image of the first data volume from the first backup computer system and without first copying the plurality of incremental backup images of the first data volume from the first backup computer system, wherein the plurality of incremental backup images includes a first incremental backup image that includes first data needed for creating the third synthetic backup image and second data not needed for creating the third synthetic backup image, wherein the third backup computer system is configured to communicate with the first backup computer system via a network during the creation of the third synthetic backup image to retrieve the first data from the first incremental backup image without retrieving the second data from the incremental backup image; and

create a fourth synthetic backup image from the full backup image of the second data volume and the plurality of incremental backup images of the second data volume.

2. The system of claim 1,

wherein, after creating the synthetic backup image, the second backup computer system is further configured to delete the data used from the full backup image and the data used from the plurality of incremental backup images.

3. The system of claim 1,

wherein the third backup computer system includes a storage device;

wherein the third backup computer system is further configured to store the third synthetic backup image on the storage device.

4. A method comprising:

a first backup computer system creating a full backup image of a first data volume stored on a first client computer system coupled to the first backup computer system, wherein the full backup image of the first data volume includes backup data received from the first client computer system;

the first backup computer system creating a plurality of incremental backup images of the first data volume stored on the first client computer system, wherein each of the incremental backup images of the first data volume includes backup data received from the first client computer system;

the first backup computer system creating a first synthetic backup image from the full backup image of the first data volume and the plurality of incremental backup images of the first data volume;

a second backup computer system creating a full backup image of a second data volume stored on a second client computer system coupled to the second backup computer system, wherein the full backup image of the second data volume includes backup data received from the second client computer system;

the second backup computer system creating a plurality of incremental backup images of the second data volume stored on the second client computer system, wherein each of the incremental backup images of the second data volume includes backup data received from the second client computer system;

the second backup computer system creating a second synthetic backup image from the full backup image of the second data volume and the plurality of incremental backup images of the second data volume;

wherein the first backup computer system and the second backup computer system are both coupled to a third backup computer system wherein the method further comprises;

the third backup computer system creating a third synthetic backup image from the full backup image of the first data volume and the plurality of incremental backup images of the first data volume, wherein the third backup computer system initiates creation of the third synthetic backup image after copying the full backup image of the first data volume from the first backup computer system and without first copying the plurality of incremental backup images of the first data volume from the first backup computer system, wherein the plurality of incremental backup images includes a first incremental backup image that includes first data needed for creating the third synthetic backup image and second data not needed for creating the third synthetic backup image, wherein the third backup computer system communicates with the first backup computer system via a network during the creation of the third synthetic backup image to retrieve the first data from the first incremental backup image without retrieving the second data from the incremental backup image; and

the third backup computer system creating a fourth synthetic backup image from the full backup image of the second data volume and the plurality of incremental backup images of the second data volume.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

after creating the synthetic backup image, the second backup computer system deleting the data used from the full backup image and the data used from the plurality of incremental backup images.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

the third backup computer system storing the third synthetic backup image on a storage device.

7. A non-transitory computer-accessible storage medium storing program instructions executable by a first backup computer system, a second backup computer system, and a third backup computer system coupled to the first backup computer system and the second backup computer system to implement:

the first backup computer system creating a full backup image of a first data volume stored on a first client computer system coupled to the first backup computer system, wherein the full backup image of the first data volume includes backup data received from the first client computer system;

the first backup computer system creating a plurality of incremental backup images of the first data volume stored on the first client computer system, wherein each of the incremental backup images of the first data volume includes backup data received from the first client computer system;

the first backup computer system creating a first synthetic backup image from the full backup image of the first data volume and the plurality of incremental backup images of the first data volume; and

the second backup computer system creating a full backup image of a second data volume stored on a second client computer system coupled to the second backup computer system, wherein the full backup image of the second data volume includes backup data received from the second client computer system;

the second backup computer system creating a plurality of incremental backup images of the second data volume stored on the second client computer system, wherein each of the incremental backup images of the second data volume includes backup data received from the second client computer system;

the second backup computer system creating a second synthetic backup image from the full backup image of the second data volume and the plurality of incremental backup images of the second data volume;

the third backup computer system creating a third synthetic backup image from the full backup image of the first data volume and the plurality of incremental backup images of the first data volume, wherein the third backup computer system initiates creation of the third synthetic backup image after copying the full backup image of the first data volume from the first backup computer system and without first copying the plurality of incremental backup images of the first data volume from the first backup computer system, wherein the plurality of incremental backup images includes a first incremental backup image that includes first data needed for creating the third synthetic backup image and second data not needed for creating the third synthetic backup image, wherein the program instructions are executable to cause the third backup computer system to communicate with the first backup computer system via a network during the creation of the third synthetic backup image to retrieve the first data from the first incremental backup image without retrieving the second data from the incremental backup image; and

the third backup computer system creating a fourth synthetic backup image from the full backup image of the second data volume and the plurality of incremental backup images of the second data volume.