Symantec Corporation

Symantec Operating Corporation

Veritas Technologies LLC

Ynn-Pyng “Anker” Tsaur

Kirk L Searls

Sunil Shah

William Cochran

Gregory Robert Dowers, Ii

Michael A Payne

Suren Sethumadhavan

Lijo J Abraham

Lee M Doucette

Ping Wang

Kien Hua

Douglas J Fletcher

Baige Wang

Francisco Surroca

Fei Xie

Hao Cheng

Yao Hua Ho

Danzhou Liu

Various systems and methods for restoring data in distributed storage systems. For example, one method involves receiving a first selection, where the first selection identifies data abstraction. The data abstraction represents a data source that can be restored. The method also involves receiving a second selection, where the second selection identifies a restore operation, and where the restore operation is associated with the data abstraction. The method also involves determining data to be restored, where this determination is based on the data source(s) (as can be determined from the data abstraction) and on the second selection. Data can then be restored based on the determined data.

User interface for restoring databases

A role based security infrastructure for data encryption that does not require a key management system is provided. For each defined role, a unique key pair is generated. To encrypt a data set, a random encryption key is generated on the fly, and used to encrypt the data. To allow a role access to an encrypted data set, the corresponding encryption key is encrypted with the public key of that role, and stored in association with the encrypted data set. To access an encrypted data set, a private key associated with a role allowed access is used to decrypt the copy of the associated encryption key, which has been encrypted using the corresponding public key and stored in association with the data set. The decrypted encryption key is then used to decrypt the encrypted data set.

Role based encryption without key management system

Computer systems and methods for protecting data. A computer system includes a processor, a policy generator, and resources. Each resource has associated data. The processor accesses a data protection requirements specification (DPRS). The DPRS uses a common, non-application specific schema to represent first and second schema for expressing data protection policies. The processor triggers the policy generator to generate a first data protection policy for protecting a resource. The processor uses the first data protection policy to protect data associated with the resource. To generate the first data protection policy, the policy generator scans the DPRS and identifies elements of the DPRS. The elements of the DPRS are pre-defined in the common schema. The policy generator translates values of the elements to corresponding attributes of the first data protection policy expressed in the first schema. A value of a first element in the common schema corresponds to the resource to be protected.

Data protection requirements specification and migration

A computer system and methods. The computer system includes a host that hosts applications and includes storage volumes. The host identifies an application and associated first files to be protected. The first files are stored on a first volume. The host performs a file-by-file backup of the first files to a first backup medium. The host identifies a second volume to be protected and performs a volume image backup of the second volume to a second backup medium. The host identifies second files that are associated with the identified application and stored on the second volume and stores metadata in a third backup medium including application-specific references to data objects that correspond to the second files. Third files not associated with the identified application are stored on the first volume and not included in the file-by-file backup. The second files are not included in the file-by-file backup.

Application backup using unified backup methodologies

A system, method, and medium for performing incremental backups of a data set within a deduplication storage system. An incremental backup of a data set is initiated, and the changed data items of the data set are deduplicated. An extents catalog is created to fully describe the data set. References associated with the unchanged data items of the data set are retrieved from the extents catalog and then sent to a deduplication engine. The deduplication engine uses the references to retrieve fingerprints associated with the unchanged data items from a previous reference map. Then, the deduplication engine creates a new reference map for the incremental backup and stores the newly generated and retrieved fingerprints in the new reference map.

Method and system of producing a full backup image using an incremental backup method

A method and mechanism for performing data backups in a computing system. A 'delta' catalog is utilized for the maintenance of data backups. The delta catalog includes a backed up object table and an extent map. For a given backup, the backed up object table update stores entries which identify only those objects backed up during that backup. The backed up object table is further configured to store entries which identify objects which were deleted between the time of a prior backup procedure and a current backup procedure. The extent map is configured identify all objects present in the system at the time of a particular backup. The extent map identifies the objects which were present as one or more sequences of entries in the backed up object table.

Delta catalogs in a backup system

A method of creating backup files having less redundancy. The method creates a backup file by creating an overhead segment for each file that is to be backed up and creating a data segment containing the data that is to be backed up for each file. After creating the overhead segment and the data segment, the overhead segment is placed into an overhead stream data segment is stored in memory. The overhead segment is also positioned in the overhead stream with a pointer that identifies the data segment within the memory. For backups of subsequent servers or the same server at a later time, the backup software will create a separate overhead stream. However, a plurality of overhead streams may contain pointers to the same data segments such that redundant data segments do not need to be stored in a backup server.

Method and apparatus for efficiently creating backup files with less redundancy

Various methods and systems for performing data deduplication when encrypting data for storage on an untrusted storage system are disclosed. One method involves generating an encryption key for use in encrypting data and generating an identifier for the data. Generation of the encryption key is based upon a hash of the data to be encrypted. Similarly, generation of the identifier is based upon the hash of the data to be generated. For example, the identifier can be generated by hashing the encryption key. The method then involves detecting whether an encrypted copy of the data is already stored by a storage system, based upon the identifier, and selectively encrypting the data, based upon whether the encrypted copy of the data is already stored by the storage system.

Secure encryption algorithm for data deduplication on untrusted storage

Various techniques for performing off-host cataloging of backup information are disclosed. One method involves initiating, subsequent to the closure of a backup window, generation of at least a portion of a catalog. The catalog identifies contents of a set of backup information received during the backup window. The generation of the portion of the catalog is performed by a backup computing device and does not involve the host computing device from which the backup information was received. Prior to completion of generation of the catalog, a request to access the catalog is received from a user. In response, information included in the catalog is dynamically displayed to the user.

Off-host cataloging of backup information

Restore software executing in a computer system may invoke a snapshot of a target volume before restoring a plurality of files from a backup image to the target volume. If the restore operation fails before all the files are restored to the target volume then the restore software may use the snapshot to return one or more of the files to their original states as they existed before the restore operation was initiated.

Using volume snapshots to prevent file corruption in failed restore operations

One method of redirecting an in-process backup operation to a new storage device involves receiving a request to perform a backup from a backup application. In response to reception of the request, the method causes backup information generated by the backup application to be stored on a first storage device. The first storage device is monitored in order to detect how much free space is available. If the amount of space available on the first storage device drops below a threshold amount prior to completion of the backup, the backup is redirected by causing any subsequent backup information generated by the backup application to be stored on a second storage device. Metadata associated with the backup identifies that information associated with the backup is stored on both the first storage device and the second storage device.

Growing community of inventors

Oviedo, FL, United States of America

Ynn-Pyng “Anker” Tsaur