PRUNING FREE BLOCKS OUT OF A DECREMENTAL BACKUP CHAIN
Pruning free blocks out of a decremental backup chain. In one example embodiment, a method for pruning free blocks out of a decremental backup in a decremental backup chain includes identifying a decremental backup chain, and pruning free blocks out of the target decremental backup.
1 . A method for pruning free blocks out of a decremental backup in a decremental backup chain, the method comprising:
identifying, for pruning, a target decremental backup in the decremental backup chain; and
pruning free blocks out of the target decremental backup.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the pruning of the free blocks is performed in response to:
a predetermined period of time, as set forth in a pruning policy, having passed since a most recent pruning of free blocks out of the target decremental backup.
3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the pruning of the free blocks is performed in response to:
receiving input from a user that specifies the performance of the pruning of free blocks out of the target decremental backup.
4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the pruning of the free blocks is performed in response to:
removing an oldest decremental backup from the decremental backup chain.
5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the removing of the oldest decremental backup from the decremental backup chain is performed in response to:
a predetermined period of time, as set forth in a retention policy, having passed since a point in time represented by the oldest decremental backup;
a predetermined aggregate size limit, as set forth in the retention policy, having been reached for the decremental backup chain;
a predetermined number of backups limit, as set forth in the retention policy, having been reached for the decremental backup chain; or
some combination thereof.
6 . One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing one or more programs that are configured, when executed, to cause one or more processors to perform the method as recited in claim 1 .
7 . A method for pruning free blocks out of a base backup of a decremental backup chain, the method comprising:
identifying the decremental backup chain that includes zero or more decremental backups of a source storage and the base backup of the source storage; and
pruning free blocks out of the base backup.
8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the pruning of the free blocks is performed in response to:
reaching a predetermined point in time, as set forth in a pruning policy, for pruning of free blocks out of the base backup.
9 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the pruning of the free blocks is performed in response to:
receiving input from a user that specifies the performance of the pruning of free blocks out of the base backup during a particular period of time.
10 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the pruning of the free blocks is performed in response to:
removing one or more oldest decremental backups from the decremental backup chain.
11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the removing of the one or more oldest decremental backups from the decremental backup chain is performed in response to:
a predetermined period of time, as set forth in a retention policy, having passed since a point in time represented by the newest backup of the one or more oldest decremental backups;
a predetermined aggregate size limit, as set forth in the retention policy, having been reached for the decremental backup chain;
a predetermined number of backups limit, as set forth in the retention policy, having been reached for the decremental backup chain; or
some combination thereof.
12 . One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing one or more programs that are configured, when executed, to cause one or more processors to perform the method as recited in claim 7 .