SNAPSHOT MANAGEMENT

• US 20160147609A1
• Filed: 11/26/2014
• Published: 05/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zetta LLC
• Original Assignee: Zetta LLC
• Inventors: Wallace, Charles Michael
• Granted Patent: US 10,140,188 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1076 Parity data used in redundant arrays of independent storages, e.g. in RAID systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1451 by selection of backup contents
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1456 Hardware arrangements for backup
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1461 Backup scheduling policy
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1466 to make the backup process non-disruptive
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/128 Details of file system snapshots on the file-level, e.g. snapshot creation, administration, deletion use of snapshots for error detection or correction G06F11/14, G06F11/16
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/84 Using snapshots, i.e. a logical point-in-time copy of the data

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed for backing up a computer. The method includes choosing a time window to back up the computer; determining jobs that need to be synced during the time window and snapshots; determining an optimal set of snapshots that cover all jobs; altering job records in the database to point to one of the optimal snapshots; and deleting all snapshots not in the optimal set.

Claims

1. A method for backing up a computer, comprising

a. choosing a time window to back up the computer;

b. determining jobs that need to be synced during the time window and snapshots;

c. determining an optimal set of snapshots that cover all jobs;

d. altering job records in the database to point to one of the optimal snapshots; and

e. deleting all snapshots not in the optimal set.

2. The method of claim 1, comprising determining a start and end of the time window.

The method of claim 1, comprising obtaining available post-sync snapshots created during the time window.

3. The method of claim 1, comprising determining job syncs that started or ended during the time window

4. The method of claim 1, comprising matching snapshots to the sync jobs that triggered the snap shots.

5. The method of claim 1, for each snapshot, determining the last job sync that ended before the next job sync began and generating a list of which snapshots cover which job syncs.

6. The method of claim 1, comprising ordering job syncs by the number of snapshots covering the job syncs.

7. The method of claim 1, while there are unchecked job syncs, performing:

for each unchecked job sync, starting with the least-covered job sync, continuing for all job syncs with the same level of coverage, get all covering snapshots

recording the snapshot that covers the most job syncs; and

for each job sync that the snapshot covers, removing the job sync from the list.

8. The method of claim 1, for each job sync database row that isn'"'"'t already pointing to one of the recorded snapshots, get the snapshots that cover its job sync, then pick the one (or one of several) that is in the recorded set, and update the row to point to the recorded snapshot

9. The method of claim 1, for each snapshot not in the recorded set, deleting the snapshot

10. The method of claim 1, comprising generating a checklist of all job syncs

11.