Method and system for backup to a hidden backup storage
View Patent ↗A system for data backup and recovery. A backup storage in a form of a file or a directory is created on a storage media. The backup storage is “hidden” from the file system, form user processes, form an operating system and from a data storage driver. The backup file is visible to only backup/restore application. The data is backed up into the “hidden” backup storage. The files system, the user processes, the operating system and the data storage driver do not know about the backup file and the areas of the storage media occupied by the backup file. When a write request for writing a data block to the space within the storage media occupied by the files of the “hidden” backup is received the write request is redirected to a free space on the storage media.
1. A system for data backup, the system comprising:
a set of data blocks located on a storage media subject to a backup;
a hidden backup storage for backup of the set of data blocks, wherein the hidden backup storage is not visible to a file system, user processes, an operating system and to an operating system's data storage driver with the hidden backup storage on the storage media appearing as free space to the operating system's data storage driver, the hidden backup storage being visible to backup/restore application;
an intermediate container located on the storage media;
a module for generating a bitmap of the set of data blocks, the bitmap defines backed up data blocks of the storage media and contains numbers of data blocks and locations of the data blocks on the storage media,
the module configured to:
receive a request to write a block of data to an area occupied by the hidden backup storage,
upon receipt of the request to write the block of data to the area occupied by the hidden backup storage, transfer data from a corresponding block of the hidden backup storage to the intermediate container,
write the block of data to the area; and
write the data transferred from the corresponding block of the hidden backup storage stored in the intermediate container to free space on the storage media.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the bitmap contains locations of the data blocks within the hidden backup storage.
3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the hidden backup storage comprises:
a service data block;
a backup metadata;
the bitmap;
a file system; and
a backed up data.
4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the hidden backup storage is on the same partition as the set of data blocks subject to the backup.
5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the hidden backup storage is on the same partition as the set of data blocks subject to the backup.
6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the module is further configured to mark the set of data blocks backed up in the bitmap.
7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the set of data blocks subject to the backup comprises a snapshot of data blocks for backup, and the method further comprises performing subsequent backups wherein the subsequent backups are incremental backups.
8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the backup is an incremental backup.
9. The system of claim 7 , wherein the backup is a full backup.
10. The system of claim 7 , wherein the backup is a data block backup.
11. The system of claim 7 , wherein the backup is a file-level backup.
12. A computer-implemented method for data backup, the method comprising:
generating a bitmap of a set of data blocks located on a storage media subject to a backup, the bitmap defining backed up data blocks of the storage media and contains numbers of data blocks and locations of the data blocks on the storage media;
receiving a request to write a block of data to an area occupied by a hidden backup storage for backup of the set of data blocks, wherein the hidden backup storage is not visible to a file system, user processes, an operating system and to an operating system's data storage driver with the hidden backup storage on the storage media appearing as free space to the operating system's data storage driver, the hidden backup storage being visible to backup/restore application;
upon receipt of the request to write the block of data to the area occupied by the hidden backup storage, transferring data from a corresponding block of the hidden backup storage to an intermediate container located on the storage media;
writing the block of data to the area; and
writing the data transferred from the corresponding block of the hidden backup storage stored in the intermediate container to free space on the storage media.
13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the bitmap contains locations of the data blocks within the hidden backup storage.
14. The system of claim 12 , wherein the hidden backup storage comprises:
a service data block;
a backup metadata;
the bitmap;
a file system; and
a backed up data.
15. The method of claim 12 , wherein the hidden backup storage is on the same partition as the set of data blocks subject to the backup.
16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the hidden backup storage is on the same partition as the set of data blocks subject to the backup.
17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the module is further configured to mark the set of data blocks backed up in the bitmap.
18. The method of claim 16 , wherein the set of data blocks subject to the backup comprises a snapshot of data blocks for backup, and the method further comprises performing subsequent backups wherein the subsequent backups are incremental backups.