System and method for restore of backup data

• US 8,364,640 B1
• Filed: 04/09/2010
• Issued: 01/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Veritas Technologies, LLC (Whitehouse Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Symantec Corporation (NortonLifeLock Inc.)
• Inventors: Beatty, Louis, Saraf, Deepak
• Primary Examiner(s): Perveen, Rehana
• Assistant Examiner(s): BUI, THUY T
• Application Number:
  US12/757,447
• Time in Patent Office: 1,026 Days
• Field of Search: 707/640, 707/653
• US Class Current: 707/640
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1469 Backup restoration techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/80 Database-specific techniques

Abstract

A system and method for restoring a web site previously defined with user customizations by an intranet portal application. A backup agent receives a restore request for a backed up web site. Restored data is used by the intranet portal application in order to rebuild the web site according to a predetermined template. Use of the template results in a rebuilt database which does not match the database originally backed up. For one or more identifiers being added, one or more new globally unique identifiers (GUIDs) are generated by the application to replace the identifiers. The backup agent queries the application to receive new GUIDs for a selected level of the hierarchy of the web site. The backup agent updates a mapping of IDs with the new GUIDs. The backup agent uses the mapping to identify differences between the rebuilt database and the database represented by the backup copy of the database. Based on identified differences, database operations are used to modify the rebuilt database so that it conforms to the originally backed up database.

Claims

1. A method for restoring a database from a backup copy of the database storing data in a plurality of blocks, wherein the backup copy of the database includes identifiers which describe a relationship between the blocks, the method comprising:

initiating restoration of the database from the backup copy of the database, the database having been customized prior to the database having been backed up;

rebuilding the database from the backup copy of the database according to a template, wherein rebuilding the database according to the template results in a rebuilt database which does not reflect customizations made to the database prior to the backup, and wherein said rebuilding comprises generating new globally unique identifiers (GUID) in the rebuilt database for corresponding old GUIDs stored in the backup copy of the database, wherein a database comprises a plurality of GUIDs, each of which represents a globally unique identifier used to reference records and lists of items within the database;

identifying differences between the database represented by the backup copy of the database and the rebuilt database; and

modifying the rebuilt database to reflect said differences so that the rebuilt database is equivalent to the backup copy of the database, wherein said modifying comprises;

selecting a given level of a hierarchy of the rebuilt database;

querying the rebuilt database to obtain at least one new GUID corresponding to the given level;

updating a mapping of new GUIDs in the rebuilt database to old GUIDs in the backup copy of the database; and

using the at least one new GUID and said mapping to modify the rebuilt database to reflect said customizations.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising creating a map of old IDs stored in the backup copy of the database to newly generated IDs stored in the rebuilt database.

3. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein identifying said differences comprises:

analyzing relationships between blocks in the backup copy of the database;

analyzing relationships between blocks in the rebuilt database; and

identifying new and/or missing relationships between blocks.

4. The method as recited in claim 3, wherein said modifying comprises utilizing a protocol for an intranet portal application for querying, adding, and replacing elements of the rebuilt database, wherein the intranet portal application rebuilds and maintains a hierarchy of the database.

5. The method as recited in claim 4, further comprising including one or more unique block identifiers in a query command for one or more new IDs stored in a selected level of the hierarchy.

6. The method as recited in claim 4, wherein the hierarchy of the database corresponds to a web site.

7. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein levels of the hierarchy correspond to tables describing the web site and the blocks correspond to records stored in the tables.

8. A computer system comprising:

a processor; and

a storage device storing a backup copy of a database storing data in a plurality of blocks, wherein the backup copy of the database includes identifiers which describe a relationship between the blocks;

wherein the processor is configured to;

initiate restoration of a database from the backup copy of the database, the database having been customized prior to the database having been backed up;

rebuild the database from the backup copy of the database according to a template, wherein rebuilding the database according to the template results in a rebuilt database which does not reflect customizations made to the database prior to the backup, and wherein said rebuilding comprises generating new globally unique identifiers (GUID) in the rebuilt database for corresponding old GUIDs stored in the backup copy of the database, wherein a database comprises a plurality of GUIDs, each of which represents a globally unique identifier used to reference records and lists of items within the database;

identify differences between the database represented by the backup copy of the database and the rebuilt database; and

modify the rebuilt database to reflect said differences so that the rebuilt database is equivalent to the backup copy of the database, wherein to modify the database the processor is configured to;

select a given level of a hierarchy of the rebuilt database;

query the rebuilt database to obtain at least one new GUID corresponding to the given level;

update a mapping of new GUIDs in the rebuilt database to old GUIDs in the backup copy of the database; and

use the at least one new GUID and said mapping to modify the rebuilt database to reflect said customizations.

9. The computer system of claim 8, wherein in identifying said differences the processor is configured to:

analyze relationships between blocks in the backup copy of the database;

analyze relationships between blocks in the rebuilt database; and

identify new and/or missing relationships between blocks.

10. The computer system of claim 9, wherein in modifying the rebuilt database the processor is configured to utilize a protocol for an intranet portal application for querying, adding, and replacing elements of the rebuilt database, wherein the intranet portal application rebuilds and maintains a hierarchy of the database.

11. The computer system of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to include one or more unique block identifiers in a query command for one or more new IDs stored in a selected level of the hierarchy.

12. The computer system of claim 10, wherein the program instructions are further executable to include one or more unique block identifiers in a query command for one or more new IDs stored in the selected level of the hierarchy.

13. The computer system of claim 10, wherein the hierarchy of the database corresponds to a web site.

14. The computer system of claim 13, wherein levels of the hierarchy correspond to tables describing the web site and the blocks correspond to records stored in the tables.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing program instructions for restoring a database from a backup copy of the database storing data in a plurality of blocks, wherein the backup copy of the database includes identifiers which describe a relationship between the blocks, wherein the program instructions are executable by the processor to:

initiate restoration of a database from the backup copy of the database, the database having been customized prior to the database having been backed up;

rebuild the database from the backup copy of the database according to a template, wherein rebuilding the database according to the template results in a rebuilt database which does not reflect customizations made to the database prior to the backup, and wherein said rebuilding comprises generating new globally unique identifiers (GUID) in the rebuilt database for corresponding old GUIDs stored in the backup copy of the database, wherein a database comprises a plurality of GUIDs, each of which represents a globally unique identifier used to reference records and lists of items within the database;

identify differences between the database represented by the backup copy of the database and the rebuilt database; and

modify the rebuilt database to reflect said differences so that the rebuilt database is equivalent to the backup copy of the database, wherein to modify the database the program instructions are executable to;

select a given level of a hierarchy of the rebuilt database;

query the rebuilt database to obtain at least one new GUID corresponding to the given level;

update a mapping of new GUIDs in the rebuilt database to old GUIDs in the backup copy of the database; and

use the at least one new GUID and said mapping to modify the rebuilt database to reflect said customizations.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein in identifying said differences the program instructions are executable to:

analyze relationships between blocks in the backup copy of the database;

analyze relationships between blocks in the rebuilt database; and

identify new and/or missing relationships between blocks.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the program instructions are further executable to utilize a protocol for an intranet portal application for querying, adding, and replacing elements of the rebuilt database, wherein the intranet portal application rebuilds and maintains a hierarchy of the database.