Symantec Corporation

Symantec Operating Corporation

Robert Warren Perry

Michael Anthony

Ronald Passerini

Christopher Angelo Rocca

Taher Vohra

Michael T Rowan

Ron Passerini

Srikant Sharma

Sameer Majahan

Michael Daniel Anthony

Ronald Peter Passerini

A method and apparatus for enabling and managing application input/output activity in memory to restore a data store using one or more processors is disclosed. In one embodiments, the method includes processing a restoration request for a data store, wherein the data store is mirrored by another data store, controlling communication of application input/output activity associated with at least one host computer and directed to at least one of the data store or the other data store, restoring various portions of the data store, in accordance with the restoration request, using at least one of at least one prior point in time image or the other data store and servicing the application input/output activity using the data store.

Method and apparatus for enabling and managing application input/output activity while restoring a data store

A storage management device records write requests that are directed to a data store. In one embodiment, the storage management device records a plurality of write request entries, each one of which includes information relating to a write request, in at least one first database table, and maintains, for each first database table, at least one record in a second database table. The one or more records in the second database table include data representing the effects of the write requests on a state of at least one portion of the data store. In one such embodiment, each time that one write request entry is recorded in one first database table, the storage management device updates at least one record in the second database table.

Methods and apparatus for recording write requests directed to a data store

Techniques for time-dependent storage management with a portable application programming interface are disclosed. In one particular exemplary embodiment, the techniques may be realized as a method for time-dependent storage management. The method may comprise interfacing with a host and a storage system having one or more storage devices. The method may also comprise intercepting all write commands that the host issues to the storage system. The method may additionally comprise performing a copy-on-write operation for each intercepted write command, wherein copy-on-write data and metadata associated with each intercepted write command are recorded, the metadata including at least a timestamp associated with each intercepted write command.

Techniques for time-dependent storage management with a portable application programming interface

A technique for improving scalability and portability of a storage management system is disclosed. In one particular exemplary embodiment, the technique may be realized as a storage management system operatively coupled to a storage system. The storage management system may comprise a plurality of processor modules, wherein each processor module is capable of intercepting write commands directed to the storage system, backing up data associated with the write commands, and generating metadata having timestamps for the backup data. The storage management system may also comprise one or more indexing modules that create one or more indexing tables for the backup data based on the metadata, wherein the one or more indexing modules are in communication with the processor modules and the storage system.

Technique for improving scalability and portability of a storage management system

A technique for remapping data in a storage management system is disclosed. In one particular exemplary embodiment, the technique may be realized as a method for remapping data in a storage management system having backup data that enable restoration of historical data of a storage system. The method may comprise receiving at least one access request for a first set of historical data. The method may also comprise identifying a second set of historical data, wherein the first set of historical data is a subset of the second set of historical data. The method may further comprise identifying, in the storage management system, one or more storage locations containing backup data for the second set of historical data. The method may additionally comprise storing a mapping list of the one or more identified storage locations to facilitate subsequent access requests for any of the second set of historical data.

Technique for remapping data in a storage management system

A technique for timeline compression in a data store is disclosed. In one particular exemplary embodiment, the technique may be realized as a method for timeline compression in a storage system, wherein digital content of the storage system is backed up to enable restoration of the digital content to one or more points in a timeline. The method may comprise selecting a time interval in the timeline. The method may also comprise identifying one or more sets of backup data recorded for the selected time interval, wherein the identified one or more sets of backup data represent at least a portion of old data overwritten during the selected time interval. The method may further comprise discarding other backup data recorded for the selected time interval, thereby reducing a granularity level of the timeline in the selected time interval.

Technique for timeline compression in a data store

The disclosed technology facilitates recovery from storage-related failures by checkpointing copy-on-write operation sequences. An operation sequence incorporating such checkpoints into a copy-on-write can include the following: receive a write request that identifies payload data to be written to a first data store, read original data associated with the first data store, copy the original data to a second data store, record transactional information associated with the write request, generate a first checkpoint to confirm the successful recordation of the transactional information and the successful copying of the original data to the second data store, write the payload data to the first data store, acknowledge a successful completion of the copy-on-write operation sequence, and generate a second checkpoint that confirms the successful completion of such operation sequence. The first and second checkpoints are used to form a pre-failure representation of one or more storage units (or parts thereof). The checkpoints can be stored with other transactional information, to facilitate recovery in the event of a failure, and can be used to facilitate the use of optimizations to process I/O operations.

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Leominster, MA, United States of America

Robert Warren Perry