Automated restoration of links when restoring individual directory service objects

• US 8,332,442 B1
• Filed: 09/26/2006
• Issued: 12/11/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Veritas Technologies, LLC (Whitehouse Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Symantec Corporation (NortonLifeLock Inc.)
• Inventors: Greene, Christopher
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu, Yicun
• Application Number:
  US11/527,146
• Time in Patent Office: 2,268 Days
• Field of Search: 707204-206, 707/828, 707/831, 709/316, 709/227, 719/316
• US Class Current: 707/828
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1469 Backup restoration techniques
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4505 using standardised directories; using standardised directory access protocols

Abstract

Various methods and systems for automatically restoring links to a directory service'"'"'s object when that object is restored from backup are disclosed. One method involves receiving user input selecting an individual directory service object for restoration from backup; restoring the directory service object from the backup; and automatically creating a forward link to the directory service object from a source object. The need to restore the forward link can be detected by either finding the forward link in a copy of the link table within the backup or finding a corresponding backward link in an attribute of a backed-up copy of the directory service object.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving user input selecting an individual directory service object for restoration from backup;

detecting that the backup comprises one or more forward links to the individual directory service object from one or more other backed up directory service objects;

restoring the individual directory service object from the backup to a live set of directory services information, wherein the live set of directory service information comprises the restored individual directory service object, a schema, and a second directory service object;

automatically initiating, using a processor, modification of an attribute of the second directory service object to include a value identifying the restored individual directory service object, in response to the detecting, wherein the schema defines the attribute to be a forward link, and wherein the modification of the forward link indicates that the restored individual directory service object is related to the second directory service object.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying a plurality of options corresponding to the individual directory service object, wherein

the plurality of options comprises a link attribute option; and

the user input comprises user selection of the link attribute option.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

searching a link table in the backup for any links that specify the individual directory service object; and

displaying the link attribute option in response to finding a link that specifies the individual directory service object in the link table.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

locating the second directory service object within the live set of directory service information.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying the forward link, wherein the identifying comprises modifying a value identifying a backward link.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

initiating, in response to the modification of the attribute of the second directory service object, modification of a corresponding attribute of the restored individual directory service object to include a value identifying the second directory service object, wherein the modification of the value of the attribute of the second directory service object enables the modification of the corresponding attribute of the restored individual directory service object, and wherein the schema defines the corresponding attribute to be a backward link.

7. A computer readable storage medium tangibly embodying program instructions executable to:

receive user input selecting an individual directory service object for restoration from backup;

detect that the backup comprises one or more forward links to the individual directory service object from one or more other backed up directory service objects;

restore the individual directory service object from the backup to a live set of directory services information, wherein the live set of directory service information comprises the restored individual directory service object, a schema, and a second directory service object; and

automatically initiate modification of an attribute of the second directory service object to include a value identifying the restored individual directory service object, in response to detection of the backup comprising the one or more forward links to the individual directory service object, wherein the schema defines the attribute to be a forward link, and wherein the modification of the forward link indicates that the restored individual directory service object is related to the second directory service object.

8. The computer readable storage medium of claim 7, wherein the program instructions are further executable to:

display a plurality of options corresponding to the individual directory service object, wherein

the plurality of options comprises a link attribute option; and

the user input comprises user selection of the link attribute option.

9. The computer readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the program instructions are further executable to:

search a link table in the backup for any links that specify the individual directory service object; and

display the link attribute option in response to finding a link that specifies the individual directory service object in the link table.

10. The computer readable storage medium of claim 7, wherein the program instructions are further executable to:

locate the second directory service object within the live set of directory service information.

11. The computer readable storage medium of claim 7, wherein the program instructions are further executable to:

identify the forward link by modifying a value identifying a backward link.

12. A system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory coupled to the processor, wherein the memory stores program instructions executable to;

receive user input selecting an individual directory service object for restoration from backup;

detect that the backup comprises one or more forward links to the individual directory service object from one or more other backed up directory service objects;

restore the individual directory service object from the backup to a live set of directory services information, wherein the live set of directory service information comprises the restored individual directory service object, a schema, and a second directory service object; and

automatically initiate modification of an attribute of the second directory service object to include a value identifying the restored individual directory service object, in response to detection of the backup comprising the one or more forward links to the individual directory service object, wherein the schema defines the attribute to be a forward link, and wherein the modification of the forward link indicates that the restored individual directory service object is related to the second directory service object.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the program instructions are further executable to:

display a plurality of options corresponding to the individual directory service object, wherein

the plurality of options comprises a link attribute option; and

the user input comprises user selection of the link attribute option.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the program instructions are further executable to:

search a link table in the backup for any links that specify the individual directory service object; and

display the link attribute option in response to finding a link that specifies the individual directory service object in the link table.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the program instructions are further executable to:

locate the second directory service object within the live set of directory service information.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the program instructions are further executable to:

identify the forward link by modifying a value identifying a backward link.

17. A system comprising:

computer readable storage means for storing a backup;

means for receiving user input selecting an individual directory service object for restoration from the backup;

means for detecting that the backup comprises one or more forward links to the individual directory service object from one or more other backed up directory service objects;

means for restoring the individual directory service object from the backup to a live set of directory services information, wherein the live set of directory service information comprises the restored individual directory service object, a schema, and a second directory service object; and

means for automatically initiating modification of an attribute of the second directory service object to include a value identifying the restored individual directory service object, in response to detection of the backup comprising the one or more forward links to the individual directory service object, wherein the schema defines the attribute to be a forward link, and wherein the modification of the forward link indicates that the restored individual directory service object is related to the second directory service object.

18. The system of claim 17, further comprising:

means for displaying a plurality of options corresponding to the individual directory service object, wherein

the plurality of options comprises a link attribute option; and

the user input comprises user selection of the link attribute option.

19. The system of claim 18, further comprising:

means for searching a link table in the backup for any links that specify the individual directory service object; and

means for displaying the link attribute option in response to finding a link that specifies the individual directory service object in the link table in the backup.

20. The system of claim 18, further comprising:

means for locating the second directory service object within the live set of directory service information.

21. The system of claim 17, further comprising:

means for identifying the forward link, wherein the identifying comprises modifying a value identifying a backward link.