Hybrid data backup in a networked computing environment

• US 8,775,376 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2011
• Issued: 07/08/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyndryl Incorporated
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Chavda, Kavita, Mandagere, Nagapramod S., Uttamchandani, Sandeep M., Zhou, Pin
• Primary Examiner(s): Beausoliel, Jr., Robert
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pham, Michael
• Application Number:
  US13/172,930
• Publication Number:
  US 20130006943A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,104 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 707/640
• 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 11/1464 for networked environments

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention provide a hybrid (e.g., local and remote) approach for data backup in a networked computing environment (e.g., a cloud computing environment). In a typical embodiment, a set of storage configuration parameters corresponding to a set of data to be backed up is received and stored in a computer data structure. The set of storage configuration parameters can comprise at least one of the following: a recovery time objective (RTO), a recovery point objective (RPO), and a desired type of protection for the set of data. Regardless, the set of data is compared to previously stored data to identify at least one of the following: portions of the set of data that have commonality with the previously stored data; and portions of the set of data that are unique to the set of data (i.e., not in common with any of the previously stored data). The above-described process is referred to herein as “de-duplication”. A storage solution is then determined based on the set of storage configuration parameters. In general, the storage solution identifies at least one local storage resource and at least one remote storage resource (e.g., a cloud storage resource) for backing up the portions of the set of data that are unique to the set of data. Once the storage solution has been determined, the unique portions of the set of data will be stored in accordance therewith.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for data backup in a networked computing environment, comprising:

receiving and storing in a computer data structure a set of storage configuration parameters corresponding to a set of data to be backed up, the set of storage configuration parameters comprising at least one of the following;

a recovery time objective (RTO), a recovery point objective (RPO), and a desired type of protection for the set of data;

comparing the set of data to previously stored data to identify portions of the set of data that have commonality with the previously stored data, and portions of the set of data that are unique to the set of data;

making a determination as to whether the storage configuration parameters corresponding to the set of data are met by the previously stored data to which the set of data has commonality;

if the determination is that the storage configuration parameters are not met by the previously stored data to which the set of data has commonality, relocating the previously stored data to which the set of data has commonality to a resource where the storage configuration parameters are met;

determining a storage solution for storing the set of data based on the set of storage configuration parameters, the storage solution identifying at least one local storage resource and at least one remote storage resource for backing up the portions of the set of data that are unique to the set of data; and

storing the portions of the set of data that are unique to the set of data in accordance with the storage solution.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, the networked computing environment comprising a cloud computing environment.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising updating, responsive to the storing, a hash map and an extent list to reflect a location of portions of the set of data that are unique to the set of data.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, the comparing comprising analyzing the hash map to identify the portions of the set of data that have commonality with the previously stored data.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, further comprising:

receiving a request to retrieve the set of data;

analyzing the extent list to retrieve the portions of data that have commonality with the previously stored data, and the portions of the set of data that are unique to the set of data from their respective locations; and

composing the set of data by combining the portions of the set of data that have commonality with the previously stored data and the portions of the set of data that are unique to the set of data.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, the RTO comprising a desired time for processing the request to retrieve the set of data.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, the RPO comprising a restore point in time for which the request to retrieve the set of data is received.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, the desired protection type being configured to protect against at least one of the following types of failures of the backing up of the set of data:

a logical failure, a subsystem failure, a system failure, or a site failure.

9. A system for data backup in a networked computing environment, comprising:

a bus;

a processor coupled to the bus; and

a memory medium coupled to the bus, the memory medium comprising instructions to;

receive and store in a computer data structure a set of storage configuration parameters corresponding to a set of data to be backed up in computer memory, the set of storage configuration parameters comprising at least one of the following;

a recovery time objective (RTO), a recovery point objective (RPO), and a desired type of protection for the set of data;

compare the set of data to previously stored data to identify portions of the set of data that have commonality with the previously stored data, and portions of the set of data that are unique to the set of data;

make a determination as to whether the storage configuration parameters corresponding to the set of data are met by the previously stored data to which the set of data has commonality;

if the determination is that the storage configuration parameters are not met by the previously stored data to which the set of data has commonality, relocate the previously stored data to which the set of data has commonality to a resource where the storage configuration parameters are met;

determine a storage solution for storing the set of data based on the set of storage configuration parameters, the storage solution identifying at least one local storage resource and at least one remote storage resource for backing up the portions of the set of data that are unique to the set of data; and

store the portions of the set of data that are unique to the set of data in accordance with the storage solution.

