Selective data replication system and method

• US 20030225800A1
• Filed: 11/25/2002
• Published: 12/04/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/23/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CommVault Systems Incorporated
• Original Assignee: CommVault Systems Incorporated
• Inventors: Kavuri, Srinivas
• Granted Patent: US 7,287,047 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/204
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1448 Management of the data involved in backup or backup restore
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1451 by selection of backup contents
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99952 Coherency, e.g. same view to multiple users
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99955 Archiving or backup

Abstract

The invention relates generally to copying electronic data. More particularly, the invention provides a computerized method for identifying, in a first backup data set, a data item satisfying a selection criterion, and copying to a second backup data set at least a portion of the data item.

Claims

1. A computerized method for copying electronic data stored in a first backup data set, the method comprising:

identifying, in the first backup data set, a data item satisfying a selection criterion; and

copying to a second backup data set at least a portion of the data item.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the data item comprises identifying a full backup within a primary backup data set of application data.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the data item comprises identifying a full backup within an auxiliary backup data set of application data.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the data item comprises identifying a data item associated with a data-specific ID.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the selection criterion comprises a time criterion and wherein identifying the data item satisfying the selection criterion comprises comparing a time the data item was stored to the time criterion.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the time criterion comprises a day of a week and wherein identifying the data item satisfying the selection criterion comprises comparing a day of the week the data item was stored to the day of the week.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the time criterion comprises a day of a month and wherein identifying the data item satisfying the selection criterion comprises comparing a day of the month the data item was stored to the day of the month.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the selection criterion comprises a cycle criterion and wherein identifying the data item satisfying the selection criterion comprises comparing a number of cycles occurring since the data item was stored to the cycle criterion.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the cycle criterion comprises a number of full backups performed and wherein identifying the data item satisfying the selection criterion comprises comparing a number of full backups performed since the data item was stored to the number of full backups.

10. The method of claim 1, comprising indicating that the data item satisfies the selection criteria.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein indicating that the data item satisfies the selection criterion comprises associating, in a data structure, information with the data item indicating that the data item satisfies the selection criterion.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein indicating that the data item satisfies the selection criterion comprises associating, in a matrix, information with the data item indicating that the data item satisfies the selection criterion.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the data item indicated is de-indicated after the data item is copied to the second backup data set.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein de-indicating the data item comprises removing, in a data structure, information associated with the data item indicating that the data item satisfies the selection criterion.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein de-indicating the data item comprises removing, in a matrix, information associated with the data item indicating that the data item satisfies the selection criterion.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the data item indicated will not be pruned by a pruning program unless the data item is first de-indicated.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the data item comprises a full backup of application data.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein copying at least a portion of the data item comprises performing an auxiliary copy of at least a portion of the data item.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the copying of at least a portion of the data item is a restart-able operation.

20. A system for copying electronic data, the system comprising:

a first backup data set containing one or more data items;

a second backup data set; and

a computer, connectable to the first backup data set and the second backup data set;

wherein the computer is programmed to identify, in the first backup data set, a first data item satisfying a selection criteria; and

to copy at least a portion of the first data item from the first backup data set to the second backup data set.

21. A computer usable medium storing program code which, when executed on a computerized device, causes the computerized device to execute a computerized method for copying electronic data stored in a first backup data set, the method comprising:

identifying, in the first backup data set, a data item satisfying a selection criterion; and

copying to a second backup data set at least a portion of the data item.