DISTRIBUTED BACKUP AND VERSIONING

• US 20100274765A1
• Filed: 04/24/2009
• Published: 10/28/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Virk, Navjot, Murphy, Elissa E. S.
• Granted Patent: US 8,769,055 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/652
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1451 by selection of backup contents
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1453 using de-duplication of the data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1464 for networked environments
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1469 Backup restoration techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2094 Redundant storage or storage space G06F11/2056 takes precedence
• 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 11/3055 Monitoring arrangements for monitoring the status of the computing system or of the computing system component, e.g. monitoring if the computing system is on, off, available, not available error or fault processing without redundancy G06F11/0703; error detection or correction by redundancy in data representation G06F11/08; error detection or correction by redundancy in operation G06F11/14; error detection or correction by redundancy in hardware G06F11/16
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/065 Replication mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1001 for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1097 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]

Abstract

The claimed subject matter provides a system and/or a method that facilitates distributed backup and versioning techniques for network-based backup architectures. When data is committed to a backup system, a backup version can be created. The generated backup version can be a complete rendition of data or the generated backup version can be a differential between the data and backup information previously committed to the system. The generated backup version can be replicated across a distributed network of peers. Replication can be based upon a desire level of redundancy of versions, location of peers, network topology of peers, storage capacity of peers, health of peers, type of peer, and the like. In addition, versions can be retained based upon a configurable number of desired versions.

Claims

1. A system that facilitates allocation of versions among a set of storage locations, comprising:

a processor coupled to a memory that retains computer-executable instructions, the processor executes;

a versioning component that generates a version of backup information upon detection of a modification to data on a client machine corresponding to the backup information; and

a distribution component that replicates the version of backup information among a set of storage locations in accordance with a level of redundancy.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the versioning component comprises an index lookup component that utilizes a catalogue to identify storage locations that retain one or more previous versions of the backup information.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the versioning component comprises a differential component that generates an incremental update that includes delta changes between data as modified on the client machine and an immediate prior version of the backup information.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the version of backup information comprises a complete rendition of the backup information.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the distribution component comprises a network analyzer component that selects one or more storage locations based on at least one of network loading or network availability of storage locations.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the distribution component includes a cataloguing component that maintains an index, the cataloguing component at least one of adds, deletes, or modifies entries in the index when distribution decisions are rendered by the distribution component.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the index comprises a listing of relationships between backup versions and storage locations to which the backup versions have been distributed.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising an observation component that monitors one or more storage locations to ascertain at least one of health of storage locations, storage availability of storage locations, performance of storage locations, available bandwidth of storage locations, or network availability of storage locations.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the distribution component replicates the version of backup information based upon monitoring results obtained from the observation component.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the distribution component selects the level of redundancy in accordance with the monitoring results.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the distribution component dynamically adjusts distribution of the version of backup information based upon monitor results continuously communicated by the observation component.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the distribution component at least one of dynamically increases the level of redundancy, dynamically decreases the level of redundancy, de-allocates versions from a storage location, or allocates additional version to a storage location.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the level of redundancy is specified by user input.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the set of storage locations include one or more of peers or cloud storage locations.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the distribution component replicates the version of backup information through application of a higher level of preference on storage locations corresponding to peers than to storage locations corresponding to cloud storage locations.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the version of backup information comprises a version of a file.

17. A method for versioning backup information in a distributed backup environment, comprising:

employing a processor executing computer-executable instructions stored on a computer-readable storage medium to implement the following acts;

generating a backup version that reflects alterations to backup information managed in a backup system;

replicating the backup version in accordance with a level of redundancy, the level of redundancy is one of statistically derived or specified by a user; and

distributing replicate copies of the backup version to one or more storage locations from a set of storage locations.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein generating the backup version comprises:

detecting a modification to a file corresponding to backup information managed in the backup system;

identifying versions of the backup information stored in the backup system; and

creating a new backup version based at least in part on the modification or previous backup versions stored in the backup system.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

monitoring the one or more storage locations to track at least one of health, performance, storage availability, bandwidth availability, or network availability; and

dynamically adjusting distributions of copies of the backup version in accordance with the monitoring.

20. A system that facilitates versioning data in a backup environment, comprising:

at least one processor that executes computer-executable code stored in memory to effect the following;

means for generating a version of backup information stored in a backup system based upon modifications to a file on a client machine corresponding to the backup information, the version of backup information is one of a incremental differential that reflects the modifications or a full rendition of the modified file;

means for monitoring one or more storage locations to track at least one of health, performance, availability of storage space, availability of bandwidth, or connectivity of respective storage locations;

means for distributing replica copies of the version of backup information among the one or more storage locations in accordance with a level of redundancy statistically derived from monitor results; and

means for cataloguing, in an index, relationships between the version of backup information and storage locations that respectively retain a replica copy of the version.