Restoring a backup from a deduplication vault storage

• US 8,732,135 B1
• Filed: 03/01/2013
• Issued: 05/20/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: StorageCraft Technology Corporation
• Original Assignee: StorageCraft Technology Corporation
• Inventors: Gardner, Andrew Lynn
• Primary Examiner(s): BROWN, SHEREE N
• Application Number:
  US13/782,822
• Time in Patent Office: 445 Days
• Field of Search: 707/679
• US Class Current: 707/679
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1453 using de-duplication of the data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1469 Backup restoration techniques

Abstract

Restoring a backup from a deduplication vault storage. In one example embodiment, a method of restoring a backup from a deduplication vault storage includes various steps. First, entries in a list of unique blocks in a backup of a source storage at a point in time are ordered according to locations of corresponding unique blocks as stored in a vault storage. Then, the corresponding unique blocks are read in the order from the vault storage. Next, communication is established between the vault storage and a restore storage. Then, the corresponding unique blocks are stored in the restore storage.

Claims

1. A method of restoring a backup from a deduplication vault storage, the method comprising:

accessing entries in a list of unique blocks in a backup of a source storage at a point in time, the list initially being ordered in a first order, each of the entries in the list being associated with a hash value of the unique block;

reordering the list into a second order that matches a numeric order of block addresses of corresponding unique blocks as stored in a vault storage;

reading the corresponding unique blocks in the second order from the vault storage;

establishing communication between the vault storage and a restore storage; and

storing the corresponding unique blocks in the restore storage.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the source storage and the restore storage are the same storage.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the hash value associated with each of the entries is associated with:

a location of the corresponding unique block in the vault storage; and

an original location of the unique block in the source storage at the point in time.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein storing the corresponding unique blocks in the restore storage includes:

storing a single copy of each corresponding unique block in the restore storage;

discontinuing communication between the vault storage and the restore storage;

reading each block that is a local duplicate block from the restore storage; and

storing one or more additional copies of the each local duplicate block in the restore storage.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein storing the corresponding unique blocks in the restore storage includes, before discontinuing communication between the vault storage and the restore storage, storing a single copy of each corresponding unique block in the restore storage and storing one or more additional copies of each local duplicate block in the restore storage.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the backup of the source storage is a full backup of the source storage.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the backup of the source storage is an incremental backup of the source storage.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein reading the corresponding unique blocks in the second order from the vault storage includes reading runs of the corresponding unique blocks in the second order from the vault storage.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a program that causes a processor to execute the method as recited in claim 1.

11. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the vault storage communicates with the source storage over the internet.

10. A method of restoring a backup from a deduplication vault storage, the method comprising:

accessing entries in a list of unique blocks in a backup of a source storage at a point in time, the list initially being ordered in a first order, each of the entries in the list being associated with a hash value of the unique block;

reordering the list into a second order that matches a numeric order of block addresses of corresponding unique blocks as stored in a vault storage;

reading the corresponding unique blocks in the second order from the vault storage;

establishing communication between the vault storage and a restore storage;

storing a single copy of each corresponding unique block in the restore storage;

discontinuing communication between the vault storage and the restore storage;

reading each block that is a local duplicate block from the restore storage; and

storing one or more additional copies of each local duplicate block in the restore storage.

12. The method as recited in claim 10, wherein the source storage and the restore storage are the same storage.

13. The method as recited in claim 10, wherein the hash value associated with each of the entries is associated with:

a location of the corresponding unique block in the vault storage; and

an original location of the unique block in the source storage at the point in time.

14. The method as recited in claim 10, wherein the vault storage communicates with the source storage over the internet.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a program that causes a processor to execute the method as recited in claim 10.

16. A method of restoring a backup from a deduplication vault storage, the method comprising:

accessing in a list of unique blocks in a backup of a source storage at a point in time, the list initially being ordered in a first order, each of the entries in the list being associated with a hash value of the unique block;

reordering the list into a second order that matches a numeric order of block addresses of corresponding unique blocks as stored in a vault storage;

reading the corresponding unique blocks in the second order from the vault storage;

establishing communication between the vault storage and a restore storage; and

before discontinuing communication between the vault storage and the restore storage, storing a single copy of each corresponding unique block in the restore storage and storing one or more additional copies of each local duplicate block in the restore storage.

17. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein the source storage and the restore storage are the same storage.

18. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein the hash value associated with each of the entries is associated with:

a location of the corresponding unique block in the vault storage; and

an original location of the unique block in the source storage at the point in time.

19. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein the vault storage communicates with the source storage over the internet.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a program that causes a processor to execute the method as recited in claim 16.