Method of tracking and analyzing data integrity issues by leveraging cloud services
View Patent ↗In one example method, which may be performed by a data integrity check entity, a request is received to perform a data integrity check with respect to a backup dataset created by the data protection entity. Next, an information set is accessed that was created by a data protection entity concerning the backup dataset. The backup dataset and information contained in the information set are analyzed and, based on the analysis, a data integrity problem is identified that resulted from a data corruption event involving the backup dataset. Finally, results of the analysis of the backup dataset and the information set are reported to the data protection entity.
1. A method, comprising:
detecting, by a data protection entity, the occurrence of a data corruption event regarding a backup dataset created by the data protection entity;
receiving, from the data protection entity, by a data integrity check entity, a request to perform a data integrity check with respect to the backup dataset, and the backup dataset comprises a backup of an entity other than the data integrity check entity and the data protection entity;
accessing, by the data integrity check entity, an information set created by the data protection entity concerning the backup dataset;
performing, by the data integrity check entity, a data integrity check process that comprises analyzing the backup dataset and information contained in the information set and, based on the analysis, identifying a data integrity problem that resulted from the data corruption event involving the backup dataset, and as between the data integrity check entity and the data protection entity, only the data integrity check entity checks the integrity of data in the backup dataset; and
reporting, by the data integrity check entity, results of the analysis of the backup dataset and the information set.
2. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the data protection entity is a data protection VM and/or the data integrity check entity is a data integrity check VM.
3. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the data integrity check performed by the data integrity check entity is a read-only process.
4. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the information set includes any one or more of checksum information, time stamp, logical block addressing (LBA) range or information identifying a data offset within an object, identity of an application that created data included in the backup dataset, and application specific data.
5. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the analysis comprises performing a checksum process with respect to information in the information set and/or data included in the backup dataset.
6. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the data integrity check is performed by the data integrity check entity on a per-object basis.
7. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein accessing the backup dataset comprises accessing object storage to gain access to the backup dataset, and the data integrity check entity obtains a data access credential from the data protection entity as a prerequisite to accessing the object storage.
8. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the data integrity check entity communicates with the data protection entity by way of an RPC or RESTful API.
9. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein a data path used by the data integrity check entity is separate from a data path associated with a backup process of the data protection entity.
10. The method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising bringing up a shadow file system, with the data integrity check entity, and the integrity check is performed at a file system level.
11. A non-transitory storage medium having stored therein instructions which are executable by one or more hardware processors to perform operations comprising:
detecting, by a data protection entity, the occurrence of a data corruption event regarding a backup dataset created by the data protection entity;
receiving, from the data protection entity, by a data integrity check entity, a request to perform a data integrity check with respect to the backup dataset, and the backup dataset comprises a backup of an entity other than the data integrity check entity and the data protection entity;
accessing, by the data integrity check entity, an information set created by the data protection entity concerning the backup dataset;
performing, by the data integrity check entity, a data integrity check process that comprises analyzing the backup dataset and information contained in the information set and, based on the analysis, identifying a data integrity problem that resulted from the data corruption event involving the backup dataset, and as between the data integrity check entity and the data protection entity, only the data integrity check entity checks the integrity of data in the backup dataset; and
reporting, by the data integrity check entity, results of the analysis of the backup dataset and the information set.
12. The non-transitory storage medium as recited in claim 11 , wherein the data protection entity is a data protection VM and/or the data integrity check entity is a data integrity check VM.
13. The non-transitory storage medium as recited in claim 11 , wherein the data integrity check performed by the data integrity check entity is a read-only process.
14. The non-transitory storage medium as recited in claim 11 , wherein the information set includes any one or more of checksum information, time stamp, LBA range or information identifying a data offset within an object, identity of an application that created data included in the backup dataset, and application specific data.
15. The non-transitory storage medium as recited in claim 11 , wherein the analysis comprises performing a checksum process with respect to information in the information set and/or data included in the backup dataset.
16. The non-transitory storage medium as recited in claim 11 , wherein the data integrity check is performed by the data integrity check entity on a per-object basis.
17. The non-transitory storage medium as recited in claim 11 , wherein accessing the backup dataset comprises accessing object storage to gain access to the backup dataset, and the data integrity check entity obtains a data access credential from the data protection entity as a prerequisite to accessing the object storage.
18. The non-transitory storage medium as recited in claim 11 , wherein the data integrity check entity communicates with the data protection entity by way of an RPC or RESTful API.
19. The non-transitory storage medium as recited in claim 11 , wherein a data path used by the data integrity check entity is separate from a data path associated with a backup process of the data protection entity.
20. The non-transitory storage medium as recited in claim 11 , wherein the operations further comprise bringing up a shadow file system, with the data integrity check entity, and the integrity check is performed at a file system level.