Dynamic bandwidth discovery and allocation to improve performance for backing up data

• US 8,495,178 B1
• Filed: 04/01/2011
• Issued: 07/23/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Veritas Technologies, LLC (Whitehouse Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Symantec Corporation (NortonLifeLock Inc.)
• Inventors: Wang, Xin, Wang, Jian, Jia, Yingsong
• Primary Examiner(s): Ly, Anh-Vu
• Assistant Examiner(s): BHATTI, HASHIM S
• Application Number:
  US13/078,422
• Time in Patent Office: 844 Days
• Field of Search: 709/226, 709/219, 370/235
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1464 for networked environments
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/81 Threshold

Abstract

A system and method for efficient transfer of backup data over multiple networks. A backup server and a client computer are coupled to one another via a network, such as a local area network (LAN). The backup server is coupled to at least one storage server via another network, such as the Internet. This storage server is coupled to another storage server via at least two networks, such as the Internet and a Fiber Channel connection. The at least two networks are discovered and initialized by the two storage servers. Two or more networks may be bonded together in a single logical communication channel for transferring backup data. In one embodiment, the backup data corresponds to a duplication operation. When two or more network channels are included in the logical communication channel, a load balancing scheme is used to assign backup data traffic to appropriate network channels.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method comprising:

detecting, by a first backup server, a plurality of networks coupling the first backup server to a second backup server, wherein the first backup server is configured to store a plurality of backup data images on a first storage device, wherein each of the backup data images includes data from a plurality of files, wherein the plurality of networks includes a first network of a first type and a second network of a different type;

selecting, by the first backup server, two or more networks from the plurality of networks to include in a logical connection, wherein the logical connection is used for transferring backup data images stored on the first storage device, wherein the selected two or more networks include the first network and the second network;

in response to determining that the selected two or more networks are included in the logical connection, determining, by the first backup server, a load balancing scheme for the selected two or more networks;

reading, by the first backup server, a first backup data image from the first storage device; and

transferring, by the first backup server, the first backup data image to the second backup server through the logical connection according to the load balancing scheme, wherein said transferring comprises transferring a first portion of the first backup data image over the first network of the first type and transferring a second portion of the first backup data image over the second network of the different type.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising selecting networks to include in the logical connection for transferring backup data images based upon at least one of the following:

detecting network availability and determining available bandwidth of a detected network is above a given threshold.

3. The method as recited in claim 2, further comprising transferring the first backup data image via the logical connection after initialization of networks without accompanying control messages.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising assigning packets having a size greater than a threshold size to a given network, wherein said transferring the first backup data image includes transferring a plurality of packets, wherein at least a subset of the packets have a size greater than the threshold size, wherein the given network is selected to transfer each packet having a size greater than the threshold size.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising assigning a given percentage of the logical connection to a given selected network based upon available bandwidth of a network port corresponding to the given selected network.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising assigning a given percentage of the logical connection to a given selected network based upon detecting at least one of the following:

connection of new networks, disconnection of current networks, and a level of idleness of one or more selected networks reaches a given threshold.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the transfer of the first backup data image through the logical connection comprises a duplication operation to duplicate the first backup data image from the first backup server to the second backup server.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the transfer of the first backup data image through the logical connection utilizes socket application programming interfaces (APIs).

9. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the first backup server is coupled to the first network through a first type of network interface device, and wherein the first backup server is coupled to the second network through a different type of network interface device.

10. The method as recited in claim 9, wherein the first type of network interface device is a Fibre Channel network interface device, and wherein the different type of network interface device is an Ethernet network interface device.

11. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the first network is a Fibre Channel network, and wherein the second network is an Internet Protocol (IP)-based network.

12. A first backup server comprising:

one or more processors; and

memory storing program instructions, wherein the program instructions are executable by the one or more processors to cause the first backup server to;

store a plurality of backup data images on a first storage device, wherein each of the backup data images includes data from a plurality of files;

detect a plurality of networks coupling the first backup server to a second backup server, wherein the plurality of networks includes a first network of a first type and a second network of a different type;

select two or more networks from the plurality of networks to include in a logical connection, wherein the logical connection is used for transferring backup data images stored on the first storage device, wherein the selected two or more networks include the first network and the second network;

in response to determining that the selected two or more networks are included in the logical connection, determine a load balancing scheme for the selected two or more networks;

read a first backup data image from the first storage device; and

transfer the first backup data image to the second backup server through the logical connection according to the load balancing scheme, wherein said transferring comprises transferring a first portion of the first backup data image over the first network of the first type and transferring a second portion of the first backup data image over the second network of the different type.

13. The first backup server of claim 12, wherein the program instructions are further executable by the one or more processors to cause the first backup server to select networks to include in the logical connection for transferring backup data images based upon at least one of the following:

detecting network availability and determining available bandwidth of a detected network is above a given threshold.

14. The first backup server of claim 12, wherein the program instructions are further executable by the one or more processors to cause the first backup server to:

assign packets having a size greater than a threshold size to a given network, wherein said transferring the first backup data image includes transferring a plurality of packets, wherein at least a subset of the packets have a size greater than the threshold size, wherein the program instructions are executable by the one or more processors to cause the first backup server to transfer each packet having a size greater than the threshold size over the given network.

15. The first backup server of claim 12, wherein the program instructions are further executable by the one or more processors to cause the first backup server to assign a given percentage of the logical connection to a given selected network based upon available bandwidth of a network port corresponding to the given selected network.

16. The computing system of claim 12, wherein the transfer of the first backup data image through the logical connection utilizes socket application programming interfaces (APIs).

17. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing program instructions, wherein the program instructions are executable by one or more processors of a first backup server to cause the first backup server to:

store a plurality of backup data images on a first storage device, wherein each of the backup data images includes data from a plurality of files;

detect a plurality of networks coupling the first backup server to a second backup server, wherein the plurality of networks includes a first network of a first type and a second network of a different type;

select two or more networks from the plurality of networks to include in a logical connection, wherein the logical connection is used for transferring backup data images stored on the first storage device, wherein the selected two or more networks include the first network and the second network;

in response to determining that the selected two or more networks are included in the logical connection, determine a load balancing scheme for the selected two or more networks;

read a first backup data image from the first storage device; and

transfer the first backup data image to the second backup server through the logical connection according to the load balancing scheme, wherein said transferring comprises transferring a first portion of the first backup data image over the first network of the first type and transferring a second portion of the first backup data image over the second network of the different type.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the program instructions are further executable by the one or more processors to cause the first backup server to select networks to include in the logical connection for transferring backup data images based upon at least one of the following:

detecting network availability and determining available bandwidth of a detected network is above a given threshold.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the program instructions are further executable by the one or more processors to cause the first backup server to:

assign packets having a size greater than a threshold size to a given network, wherein said transferring the first backup data image includes transferring a plurality of packets, wherein at least a subset of the packets have a size greater than the threshold size, wherein the program instructions are executable by the one or more processors to cause the first backup server to transfer each packet having a size greater than the threshold size over the given network.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the program instructions are further executable by the one or more processors to cause the first backup server to assign a given percentage of the logical connection to a given selected network based upon available bandwidth of a network port corresponding to the given selected network.