Emc Corporation

Other

John G Deshayes

Madhav Mutalik

Ananthan K Pillai

Ajay Shekhar

Allan L Scherr

Jeff Donovan

Neil F Schutzman

Benoit Joseph Merlet

Faith M Senie

Brian A Barnhart

Alison Peacock

Sudheer Arora

Anand Pillai

An apparatus and method for mirroring data is provided wherein integrity of data on a mirror device is maintained during and after a restore process of data to a standard volume. Because integrity of the mirror is maintained, data from the mirror may be used to perform a later restore to the standard volume if data becomes corrupted, or data is unavailable for any other reason. As a result, the mirror may be used for backup or other operations.

Apparatus and method for mirroring and restoring data

Methods and apparatus for reducing resource contention in parallel data backup processes that share a variety of resources in a computer environment to access target data to be backed-up. The target data is distributed among the backup processes based on an availability of one or more resources in the computer environment used by a backup storage system to access the target data. In one example, each data file of the target data is assigned to a particular backup process based on the availability of one or more resources and a total size of the target data. The data files of the target data are assigned to the backup processes such that each backup process backs-up a respective portion of the target data, and such that the collection of backup processes that make up a backup operation are completed in a shortened time as a result of reduced resource contention. The target data originally may be located, for example, in one or more host computer systems, one or more primary storage systems, other computer devices containing a storage medium, or combinations thereof.

Methods and apparatus for reducing resource contention in parallel data backup processes

A backup server controls the backing up of data stored on a mass storage subsystem in response to a backup request from a host identifying data to be backed up during a backup operation, the mass storage subsystem storing data in a plurality of mirrored copies. The backup server comprises a discovery module, a preparation module, an execution module and a clean-up module. The discovery module receives the backup request and identifies, during a discovery phase, at least one storage location on the mass storage subsystem on which data to be backed up during the backup operation is stored. The preparation module, during a preparation phase following the discovery phase, enables the mass storage subsystem to sever one of said mirrored copies and make it available to backup server for the backup operation. In addition, prior to enabling the mass storage subsystem to sever one of the mirrored copies, the preparation module will notify the host, which will stop operating in connection with the data from the mass storage subsystem, and after the mirrored copy has been severed, the preparation module will so notify the host so that it can resume operating in connection with data from at least one of the other copies. The execution module, during the execution phase, enables the mass storage subsystem to retrieve data from the at least one storage location and transfer the retrieved data to the backup server to facilitate backup storage. The clean-up up module, during a clean-up phase following the execution phase, verifies that the data to be backed up has been stored in backup storage and enable the mass storage subsystem to re-synchronize the mirrored copies. The backup server also performs a restore operation in response to a restore request from the host.

System and method for backing up data stored in multiple mirrors on a mass storage subsystem under control of a backup server

A backup server controls the backing up of data stored on a mass storage subsystem in response to a backup request from a host identifying data to be backed up during a backup operation, the mass storage subsystem storing data in a plurality of mirrored copies. The backup server comprises a discovery module, a preparation module, an execution module and a clean-up module. The discovery module receives the backup request and identifies, during a discovery phase, at least one storage location on the mass storage subsystem on which data to be backed up during the backup operation is stored. The preparation module, during a preparation phase following the discovery phase, enables the mass storage subsystem to sever one of said mirrored copies and make it available to backup server for the backup operation. In addition, prior to enabling the mass storage subsystem to sever one of the mirrored copies, the preparation module will notify the host, which will stop operating in connection with the data from the mass storage subsystem, and after the mirrored copy has been severed, the preparation module will so notify the host so that it can resume operating in connection with data from at least one of the other copies. The execution module, during the execution phase, enables the mass storage subsystem to retrieve data from the at least one storage location and transfer the retrieved data to the backup server to facilitate backup storage. The clean-up module, during a clean-up phase following the execution phase, verifies that the data to be backed up has been stored in backup storage and enable the mass storage subsystem to re-synchronize the mirrored copies. The backup server also performs a restore operation in response to a restore request from the host.

Method and apparatus for backing up and restoring data in a computer system is disclosed. A segment of data, such as a virtual disk partition, may be backed up at a physical level from a primary storage device to a backup storage device. A logical element within the segment of data, such as a data file, may be restored from the backup storage device to the primary storage device. In one embodiment, this is achieved by restoring the segment to a scratch memory area and using a client computer to logically restore the logical element.

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Hopkinton, MA, United States of America

John G Deshayes