DATABASE BACKUP TO HIGHEST-USED PAGE
Database backup performance may be improved by copying only used portions of a database file. When the database file includes allocated but un-used pages, the unused pages are not replicated during a database backup. By replicating only the allocated and used pages in the database, the backup time may be decreased and the amount of storage required in the second file may be decreased.
1 . A method, comprising:
identifying a first file for backup;
identifying a portion of the first file containing user data; and
copying only the user data portion of the first file to a second file.
2 . The method of claim 1 , in which the first file is a database file.
3 . The method of claim 2 , in which the database file is part of a relational database management system (RDMS).
4 . The method of claim 3 , in which the step of identifying the portion of the first file containing user data comprises identifying a highest-used page number of the database.
5 . The method of claim 4 , further comprising identifying a current time before identifying the highest-used page number of the database.
6 . The method of claim 3 , further comprising reporting the highest-used page number to a universal data system control (UDSC), in which the step of copying the user data portion of the first file comprises copying the user data portion of the first file to an intergrated recovery utility (IRU) storing the second file.
7 . The method of claim 1 , in which the step of identifying the portion of the file containing user data comprises identifying a portion of physical storage allocated to the file but not currently storing user data.
8 . A computer program product, comprising:
a non-transitory computer readable medium comprising:
code to identify a first file for backup;
code to identify a portion of the first file containing user data; and
code to copy the user data portion of the first file to a second file.
9 . The computer program product of claim 8 , in which the first file is a database file.
10 . The computer program product of claim 9 , in which the database file is part of a relational database management system (RDMS).
11 . The computer program product of claim 10 , in which the medium comprises code to identify a highest-used page number of the database.
12 . The computer program product of claim 11 , in which the medium further comprises code to identify a current time before identifying the highest-used page number of the database.
13 . The computer program product of claim 11 , in which the medium further comprises code to report the highest-used page number to a universal data system control (UDSC).
14 . The computer program product of claim 8 , in which the medium further comprises code to identify a portion of physical storage allocated to the file but not currently storing user data.
15 . An apparatus,
a memory for storing a database; and
a processor coupled to the memory, in which the processor is configured:
to identify a first file of the database for backup;
to identify a portion of the first file containing user data; and
to copy the user data portion of the first file to a second file.
16 . The apparatus of claim 15 , in which the first file is part of a relational database management system (RDMS).
17 . The apparatus of claim 16 , in which the processor is configured to identify a highest-used page number of the database.
18 . The apparatus of claim 17 , in which the processor is configured to report the highest-used page number to a universal data system control (UDSC).
19 . The apparatus of claim 15 , in which the processor is configured to identify a portion of physical storage allocated to the file but not currently storing user data.
20 . The apparatus of claim 15 , in which the first file is stored on a first storage device and the second file is stored on a second storage device.