Method and system for improving management of media used in archive applications

• US 20060053088A1
• Filed: 06/30/2005
• Published: 03/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Sen, Vijay, Singla, Amit, Ali, Abid, Baid, Sushil, Anand, Karandeep, S, Madhan
• Granted Patent: US 7,860,837 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1448 Management of the data involved in backup or backup restore
• 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 11/1469 Backup restoration techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/604 Tools and structures for managing or administering access control systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99955 Archiving or backup

Abstract

In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, a method for efficiently inventorying a plurality of items of media contained in a library is provided. The method includes reading a barcode located on an item of media that contains contents and determining whether the barcode is known. Optionally, the method may also determine if the know item of media was previously offline. If it is determined that the barcode is known, the media is identified as known. However, if it is determined that the barcode is not known, a detailed inventory of the contents of the item of media is performed. In one embodiment, if it is determined that the barcode is not known, a user is notified that a new item of media has been identified.

Claims

1. In a data protection system having a production location and a storage location, a method for identifying a plurality of datasets contained on an item of media, the method comprising:

writing to an item of media, a first on-media identifier at the beginning of a first dataset that identifies at least the first dataset;

writing a first dataset to the item of media;

subsequent to writing the first dataset to the item of media, writing to the item of media a second on-media identifier that identifies at least a second dataset;

writing to the item of media at least a portion of the second dataset; and

writing to the item of media an end of media identifier.

2. The data protection system of claim 1, wherein the first on-media identifier identifies contents of the first dataset.

3. The data protection system of claim 1, wherein the first on-media identifier identifies contents of the item of media.

4. The data protection system of claim 1, wherein the second on-media identifier identifies contents of the second dataset contained on the item of media.

5. In a computer system having a computer-readable medium including a computer-executable program therein for performing a method of identifying a plurality of items of media associated with a dataset, the method comprising:

writing to a first item of media a first portion of a dataset;

writing to the first item of media a first media-based catalog identifying contents of the first portion of the dataset;

writing to a second item of media a second portion of the dataset; and

writing to the second item of media a second media-based catalog identifying contents of the second portion of the dataset.

6. The computer system of claim 5, wherein the first media-based catalog further includes a copy of a header of the first item of media.

7. The computer system of claim 5, wherein the first media-based catalog further includes an identification that a second portion of the dataset is contained on another item of media.

8. The computer system of claim 5, wherein the second media-based catalog further includes an identification of contents of the first portion of the dataset.

9. The computer system of claim 5, wherein the second media-based catalog further includes an identification of the first item of media.

10. The computer system of claim 9, wherein the identification of the first item of media is a copy of the header of the first item of media.

11. The computer system of claim 9, wherein the identification of the first item of media is a copy of a checksum of a first portion of contents contained on the first item of media.

12. The computer system of claim 9, wherein the second media-based catalog further includes an end of dataset identifier.

13. A method for re-cataloging an item of media that is added to a library of a data protection system, the method comprising:

determining if an item of media that includes contents is known;

in response to a determination that the item of media is not known, determining if a protected group that was used to store the contents onto the item of media exists within the data protection system; and

in response to a determination that the protected group does not exist, reconstructing the protected group.

14. The method of claim 13, further including:

in response to a determination that the protected group does exist, reconstructing integrity of the media.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein reconstructing integrity of the media includes:

identifying a dataset from metadata contained on the item of media that is representative of the contents stored on the item of media;

determining if the identified dataset is known within the protected group; and

in response to a determination that the identified dataset is not known, creating a dataset entry and mapping the created dataset entry to the protected group.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein reconstructing the protected group further includes reconstructing protected group intents.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein reconstructing protected group intents includes:

creating jobs representative of the protected group intents;

scheduling the created jobs; and

executing the created jobs.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein reconstructing the protected group includes:

generating a protected group;

creating protected namespace elements representative of information to be protected; and

creating references between the generated protected group, the created namespace elements, and the information that is to be protected.

19. The method of claim 13, further including:

determining if a replica is available;

in response to a determination that a replica is not available, creating and verifying the replica; and

reconstructing a protected group from information stored on the replica.

20. The method of claim 19, further including:

in response to a determination that a replica is available, updating and validating the replica; and

reconstructing a protected group from information stored on the replica.