Method of performing backups using multiple streams

• US 8,560,788 B1
• Filed: 03/29/2010
• Issued: 10/15/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Emc IP Holding Company LLC (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: EMC Corporation (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Sreedharan, Sachhin Aayellath
• Primary Examiner(s): Rigol, Yaima
• Application Number:
  US12/748,492
• Time in Patent Office: 1,296 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 711/162
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1461 Backup scheduling policy

Abstract

A method, system, and a computer program product for performing backups using multiple streams. An aspect of the present invention performs the backups based on the size of the data sets sought to be backed up. In particular, the backups of bigger data sets (in terms of size) are performed before the backups of smaller data sets. It is accordingly observed that the backup window is reduced (without increasing the number of streams).

Claims

1. A method of performing backups using multiple streams, the method comprising:

receiving a first collection of data sets and a second collection of data sets, wherein the first collection of data sets are scheduled for being backed up after a first time point and the second collection of data sets are scheduled for being backed up after a second time point,

wherein the second time point follows the first time point,

the first collection of data sets being specified in a specific order when received, the first collection of data sets including a first data set and a second data set, wherein the second data set follows the first data set according to the specific order;

sorting the first collection of data sets according to the respective sizes of the data sets to form the first collection of data sets in a sorted order, wherein a data set having a bigger size is placed ahead of data set with a smaller size, wherein the second data set is bigger than the first data set such that the second data set is earlier in the sorted order compared to the first data set; and

scheduling for the backup of the first collection of data sets and the second collection of data sets using a plurality of streams,

wherein each of the first collection of data sets is scheduled for starting of backup before starting of any of the second collection of data sets in view of the second time point following the first time point,

wherein some of the first collection of data sets are backed up using a first stream of the plurality of streams and some others of the first collection of data sets are backed up using a second stream of the plurality of streams,

wherein each of the first collection of data sets is scheduled for backup on one of the plurality of data streams in the sorted order such that the backup of the second data set starts before the backup of the first data set.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the sorting also sorts the second collection of data sets according to the respective sizes of the data sets to form the second collection of data sets according to the sorted order, wherein a data set having a bigger size is again placed ahead of a data set with a smaller size in the sorted order,

wherein some of the second collection of data sets are also backed up using the first stream and some others of the second collection of data sets are also backed up using the second stream,

wherein each of the second collection of data sets is scheduled for backup on one of the plurality of data streams according to the sorted sequence such that the backup of earlier ones in the sorted sequence starts ahead of the later ones in the sorted sequence,

wherein the sorting of the first collection of data sets and the second collection of data sets results in reducing the duration of a backup window for performing backups of the first collection of data sets and the second collection of data sets together.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the performing performs the backup of the second data set using the first stream and the backup of the first data set using the second stream.

4. A non-transitory machine readable storage medium storing one or more sequences of instructions for causing a system to perform backups using multiple streams, wherein execution of the one or more sequences of instructions by one or more processors contained in the system causes the system to perform the actions of:

receiving a first collection of data sets and a second collection of data sets, wherein the first collection of data sets are scheduled for being backed up after a first time point and the second collection of data sets are scheduled for being backed up after a second time point,

wherein the second time point follows the first time point,

the first collection of data sets being specified in a specific order when received, the first collection of data sets including a first data set and a second data set, wherein the second data set follows the first data set according to the specific order;

sorting the first collection of data sets according to the respective sizes of the data sets to form the first collection of data sets in a sorted order, wherein a data set having a bigger size is placed ahead of data set with a smaller size, wherein the second data set is bigger than the first data set such that the second data set is earlier in the sorted order compared to the first data set; and

scheduling for the backup of the first collection of data sets and the second collection of data sets using a plurality of streams,

wherein each of the first collection of data sets is scheduled for starting of backup before starting of any of the second collection of data sets in view of the second time point following the first time point,

wherein some of the first collection of data sets are backed up using a first stream of the plurality of streams and some others of the first collection of data sets are backed up using a second stream of the plurality of streams,

wherein each of the first collection of data sets is scheduled for backup on one of the plurality of data streams in the sorted order such that the backup of the second data set starts before the backup of the first data set.

5. The non-transitory machine readable storage medium of claim 4, wherein the sorting also sorts the second collection of data sets according to the respective sizes of the data sets to form the second collection of data sets according to the sorted order, wherein a data set having a bigger size is again placed ahead of a data set with a smaller size in the sorted order,

wherein some of the second collection of data sets are also backed up using the first stream and some others of the second collection of data sets are also backed up using the second stream,

wherein each of the second collection of data sets is scheduled for backup on one of the plurality of data streams according to the sorted sequence such that the backup of earlier ones in the sorted sequence starts ahead of the later ones in the sorted sequence,

wherein the sorting of the first collection of data sets and the second collection of data sets results in reducing the duration of a backup window for performing backups of the first collection of data sets and the second collection of data sets together.

6. The non-transitory machine readable storage medium of claim 5, wherein the performing performs the backup of the second data set using the first stream and the backup of the first data set using the second stream.

7. A computing system comprising:

a source system to store a plurality of collections of data sets, wherein said plurality of collections of data sets comprises a first collection of data sets and a second collection of data sets, wherein the first collection of data sets are scheduled for being backed up after a first time point and the second collection of data sets are scheduled for being backed up after a second time point, wherein the second time point follows the first time point;

a target system to store backups of the plurality of collections of data sets; and

a backup tool operable to;

receive an indication to perform the backup of the first collection of data sets and the second collection of data sets, the first collection of data sets being specified in a specific order when received, the first collection of data sets including a first data set and a second data set, wherein the second data set follows the first data set according to the specific order;

sort the first collection of data sets according to the respective sizes of the data sets to form the first collection of data sets in a sorted order, wherein a data set having a bigger size is placed ahead of data set with a smaller size, wherein the second data set is bigger

than the first data set such that the second data set is earlier in the sorted order compared to the first data set; and

schedule for the backup of the first collection of data sets and the second collection of data sets using a plurality of streams,

wherein each of the first collection of data sets is scheduled for starting of backup before starting of any of the second collection of data sets in view of the second time point following the first time point,

wherein some of the first collection of data sets are backed up using a first stream of the plurality of streams and some others of the first collection of data sets are backed up using a second stream of the plurality of streams,

wherein each of the first collection of data sets is scheduled for backup on one of the plurality of data streams in the sorted order such that the backup of the second data set starts before the backup of the first data set.

8. The computing system of claim 7, wherein the copying of the second data set using the first stream is performed by a first backup agent executing in the source system and the copying of the first data set using the second stream is performed by a second backup agent executing in the source system.

9. The computing system of claim 8, wherein the second data set is copied from the source system to the target system using the first stream and the first data set is copied from the source system to the target system using the second stream.

10. The computing system of claim 8, wherein the copying of the collection of data sets according to the sorted order results in reducing a backup window for performing backups of the first collection of data sets and the second collection of data sets together.