Techniques for backup management

• US 9,684,563 B1
• Filed: 01/04/2010
• Issued: 06/20/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/04/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Veritas Technologies, LLC (Whitehouse Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Veritas Technologies, LLC (Whitehouse Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Wartnick, Jeremy Howard
• Primary Examiner(s): Yi, David X
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mercado, Ramon A
• Application Number:
  US12/651,644
• Time in Patent Office: 2,724 Days
• Field of Search: 711161, 711162, 707646, 707647, 707652, 707653
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/263 Arrangements for using multiple switchable power supplies, e.g. battery and AC G06F1/30 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3212 Monitoring battery levels, e.g. power saving mode being initiated when battery voltage goes below a certain level
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3234 Power saving characterised by the action undertaken
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1451 by selection of backup contents
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1458 Management of the backup or restore process
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1461 Backup scheduling policy
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1464 for networked environments
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3024 where the computing system component is a central processing unit [CPU]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3034 where the computing system component is a storage system, e.g. DASD based or network based digital input from or digital output to record carriers G06F3/06; digital recording or reproducing G11B20/18; for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS], H04L67/1097
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3041 where the computing system component is an input/output interface interconnection of, or transfer of information or other signals between, memories, input/output devices or central processing units G06F13/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3062 where the monitored property is the power consumption power management in a computing system G06F1/3203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3409 for performance assessment
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

Techniques for backup management are disclosed. In one particular exemplary embodiment, the techniques may be realized as a method for backup management comprising the steps of receiving power level information from a backup client, determining a factor, based at least in part on the power level information, affecting a backup time window for the backup client, identifying a portion of data of the backup client for backup based on the determination, and providing an instruction to the backup client communicating the identified portion of data.

Claims

1. A method for backup management comprising the steps of:

receiving power level information from a backup client;

determining a factor, based at least in part on the power level information, affecting an amount of backup resources available during a backup time window for the backup client, wherein the factor includes at least an indication of an importance of one or more files;

determining, based on the factor, at least one process to terminate on the backup client to reduce power consumption;

identifying a portion of data of the backup client for backup, wherein a size of the portion of data is based on the factor;

reducing processing required for the portion of data, wherein the reduction in processing comprises at least one of skipping encryption, skipping de-duplication, skipping compression, or skipping anti-virus scan;

changing a backup checkpoint interval based at least in part on a power level of the power level information such that a first checkpoint interval when the power level is below a threshold level is more frequent than a second checkpoint interval when the power level is above the threshold level; and

providing an instruction containing an indication of the at least one process to terminate and the identified portion of data to the backup client.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the factor affecting a backup time window for the backup client comprises a remaining time the backup client is available for backup based on the power level information.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the factor affecting a backup time window for the backup client comprises a network bandwidth measurement of a network link to the backup client.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the factor affecting a backup time window for the backup client comprises at least one of a CPU load of a network element available to receive data from the backup client and disk resources of a network element available to receive data from the backup client.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the factor affecting a backup time window for the backup client comprises a priority associated with data of the backup client.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the determination of the factor affecting the backup time window for the backup client comprises a comparison of the priority of a backup of the backup client with a backup priority of one or more other backup clients.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising altering an amount of backup resources available for a backup client based on the comparison.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the instruction comprises an instruction specifying a type of backup to perform.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the type of backup to perform comprises at least one of:

a full backup, an incremental backup, and a differential backup.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving data from the backup client.

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

at least one non-transitory processor readable storage medium; and

instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory processor readable storage medium;

wherein the instructions are configured to be readable from the at least one non-transitory processor readable storage medium by at least one processor and thereby cause the at least one processor to operate so as to;

receive power level information from a backup client;

determine a factor, based at least in part on the power level information, affecting an amount of resources available during a backup time window for the backup client, wherein the factor includes at least an indication of an importance of one or more files;

determine, based on the factor, at least one process to terminate on the backup client to reduce power consumption;

identify a portion of data of the backup client for backup, wherein a size of the portion of data is based on the factor;

reduce processing required for the portion of data, wherein the reduction in processing comprises at least one of skipping encryption, skipping de-duplication, skipping compression, or skipping anti-virus scan;

change a backup checkpoint interval based at least in part on a power level of the power level information such that a first checkpoint interval when the power level is below a threshold level is more frequent than a second checkpoint interval when the power level is above the threshold level; and

provide an instruction containing an indication of the at least one process to terminate and the identified portion of data to the backup client.

12. A system for backup management comprising:

memory; and

one or more processors communicatively coupled to the memory;

wherein the one or more processors are configured to;

receive power level information from a backup client;

determine a factor, based at least in part on the power level information, affecting an amount of backup resources available during a backup time window for the backup client, wherein the factor includes at least an indication of an importance of one or more files;

determine, based on the factor, at least one process to terminate on the backup client to reduce power consumption;

identify a portion of data of the backup client for backup, wherein a size of the portion of data is based on the factor;

reduce processing required for the portion of data, wherein the reduction in processing comprises at least one of skipping encryption, skipping de-duplication, skipping compression, or skipping anti-virus scan;

change a backup checkpoint interval based at least in part on a power level of the power level information such that a first checkpoint interval when the power level is below a threshold level is more frequent than a second checkpoint interval when the power level is above the threshold level; and

provide an instruction containing an indication of the at least one process to terminate and the identified portion of data to the backup client communicating the identified portion of data.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the factor affecting a backup time window for the backup client comprises a remaining time the backup client is available for backup based on the power level information.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the factor affecting a backup time window for the backup client comprises a network bandwidth measurement of a network link to the backup client.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the factor affecting a backup time window for the backup client comprises at least one of a CPU load of a network element available to receive data from the backup client and disk resources of a network element available to receive data from the backup client.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the determination of the factor affecting the backup time window for the backup client comprises a comparison of the priority of a backup of the backup client with a backup priority of one or more other backup clients.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the instruction comprises an instruction specifying a type of backup to perform.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to receive data from the backup client.