Techniques for data backup management

• US 8,799,223 B1
• Filed: 05/02/2011
• Issued: 08/05/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Veritas Technologies, LLC (Whitehouse Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Symantec Corporation (NortonLifeLock Inc.)
• Inventors: Karmarkar, Saurabh Sitaram, Tambat, Ganesh Prabhakar, Kulkarni, Aswad Shrikrishna
• Primary Examiner(s): Ruiz, Angelica
• Application Number:
  US13/098,966
• Time in Patent Office: 1,191 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 707/640
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1451 by selection of backup contents

Abstract

Techniques for data backup management are disclosed. In one particular exemplary embodiment, the techniques may be realized as a method for data backup management comprising identifying a base image for a plurality of data backup endpoints, creating, using at least one computer processor, a backup of the base image, storing the backup of the base image as a common backup for the plurality of data backup endpoints, and tracking changes to the base image at one or more of the plurality of data backup endpoints.

Claims

1. A method for data backup management comprising:

identifying a base image for a plurality of data backup clients;

creating, using at least one computer processor, a backup of the base image;

storing the backup of the base image as a stored common backup for the plurality of data backup clients;

calculating, at a server, a fingerprint for one or more files of the base image;

distributing the calculated fingerprint from the server to at least one of the plurality of data backup clients;

tracking changes to the base image at one or more of the plurality of data backup clients; and

backing up at least one of the plurality of data backup clients, wherein a resultant backup of the at least one of the plurality of data backup clients comprises at least one tracked change of the at least one of the plurality of data backup clients, and wherein the stored common backup of the base image allows backup processing to perform an incremental backup which skips backup of unchanged files on the at least one of the plurality of data backup clients.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising distributing the base image to at least one of the plurality of data backup clients.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the distribution comprises restoring the at least one of the plurality of data backup clients using the backup of the base image.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the backup of the base image is stored on cloud based storage.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising distributing a change tracking driver to at least one of the plurality of data backup clients.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising collapsing a plurality of incremental backups for a data backup client into a synthetic incremental.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising collapsing a plurality of incremental backups for a data backup client and the backup of the base image into a full backup.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising distributing a deduplication agent to at least one of the plurality of data backup clients.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the calculated fingerprint comprises a hash file.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

using the calculated fingerprint to deduplicate a backup of the at least one of the plurality of data backup clients.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the calculated fingerprint comprises a fingerprint calculated using a MD5 hash function algorithm.

12. An article of manufacture for data backup management, the article of manufacture comprising:

at least one non-transitory processor readable medium; and

instructions stored on the at least one medium;

wherein the instructions are readable from the at least one medium by at least one processor and thereby cause the at least one processor to operate so as to;

identify a base image for a plurality of data backup clients;

create a backup of the base image;

store the backup of the base image as a stored common backup for the plurality of data backup clients;

calculate, at a server, a fingerprint for one or more files of the base image;

distribute the calculated fingerprint from the server to at least one of the plurality of data backup clients;

track changes to the base image at one or more of the plurality of data backup clients; and

back up at least one of the plurality of data backup clients, wherein a resultant backup of the at least one of the plurality of data backup clients comprises at least one tracked change of the at least one of the plurality of data backup clients and wherein the stored common backup of the base image allows backup processing to perform an incremental backup which skips backup of unchanged files on the at least one of the plurality of data backup clients.

13. A system for data backup management comprising:

one or more processors communicatively coupled to a network;

wherein the one or more processors are configured to;

identify a base image for a plurality of data backup clients;

create, using at least one computer processor, a backup of the base image;

store the backup of the base image as a stored common backup for the plurality of data backup clients;

calculate, at a server, a fingerprint for one or more files of the base image;

distribute the calculated fingerprint from the server to at least one of the plurality of data backup clients;

track changes to the base image at one or more of the plurality of data backup clients; and

back up at least one of the plurality of data backup clients, wherein a resultant backup of the at least one of the plurality of data backup clients comprises at least one tracked change of the at least one of the plurality of data backup clients and wherein the common stored backup of the base image allows backup processing to perform an incremental backup which skips backup of unchanged files on the at least one of the plurality of data backup clients.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:

distribute the base image to at least one of the plurality of data backup clients.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the distribution comprises restoring the at least one of the plurality of data backup clients using the backup of the base image.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the backup of the base image is stored on cloud based storage.