Systems and methods for retaining and using data block signatures in data protection operations
First Claim
1. A method of performing a copy operation, the method comprising:
- copying, with one or more processors comprising computer hardware, a plurality of files from primary storage to one or more first secondary storage devices, wherein the files are formed from a plurality of source data blocks, wherein said copying is performed in a deduplicated manner and at least partly by;
accessing a deduplication signature table containing a plurality of signatures which correspond to a plurality of backed up data blocks stored in the one or more first secondary storage devices; and
storing, on the one or more first secondary storage devices, instances of ones of the plurality of source data blocks for which matching backed up data blocks do not already exist on the one or more first secondary storage devices;
in response to instructions to copy at least some of the plurality of backed up data blocks from the one or more first secondary storage devices to one or more second secondary storage devices, for each respective data block of the at least some of the plurality of backed up data blocks;
reading, with one or more processors comprising computer hardware, a previously stored signature corresponding to the respective data block for sending from the one or more first secondary storage devices to the one or more second secondary storage devices, wherein the previously stored signature is stored on the one or more first secondary storage devices and is separate from the deduplication signature table; and
based on an indication as to whether the respective data block is already stored on the one or more second secondary storage devices, reading the respective data block from the one or more first secondary storage devices for sending to the one or more second secondary storage devices if the respective data block does not exist on the one or more second secondary storage devices, wherein the signature corresponding to the respective data block and not the respective data block itself is read from the one or more first secondary storage devices if the respective data block exists on the one or more second secondary storage devices.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system according to certain embodiments associates a signature value corresponding to a data block with one or more data blocks and a reference to the data block to form a signature/data word corresponding to the data block. The system further logically organizes the signature/data words into a plurality of files each comprising at least one signature/data word such that the signature values are embedded in the respective file. The system according to certain embodiments reads a previously stored signature value corresponding to a respective data block for sending from a backup storage system having at least one memory device to a secondary storage system. Based on an indication as to whether the data block is already stored on the secondary storage system, the system reads the data block from the at least one memory device for sending to the secondary storage system if the data block exists on the secondary storage system, wherein the signature value and not the data block is read from the at least one memory device if the data block exists on the secondary storage system.
276 Citations
15 Claims
-
1. A method of performing a copy operation, the method comprising:
-
copying, with one or more processors comprising computer hardware, a plurality of files from primary storage to one or more first secondary storage devices, wherein the files are formed from a plurality of source data blocks, wherein said copying is performed in a deduplicated manner and at least partly by; accessing a deduplication signature table containing a plurality of signatures which correspond to a plurality of backed up data blocks stored in the one or more first secondary storage devices; and storing, on the one or more first secondary storage devices, instances of ones of the plurality of source data blocks for which matching backed up data blocks do not already exist on the one or more first secondary storage devices; in response to instructions to copy at least some of the plurality of backed up data blocks from the one or more first secondary storage devices to one or more second secondary storage devices, for each respective data block of the at least some of the plurality of backed up data blocks; reading, with one or more processors comprising computer hardware, a previously stored signature corresponding to the respective data block for sending from the one or more first secondary storage devices to the one or more second secondary storage devices, wherein the previously stored signature is stored on the one or more first secondary storage devices and is separate from the deduplication signature table; and based on an indication as to whether the respective data block is already stored on the one or more second secondary storage devices, reading the respective data block from the one or more first secondary storage devices for sending to the one or more second secondary storage devices if the respective data block does not exist on the one or more second secondary storage devices, wherein the signature corresponding to the respective data block and not the respective data block itself is read from the one or more first secondary storage devices if the respective data block exists on the one or more second secondary storage devices. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
-
-
10. A system for performing a copy operation, the system comprising:
-
one or more processors comprising computer hardware; at least one copy management module executing in the one or more processors and configured to; copy a plurality of files from primary storage to one or more first secondary storage devices, wherein the files are formed from a plurality of source data blocks, wherein said copying is performed in a deduplicated manner and at least partly by; accessing a deduplication signature table containing a plurality of signatures which correspond to a plurality of backed up data blocks stored in the one or more first secondary storage devices; and storing, on the one or more first secondary storage devices, instances of ones of the plurality of source data blocks for which matching backed up data blocks do not already exist on the one or more first secondary storage devices; and in response to instructions to copy at least some of a plurality of backed up data blocks stored in the one or more first secondary storage devices to one or more second secondary storage devices, for each respective data block of the at least some of the plurality of backed up data blocks; read a previously stored signature corresponding to the respective data block for sending from the one or more first secondary storage devices to the one or more second secondary storage devices, wherein the previously stored signature is stored on the one or more first secondary storage devices and is separate from the deduplication signature table; and based on an indication as to whether the respective data block is already stored on the one or more second secondary storage devices, read the respective data block from the one or more first secondary storage devices for sending to the one or more second secondary storage devices if the respective data block does not exist on the one or more second secondary storage devices, wherein the signature corresponding to the respective data block and not the respective data block itself is read from the one or more first secondary storage devices if the respective data block exists on the one or more second secondary storage devices. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
-
Specification