Snapshot mechanism in a data processing system and method and apparatus thereof

1. A snapshot data managing method of a data processing system, comprising:

providing a snapshot storage unit, used for storing the data created by snapshotting a plurality of target storage units and creating a plurality of snapshot images according to created data;

using a first address table and a second address table in a snapshot image respectively corresponding to a plurality of storage units of the target storage units and the snapshot storage unit; and

restoring the status of the target storage units to the status of a predetermined time ago according to the snapshot images.

2. The snapshot data managing method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the target storage units corresponding to the first address table are used for storing the data generated by the data processing system, and the snapshot storage unit corresponding to the second address table is used for storing a plurality of history data so as to avoid overwriting the data stored in the target storage units.

3. The snapshot data managing method as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the first address table includes a list of addresses corresponding to the storage units of the target storage units, wherein the addresses of the storage units are mapped one-to-one to the target storage units.

4. The snapshot data managing method as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the second address table includes a list of addresses corresponding to the storage units of the snapshot storage unit, wherein the address lengths of the storage units are mapped one-to-one to the target storage units.

5. The snapshot data managing method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the sizes of the first address table and the second address table in the snapshot image are the same.

6. The snapshot data managing method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a snapshot module used for managing the snapshot images and controlling the storage units of the snapshot storage unit.

7. The snapshot data managing method as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the snapshot module is a software module, which can be used in the data processing system.

8. The snapshot data managing method as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the snapshot module comprises:

a snapshot storage unit management unit, used for writing into the storage units of the snapshot storage unit and reporting the available storage units in the snapshot storage unit;

a snapshot image storage unit, used for storing the created snapshot images;

a snapshot administration unit, receiving the data transmitted from the target storage units, determining whether to transmit the data to the snapshot storage management unit to store the data into the snapshot storage unit after comparing the data with the snapshot images stored in the snapshot image storage unit, updating the snapshot image corresponding to the data with the address of the stored data.

9. The snapshot data managing method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising that while a write request being received,

checking whether the snapshot image of the target storage unit corresponding to the write request having been created; and

checking that whether the addresses of the storage units in the second address table corresponding to the addresses of the storage units of a read request having been updated, if any address in the second address table having been not updated, performing a Copy-on-Write (CoW) procedure to store the data in the storage units corresponding to the write request into the snapshot storage unit, and updating the addresses of the storage units which having not been updated in the second address table.

10. The snapshot data managing method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising that while a read request for preview being received,

selecting one of the created snapshot images; and

obtaining an original address corresponding to the read request from the first address table, obtaining the address of a history data corresponding to the read request from the second address table, capturing data from the storage unit of the target storage unit corresponding to the original address if the address of the history data having not been updated, capturing data from the storage unit of the snapshot storage unit corresponding to the address of the history data if the address of the history data having been updated.

11. The snapshot data managing method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising that while a recovery request being received,

selecting one of the created snapshot images;

obtaining an original address corresponding to the recovery request from the first address table, obtaining the address of a history data corresponding to the recovery request from the second address table;

obtaining the history data from the snapshot storage unit according to the address of the history data; and

writing the history data into the storage unit of the target storage unit corresponding to the original address.

12. The snapshot data managing method as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the created snapshot images are selected according to the snapshot images created at the predetermined time of the target storage unit to be recovered.

13. The snapshot data managing method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the storage units comprise at least a sector, a track, block, a cluster, a disk, a tape(song) or a volume.

14. A snapshot method of a data processing system, applicable to a snapshot storage unit and a plurality of target storage units, the snapshot method comprising:

creating a plurality of snapshot images sequentially, storing the created snapshot images into the snapshot storage unit, wherein each of the snapshot images has a first address table and a second address table respectively corresponding to a plurality of storage units of the target storage units and the snapshot storage unit;

selecting the snapshot image of the target storage unit corresponding to the recovery request according to an appointed time and a recovery request;

obtaining an original address corresponding to the recovery request from the first address table, obtaining the address of a history data corresponding to the recovery request from the second address table;

obtaining the history data from the snapshot storage unit according to the address of the history data; and

writing the history data into the storage unit of the target storage unit corresponding to the original address.

