Method, system, and apparatus for translating logical information representative of physical data in a data protection system

• US 20060053304A1
• Filed: 09/09/2004
• 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: Chandhok, Nikhil Vijay, Zizys, Giedrius, Anand, Karandeep Singh, Fries, Robert M., van Ingen, Catharine, Raman, Venkatasubrahmanyam, Pai, Sunil, Harikrishnan, Seetharaman, Berkowitz, Brian T., Wahlert, Brian M., Lashkari, Yezdi Z., Kulkarni, Purushottam M., Gonzalez, David E., Badami, Vinay
• Granted Patent: US 7,865,470 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/189
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1451 by selection of backup contents
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1464 for networked environments
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2097 maintaining the standby controller/processing unit updated initialisation or re-synchronisation thereof G06F11/1658 and subgroups

Abstract

A method for creating a group plan for protecting an object located at a production location is provided. A selection of an object for which a group plan is to be created is received along with protection intents for the selected object. The protection intents are translated into a group plan for protecting the selected object.

Claims

1. A method for creating a plan for protecting an object located at a production location, comprising:

receiving a selection of an object for which a group plan is to be created;

receiving a selection of protection intents for the selected object; and

translating the protection intents into a group plan for protecting the object.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing a list of objects located at a production location.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the protection intents are stated as goals.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to receiving a selection of an object, providing a protection intent default for the selected object.

5. The method of claim 4, where the protection intent default is a user-selectable protection template.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

in response to providing a protection intent default, receiving an acceptance of the provided protection intent default.

7. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

in response to providing a protection intent default, receiving a modification of the provided protection intent default.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the object is a protectable object.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the object is a plurality of protectable objects.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the object is a protected group.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the object is a datasource.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein translating the protection intents into a group plan, comprises:

creating a replication job, wherein the replication job replicates changes made to the selected object.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein translating the protection intents into a group plan, comprises:

creating an archive job, wherein the archive job creates a point in time copy of the selected object.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein translating the protection intents into a group plan, comprises:

creating a temporal version job, wherein the temporal version job creates an image of a point-in-time of a replica of the selected object.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein translating the protection intents into a group plan, comprises:

creating a schedule for a validation routine.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the validation routine comprises:

obtaining a validation parameter from a production location representative of the selected object;

obtaining a validation parameter from a storage location representative of a copy of the selected object; and

comparing the validation parameter from the production location and the validation parameter from the storage location.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

allocating resources for storing a copy of the selected object.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein allocating resources, comprises:

determining an amount of resources for storing a copy of the selected object, creating a job for allocating the determined amount of resources; and

executing the created job.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

subsequent to allocating resources, creating a checkpoint, wherein the checkpoint identifies a location that may be used to restart the method.

20. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying existing jobs associated with the selected object;

terminating the identified existing jobs;

validating a replica representative of the selected object; and

creating a new job representative of the received protection intents.

21. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to receiving a selection of protection intents, creating a job representative of the selection of the protection intents.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein the received protection intents are stored in an Extensible Markup Language.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein the received protection intents are stored in a binary form.

24. The method of claim 1, wherein the received protection intents are stored in a database table.

32. The data protection system of claim 31, wherein the jobs include a replication job, and a temporal version job.

25. In a data protection system having a production location, a storage location, and a data protector, a method for creating a group plan for protecting data stored on the production location comprising:

receiving a selection of data stored on the production location that is to be protected;

receiving a protection intent for the selected data identifying an intention of how the data is to be protected;

translating the protection intent into a plan for protecting the data.

26. The data protection system of claim 25, wherein translating the protection intent comprises:

generating a preparation plan, wherein the preparation plan includes jobs for making a copy of the selected data and storing the copy at the storage location;

generating a protection plan, wherein the protection plan includes jobs for maintaining an accuracy of the copy of the selected data.

27. The data protection system of claim 26, wherein translating the protection intent further includes, generating a resource plan, wherein generating the resource plan includes determining an amount of storage space required for storing the copy of the selected data at the storage location and creating jobs for allocating the resources.

28. The data protection system of claim 26, wherein the preparation plan includes a job for validating the copy of the selected data.

29. The data protection system of claim 26, wherein generating the preparation plan includes determining whether any data has been indicated as removed from the plan.

30. The data protection system of claim 29, wherein, in response to determining that data has been removed from the plan, creating a job for to stop ongoing protection activity at the production location.

31. The data protection system of claim 26, wherein the production plan includes, creating a plurality of jobs for maintaining the accuracy of the copy of the selected data.

33. A method for recovering from a failed attempt to create a group plan for protecting a protected group of objects stored at a production location, comprising:

determining whether a group plan was being created for the protected group of objects;

in response to determining that a plan was being created, identifying a checkpoint representing a point in the creation; and

resuming the plan at the identified check point.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the checkpoint was generated subsequent to an allocation of resources during the failed attempt to execute a plan.

35. The method of claim 33, wherein the checkpoint is a last checkpoint generated by the failed attempt to execute a plan.

36. The method of claim 33, wherein the identified checkpoint illustrates that resources have been allocated for the protected group of objects;

and

wherein creating a new plan includes utilizing the resources allocated for the protected group of objects.

37. A method for recovering from a failed attempt to execute a group plan for protecting a protected group of objects stored at a production location, comprising:

determining whether the group plan was being executed for the protected group of objects;

in response to determining that the group plan was being executed, deallocating any resources allocated during the failed attempt to execute the group plan; and

terminating the attempt to execute the group plan.

38. The method of claim 37, further comprising:

determining whether the protected group of objects is a new protected group of objects; and

in response to a determination that the protected group of objects is a new protected group of objects, returning the protected group of objects to a pending status.

39. The method of claim 37, further comprising:

determining whether the protected group of objects is a new protected group of objects; and

in response to a determination that the protected group of objects is not a new protected group of objects, identifying an object added to the protected group of objects; and

providing a notification that the object added to the protected group is not protected.

40. The method of claim 39, further including:

returning the protected group of objects to an state prior to the group plan being executed.

41. A method for protection a group of objects, comprising:

receiving a selection of data stored on the production location that is to be included in a protected group;

determining if the selection of data is to be added to an existing protected group;

in response to determining that the selection of data is to be added to an existing protected group, modifying the existing protected group to include the selection of data; and

modifying a group plan for the existing protected group.

42. The method of claim 41, further including receiving protection intents for the selection of data;

and

wherein modifying a group plan includes, modifying the group plan based on the received protection intents.