System and method for data management

• US 9,135,119 B1
• Filed: 09/28/2012
• Issued: 09/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Emc IP Holding Company LLC (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: EMC Corporation (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Natanzon, Assaf, Derbeko, Philip, Eyal, Anat
• Primary Examiner(s): DUNCAN, MARC M
• Application Number:
  US13/630,699
• Time in Patent Office: 1,082 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1458 Management of the backup or restore process
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1666 where the redundant component is memory or memory area
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2089 Redundant storage control functionality
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2097 maintaining the standby controller/processing unit updated initialisation or re-synchronisation thereof G06F11/1658 and subgroups
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/84 Using snapshots, i.e. a logical point-in-time copy of the data

Abstract

A method, computer program product, and computing system for generating a frontend snapshot of a primary frontend cache system at a particular point in time. A backend snapshot of a backend storage system coupled to the primary front end cache system is generated at the particular point in time. The front end snapshot of the primary frontend cache system is transferred to a backup frontend cache system.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

generating a frontend snapshot of a primary frontend cache system at a particular point in time;

generating a backend snapshot of a backend storage system coupled to the primary front end cache system at the particular point in time;

transferring the front end snapshot of the primary frontend cache system to a backup frontend cache system; and

removing the front end snapshot from the primary front end cache system subsequent to transferring the front end snapshot.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the primary frontend cache system is a write-back primary front end cache system.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising:

initially storing the frontend snapshot on the primary frontend cache system.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising:

subsequently storing the frontend snapshot on the backup frontend cache system.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein generating a backend snapshot of a backend storage system includes:

maintaining the backend storage system in a static state while the backend snapshot is generated.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the backend storage system includes a data array.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising:

in the event of a failure of the primary frontend cache system, restoring the backend storage system to the particular point in time using the backend snapshot and restoring the backup frontend cache system to the particular point in time using the frontend snapshot.

8. A computer program product residing on a non-transitory computer readable medium having a plurality of instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

generating a frontend snapshot of a primary frontend cache system at a particular point in time;

generating a backend snapshot of a backend storage system coupled to the primary front end cache system at the particular point in time;

transferring the front end snapshot of the primary frontend cache system to a backup frontend cache system; and

removing the front end snapshot from the primary front end cache system subsequent to transferring the front end snapshot.

9. The computer program product of claim 8 wherein the primary frontend cache system is a write-back primary front end cache system.

10. The computer program product of claim 8 further comprising instructions for:

initially storing the frontend snapshot on the primary frontend cache system.

11. The computer program product of claim 8 further comprising instructions for:

subsequently storing the frontend snapshot on the backup frontend cache system.

12. The computer program product of claim 8 wherein the instructions for generating a backend snapshot of a backend storage system include instructions for:

maintaining the backend storage system in a static state while the backend snapshot is generated.

13. The computer program product of claim 8 wherein the backend storage system includes a data array.

14. The computer program product of claim 8 further comprising instructions for:

in the event of a failure of the primary frontend cache system, restoring the backend storage system to the particular point in time using the backend snapshot and restoring the backup frontend cache system to the particular point in time using the frontend snapshot.

15. A computing system including at least one processor and at least one memory architecture coupled with the at least one processor, wherein the computing system is configured to perform operations comprising:

generating a frontend snapshot of a primary frontend cache system at a particular point in time;

generating a backend snapshot of a backend storage system coupled to the primary front end cache system at the particular point in time;

transferring the front end snapshot of the primary frontend cache system to a backup frontend cache system; and

removing the front end snapshot from the primary front end cache system subsequent to transferring the front end snapshot.

16. The computing system of claim 15 wherein the primary frontend cache system is a write-back primary front end cache system.

17. The computing system of claim 15 further configured to perform operations comprising:

initially storing the frontend snapshot on the primary frontend cache system.

18. The computing system of claim 15 further configured to perform operations comprising:

subsequently storing the frontend snapshot on the backup frontend cache system.

19. The computing system of claim 15 wherein generating a backend snapshot of a backend storage system includes:

maintaining the backend storage system in a static state while the backend snapshot is generated.

20. The computing system of claim 15 wherein the backend storage system includes a data array.

21. The computing system of claim 15 further configured to perform operations comprising:

in the event of a failure of the primary frontend cache system, restoring the backend storage system to the particular point in time using the backend snapshot and restoring the backup frontend cache system to the particular point in time using the frontend snapshot.