15. The snapshot method as claimed in claim 14 , wherein the first address table includes a list of addresses corresponding to the storage units of the target storage units, wherein the addresses of the storage units are mapped one-to-one to the target storage units.

16. The snapshot method as claimed in claim 14 , wherein the second address table includes a list of addresses corresponding to the storage units of the snapshot storage unit, wherein the address lengths of the storage units are mapped one-to-one to the target storage units.

17. The snapshot method as claimed in claim 14 , wherein the sizes of the first address table and the second address table in the snapshot image are the same.

18. A snapshot method of a data processing system, applicable to a snapshot storage unit and a plurality of target storage units, the snapshot method comprising:

creating a plurality of snapshot images sequentially, storing the created snapshot images into the snapshot storage unit, wherein each of the snapshot image includes a first address table and a second address table respectively corresponding to a plurality of storage units of the target storage units and the snapshot storage unit;

selecting the snapshot image of the target storage unit corresponding to the read request according to an appointed time and a read request for preview;

obtaining an original address corresponding to the recovery request from the first address table, obtaining the address of a history data corresponding to the recovery request from the second address table; and

capturing data from the storage unit of the target storage unit corresponding to the original address if the address of the history data having not been updated, capturing data from the storage unit of the snapshot storage unit corresponding to the address of the history data if the address of the history data having been updated.

19. The snapshot method as claimed in claim 18 , wherein the first address table includes a list of addresses corresponding to the storage units of the target storage units, wherein the addresses of the storage units are mapped one-to-one to the target storage units.

20. The snapshot method as claimed in claim 18 , wherein the second address table includes a list of addresses corresponding to the storage units of the snapshot storage unit, wherein the address lengths of the storage units are mapped one-to-one to the target storage units.

21. The snapshot method as claimed in claim 18 , wherein the sizes of the first address table and the second address table in the snapshot image are the same.

22. A snapshot data processing apparatus, comprising:

a snapshot storage unit, used for storing the data created when snapshotting a plurality of target storage units and generating a plurality of snapshot images accordingly, wherein each of the snapshot image includes a first address table and a second address table respectively corresponding to a plurality of storage units of the target storage units and the snapshot storage unit; and

a snapshot module, used for managing the snapshot images and controlling the storage units of the snapshot storage unit, restoring the status of the target storage units to the status of a predetermined time ago according to the snapshot images.

23. The snapshot data processing apparatus as claimed in claim 22 , wherein the snapshot module comprises:

a snapshot storage unit management unit, used for writing into the storage units of the snapshot storage unit and reporting the available storage units in the snapshot storage unit;

a snapshot image storage unit, used for storing the created snapshot images; and

a snapshot administration unit, receiving the data transmitted from the target storage units, determining whether to transmit the data to the snapshot storage management unit to store the data into the snapshot storage unit after comparing the data with the snapshot images stored in the snapshot image storage unit, updating the snapshot image corresponding to the data with the address of the stored data.

24. The snapshot data processing apparatus as claimed in claim 22 , wherein the target storage units corresponding to the first address table are used for storing the data created by the data processing system, and the snapshot storage unit corresponding to the second address table is used for storing a plurality of history data so as to avoid overwriting the data stored in the target storage units.

25. The snapshot data processing apparatus as claimed in claim 24 , wherein the first address table includes a list of addresses corresponding to the storage units of the target storage units, wherein the addresses of the storage units are mapped one-to-one to the target storage units.

26. The snapshot data processing apparatus as claimed in claim 24 , wherein the second address table includes a list of addresses corresponding to the storage units of the snapshot storage unit, wherein the address lengths of the storage units are mapped one-to-one to the target storage units.