Method and apparatus for implementing a storage lifecycle policy of a snapshot image

• US 7,979,649 B1
• Filed: 06/09/2008
• Issued: 07/12/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Veritas Technologies, LLC (Whitehouse Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Symantec Corporation (NortonLifeLock Inc.)
• Inventors: Parker, Dennis C., Thiam, Alioune, Patil, Deepak M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chery; Mardochee
• Application Number:
  US12/135,717
• Time in Patent Office: 1,128 Days
• Field of Search: 711/162, 711/161
• US Class Current: 711/161
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1448 Management of the data involved in backup or backup restore
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/84 Using snapshots, i.e. a logical point-in-time copy of the data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0649 Lifecycle management

Abstract

A method and apparatus for managing a lifecycle of a snapshot image using a storage lifecycle policy is described. In one embodiment, the method comprises recording a snapshot image of a volume and creating a copy of the snapshot image, wherein the copy is to be used to implement a storage lifecycle policy for the snapshot image.

Claims

1. A method for managing a lifecycle of a snapshot image using a storage lifecycle policy, comprising:

recording a snapshot image of a volume, wherein the snapshot image is recorded in a catalog in memory of a server;

creating a placeholder in the catalog, wherein the placeholder is associated with the snapshot image recorded in the catalog;

creating a TAR-based copy of the snapshot image, wherein the copy is to be used to implement a storage lifecycle policy for the snapshot image;

mapping the TAR-based copy to the placeholder;

determining that a lifecycle operation is to be performed;

in response to the determining, accessing the TAR-based copy that mapped to the placeholder;

using the TAR-based copy as input to the lifecycle operation.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein recording the snapshot image further comprises configuring the storage lifecycle policy with a storage destination for the snapshot image.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein creating the copy of the snapshot image further comprises converting the snapshot image into a backup image for storage in memory external to the server.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein creating the copy of the snapshot image further comprising:

freezing the snapshot image; and

performing a backup operation of the frozen snapshot image to generate a backup image.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising deleting the snapshot image in response to an expiration of a retention period for the snapshot image.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising archiving the copy of the snapshot image.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising duplicating the copy of the snapshot image to at least one storage unit in accordance with the storage lifecycle policy.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

identifying a data protection operation to be performed on the copy of the snapshot image;

determining a storage destination associated with the data protection operation; and

duplicating the copy of the snapshot image to the storage destination.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

establishing an expiration of a retention period for the copy of the snapshot image; and

deleting the copy of the snapshot image.

10. A computer readable medium comprising executable instructions, wherein a method is implemented in response to executing the instructions, the method comprising:

recording a snapshot image of a volume, wherein the snapshot image is recorded in a catalog in memory of a server;

creating a placeholder in the catalog, wherein the placeholder is associated with the snapshot image recorded in the catalog;

creating a TAR-based copy of the snapshot image, wherein the copy is to be used to implement a storage lifecycle policy for the snapshot image;

mapping the TAR-based copy to the placeholder;

determining that a lifecycle operation is to be performed;

in response to the determining, accessing the TAR-based copy that mapped to the placeholder;

using the TAR-based copy as input to the lifecycle operation.

11. The computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein recording the snapshot image further comprises configuring the storage lifecycle policy with a storage destination for the snapshot image.

12. The computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein creating the copy of the snapshot image further comprises converting the snapshot image into a backup image for storage in memory external to the server.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein creating the copy of the snapshot image further comprises:

freezing the snapshot image; and

performing a backup operation of the frozen snapshot image to generate a backup image.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 10 wherein the method further comprises deleting the snapshot image in response to an expiration of a retention period for the snapshot image.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 10 wherein the method further comprises archiving the copy of the snapshot image.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 10 wherein the method further comprises duplicating the copy of the snapshot image to at least one storage unit in accordance with the storage lifecycle policy.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 10 wherein the method further comprises:

identifying a data protection operation to be performed on the copy of the snapshot image;

determining a storage destination associated with the data protection operation; and

duplicating the copy of the snapshot image to the storage destination.