10. The system of claim 9, the networked computing environment comprising a cloud computing environment.

11. The system of claim 9, the memory medium further comprising instructions to update, responsive to the storage of the portions of the set of data that are unique to the set of data, a hash map and an extent list to reflect a location of portions of the set of data that are unique to the set of data.

12. The system of claim 11, the memory medium further comprising instructions to analyze the hash map to identify the portions of the set of data that have commonality with the previously stored data.

13. The system of claim 11, the memory medium further comprising instructions to:

receive a request to retrieve the set of data;

analyze the extent list to retrieve the portions of data that have commonality with the previously stored data, and the portions of the set of data that are unique to the set of data from their respective locations; and

compose the set of data by combining the portions of the set of data that have commonality with the previously stored data and the portions of the set of data that are unique to the set of data.

14. The system of claim 13, the RTO comprising a desired time for processing the request to retrieve the set of data.

15. The system of claim 13, the RPO comprising a restore point in time for which the request to retrieve the set of data is received.

16. The system of claim 9, the desired protection type being configured to protect against at least one of the following types of failures of the backing up of the set of data:

a logical failure, a subsystem failure, a system failure, or a site failure.

17. A computer program product for data backup in a networked computing environment, the computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium, and program instructions stored on the non-transitory computer readable storage medium, to:

receive and store in a computer data structure a set of storage configuration parameters corresponding to a set of data to be backed up in computer memory, the set of storage configuration parameters comprising at least one of the following;

a recovery time objective (RTO), a recovery point objective (RPO), and a desired type of protection for the set of data;

compare the set of data to previously stored data to identify portions of the set of data that have commonality with the previously stored data, and portions of the set of data that are unique to the set of data;

make a determination as to whether the storage configuration parameters corresponding to the set of data are met by the previously stored data to which the set of data has commonality;

if the determination is that the storage configuration parameters are not met by the previously stored data to which the set of data has commonality, relocate the previously stored data to which the set of data has commonality to a resource where the storage configuration parameters are met;

determine a storage solution for storing the set of data based on the set of storage configuration parameters, the storage solution identifying at least one local storage resource and at least one remote storage resource for backing up the portions of the set of data that are unique to the set of data; and

store the portions of the set of data that are unique to the set of data in accordance with the storage solution.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, the networked computing environment comprising a cloud computing environment.

19. The computer program product of claim 17, the non-transitory computer readable storage medium further comprising instructions to update, responsive to the storage of the portions of the set of data that are unique to the set of data, a hash map and an extent list to reflect a location of portions of the set of data that are unique to the set of data.

20. The computer program product of claim 19, the non-transitory computer readable storage medium further comprising instructions to analyze the hash map to identify the portions of the set of data that have commonality with the previously stored data.

21. The computer program product of claim 19, the non-transitory computer readable storage medium further comprising instructions to:

receive a request to retrieve the set of data;

analyze the extent list to retrieve the portions of data that have commonality with the previously stored data, and the portions of the set of data that are unique to the set of data from their respective locations; and

compose the set of data by combining the portions of the set of data that have commonality with the previously stored data and the portions of the set of data that are unique to the set of data.

22. The computer program product of claim 21, the RTO comprising a desired time for processing the request to retrieve the set of data.

23. The computer program product of claim 21, the RPO comprising a restore point in time for which the request to retrieve the set of data is received.

24. The computer program product of claim 17, the desired protection type being configured to protect against at least one of the following types of failures of the backing up of the set of data:

a logical failure, a subsystem failure, a system failure, or a site failure.

25. A method for deploying a system for data backup in a networked computing environment, the method comprising:

providing a computer infrastructure being configured to;

receive and store in a computer data structure a set of storage configuration parameters corresponding to a set of data to be backed up in computer memory, the set of storage configuration parameters comprising at least one of the following;

a recovery time objective (RTO), a recovery point objective (RPO), and a desired type of protection for the set of data;

compare the set of data to previously stored data to identify portions of the set of data that have commonality with the previously stored data, and portions of the set of data that are unique to the set of data;

make a determination as to whether the storage configuration parameters corresponding to the set of data are met by the previously stored data to which the set of data has commonality;

if the determination is that the storage configuration parameters are not met by the previously stored data to which the set of data has commonality, relocate the previously stored data to which the set of data has commonality to a resource where the storage configuration parameters are met;

determine a storage solution for storing the set of data based on the set of storage configuration parameters, the storage solution identifying at least one local storage resource and at least one remote storage resource for backing up the portions of the set of data that are unique to the set of data; and

store the portions of the set of data that are unique to the set of data in accordance with the storage solution.