Method and system of performing a granular restore of a database from a differential backup

• US 8,666,944 B2
• Filed: 09/29/2010
• Issued: 03/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2010
• 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): PHILLIPS, III, ALBERT M
• Application Number:
  US12/893,729
• Publication Number:
  US 20120078855A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,252 Days
• Field of Search: 707/679
• US Class Current: 707/679
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1451 by selection of backup contents
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1469 Backup restoration techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/80 Database-specific techniques

Abstract

A system and method for performing a granular restore operation of a database from a differential backup of the database. A bitmask is created during a differential backup and stored with the differential backup file. When a user requests a granular restore operation, views of how the database existed at different points of time may be presented to the user. The objects the user wishes to restore may be selected from one of the views. Next, the bitmask may be read to determine if the objects should be retrieved from the differential backup file or a full backup file. Finally, the objects may be restored to the database from the proper file.

Claims

1. A method of performing a granular restore operation to a database, the method comprising:

detecting a request to restore a database;

identifying a full backup of the database, wherein the full backup corresponds to a state of the database at a first time;

identifying a partial backup of the database, wherein the partial backup corresponds to a state of the database at a second time later than the first time;

presenting at least a portion of a synthetic full backup view of the database based upon the full backup and the partial backup, wherein the synthetic full backup view corresponds to the second time;

detecting user input to the synthetic full backup view selecting a plurality of objects to be restored to respective states corresponding to the second time, wherein the selected plurality of objects includes a first object, wherein a most recent version of the first object corresponding to the second time is stored in the partial backup, wherein an older version of the first object corresponding to the first time is stored in the full backup;

for each respective object of the selected plurality of objects, determining a corresponding backup from which to restore the respective object, wherein the corresponding backup is either the full backup or the partial backup, wherein said determining comprises determining that the most recent version of the first object should be restored from the partial backup and determining that one or more other objects of the selected plurality of objects should be restored from the full backup; and

for each respective object of the selected plurality of objects, restoring the respective object from the corresponding backup determined for the respective object, wherein said restoring comprises restoring the most recent version of the first object from the partial backup and restoring the one or more other objects from the full backup.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said presenting the synthetic full backup view comprises:

accessing metadata associated with the full backup;

accessing metadata associated with the partial backup; and

presenting a synthetic full backup view of the database based upon a merger of the metadata associated with the full backup and the metadata associated with the partial backup.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein prior to detecting the request to perform the restore operation the method comprises:

performing a full backup of the database and storing data received from the full backup; and

performing a partial backup of the database, wherein performing a partial backup comprises;

detecting a request to perform a partial backup of the database;

storing data received from the partial backup;

building a bitmask file including indicators that specify which objects in the database have been modified subsequent to the full backup and are stored as part of the partial backup; and

storing the bitmask file.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising creating the partial backup, wherein said creating the partial backup comprises:

detecting a request to perform a backup of the database;

initiating a backup procedure;

running a customized query on the database to identify changed objects in the database since a last full backup;

storing a change map that identifies the changed objects;

receiving a plurality of data objects during the backup procedure;

comparing objects of the plurality of data objects to objects identified in the change map;

saving particular objects of the plurality of data objects as part of the partial backup, in response to determining the change map indicates the particular objects have changed.

5. The method as recited in claim 3, wherein said determining the corresponding backup from which to restore a respective object comprises comparing an identifier included in a header associated with the object to identifiers stored in the bitmask file.

6. The method as recited in claim 3, wherein the bitmask file is generated based upon data in an SQL server.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the database comprises a content database including website content.

8. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising program instructions for performing a granular restore operation, wherein when executed by a computer system, the program instructions are operable to:

detect a request to restore a database;

identify a full backup corresponding to the database, wherein the full backup corresponds to a state of the database at a first time;

identify a partial backup corresponding to the database, wherein the partial backup corresponds to a state of the database at a second time later than the first time;

present at least a portion of a synthetic full backup view of the database based upon the full backup and the partial backup, wherein the synthetic full backup view corresponds to the second time;

detect user input to the synthetic full backup view selecting a plurality of objects to be restored to respective states corresponding to the second time, wherein the selected plurality of objects includes a first object, wherein a most recent version of the first object corresponding to the second time is stored in the partial backup, wherein an older version of the first object corresponding to the first time is stored in the full backup;

for each respective object of the selected plurality of objects, determine a corresponding backup from which to restore the respective object, wherein the corresponding backup is either the full backup or the partial backup, wherein said determining comprises determining that the most recent version of the first object should be restored from the partial backup and determining that one or more other objects of the selected plurality of objects should be restored from the full backup; and

for each respective object of the selected plurality of objects, restore the respective object from the corresponding backup determined for the respective object, wherein said restoring comprises restoring the most recent version of the first object from the partial backup and restoring the one or more other objects from the full backup.

9. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 8, wherein when executed the program instructions are further operable to:

access metadata associated with the full backup;

access metadata associated with the partial backup; and

present the synthetic full backup view of the database based upon a merger of the metadata associated with the full backup and the metadata associated with the partial backup.

10. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 8, wherein prior to detecting a request to perform a granular restore operation the program instructions are further operable to:

perform a full backup of the database and storing data received from the full backup; and

perform a partial backup of the database, wherein performing a partial backup comprises;

detect a request to perform a partial backup of the database;

store data received from the partial backup;

build a bitmask file including indicators that specify which objects in the database have been modified subsequent to the full backup and are stored as part of the partial backup; and

store the bitmask file.

11. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 8, wherein when executed the program instructions are further operable to create the partial backup, wherein said creating the partial backup comprises:

detect a request to perform a backup of the database;

initiate a backup procedure;

run a customized query on the database to identify changed objects in the database since a last full backup;

store a change map that identifies the changed objects;

receive a plurality of data objects during the backup procedure;

compare objects of the plurality of data objects to objects identified in the change map;

save particular objects of the plurality of data objects as part of the partial backup, in response to determining the change map indicates the particular objects have changed.

12. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 10, wherein in said determining the corresponding backup from which to restore a respective object the program instructions are operable to compare an identifier included in a header associated with the object to identifiers stored in the bitmask file.

13. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 8, wherein the bitmask file is retrieved from an SQL server.

14. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 8, wherein the database comprises a content database including website content.

15. A computing system for performing a granular restore operation, the system comprising:

one or more processors; and

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

detect a request to restore a database;

identify a full backup corresponding to the database, wherein the full backup corresponds to a state of the database at a first time;

identify a partial backup corresponding to the database, wherein the partial backup corresponds to a state of the database at a second time later than the first time;

present at least a portion of a synthetic full backup view of the database based upon the full backup and the partial backup, wherein the synthetic full backup view corresponds to the second time;

detect user input to the synthetic full backup view selecting a plurality of objects to be restored to respective states corresponding to the second time, wherein the selected plurality of objects includes a first object, wherein a most recent version of the first object corresponding to the second time is stored in the partial backup, wherein an older version of the first object corresponding to the first time is stored in the full backup;

for each respective object of the selected plurality of objects, determine a corresponding backup from which to restore the respective object, wherein the corresponding backup is either the full backup or the partial backup, wherein said determining comprises determining that the most recent version of the first object should be restored from the partial backup and determining that one or more other objects of the selected plurality of objects should be restored from the full backup; and

for each respective object of the selected plurality of objects, restore the respective object from the corresponding backup determined for the respective object, wherein said restoring comprises restoring the most recent version of the first object from the partial backup and restoring the one or more other objects from the full backup.

16. The computer system as recited in claim 15, wherein the program instructions are further executable by the one or more processors to:

access metadata associated with the full backup;

access metadata associated with the partial backup; and

present the synthetic full backup view of the database based upon a merger of the metadata associated with the full backup and the metadata associated with the partial backup.

17. The computer system as recited in claim 15, wherein prior to detecting a request to perform a granular restore operation, the program instructions are further executable by the one or more processors to:

perform a full backup of the database and storing data received from the full backup; and

perform a partial backup of the database, wherein performing a partial backup comprises;

detect a request to perform a partial backup of the database;

store data received from the partial backup;

build a bitmask file including indicators that specify which objects in the database have been modified subsequent to the full backup and are stored as part of the partial backup; and

store the bitmask file.

18. The computer system as recited in claim 15, wherein the program instructions are further executable by the one or more processors to create the partial backup, wherein in said creating the program instructions are executable by the one or more processors to:

detect a request to perform a backup of the database;

initiate a backup procedure;

run a customized query on the database to identify changed objects in the database;

store a change map that identifies the changed objects;

receive a plurality of data objects during the backup procedure;

compare objects of the plurality of data objects to objects identified in the change map;

save objects of the plurality of data objects that are identified as having changed; and

discard objects of the plurality of data objects that are not identified as having changed.

19. The computer system as recited in claim 17, wherein in said determining the corresponding backup from which to restore a respective object the program instructions are executable by the one or more processors to compare an identifier included in a header associated with the object to identifiers stored in the bitmask file.

20. The computer system as recited in claim 15, wherein the database comprises a content database including website content.