Fast restoration method from inode based backup to path based structure

1. A method for restoring an inode based backup to a path based structure, comprising:

receiving a path encompassing one or more files or directories (files/directories) to be restored;

selecting one or more inodes when metadata associated with each of the one or more inodes is to be used in a restoration;

determining, in the inode based backup, one or more selected inodes that correspond to the files/directories to be restored and one or more unselected inodes that correspond to one or more files/directories that are not in the path and not to be restored, wherein metadata associated with the one or more selected inodes is to be used in the restoration, wherein metadata associated with the unselected inodes is not to be used in the restoration;

generating a sendmap structure that is indicative of the selected inodes and the unselected inodes, wherein the sendmap structure includes a bitmap structure to store status of file/directories inode selection for the restoration, wherein generating the sendmap structure comprises:

traversing from a root folder to the path to determine inode numbers of the files/directories to be restored, the traversing includes searching a directory tree to determine the inode numbers and names of child files and subdirectories, wherein each bit of the sendmap structure corresponds to an inode, and a bit value of the sendmap structure indicates whether a corresponding inode is selected or unselected;

restoring a first file of the files/directories to be restored from the inode based backup to the path based structure;

determining whether an inode number of the first file, which identifies a first inode of the first file, and associated metadata of the inode number are available in a metadata cache, and if so: using the inode number of the first file and the associated metadata in the metadata cache in the restoration of the first file; and

adding the inode number of the first file and the associated metadata to the metadata cache when the inode number of the first file and the associated metadata are not available in the metadata cache.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein if the inode number of the first file and the associated metadata are not available in the metadata cache:

retrieving the inode number of the first file and the associated metadata from an inode file tree;

determining whether any other inode that shares a second level sub-path with the inode of the first file in the inode file tree is a selected inode based on the sendmap structure; and

in response to determining that one or more other inodes that share the second level sub-path with the inode of the first file in the inode file tree are selected inodes, storing the one or more other inodes and associated metadata of the one or more other inodes in the metadata cache.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein an inode of a second file of the files/directories to be restored shares the second level sub-path with the inode of the first file when the inode of the second file and the inode of the first file share the first 5 hex digits (20 bits) in respective inode numbers of the inodes of the first and the second files.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the path based structure is a Linux file system or a Windows file system.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sendmap structure is stored in a memory.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the inode number is a 32-bit unsigned integer.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the metadata cache is a mapping structure that stores inode numbers and respective associated metadata of the inode numbers.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising clearing the sendmap structure and the metadata cache when the restoration is completed.

9. A non-transitory machine-readable medium having instructions stored therein which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform restoration operations, the operations comprising:

receiving a path encompassing one or more files or directories (files/directories) to be restored;

selecting one or more inodes when metadata associated with each of the one or more inodes is to be used in a restoration;

determining, in an inode based backup, one or more selected inodes that correspond to the files/directories to be restored and one or more unselected inodes that correspond to one or more files/directories that are not in the path and not to be restored, wherein metadata associated with the one or more selected inodes is to be used in the restoration, wherein metadata associated with the unselected inodes is not to be used in the restoration;

generating a sendmap structure that is indicative of the selected inodes and the unselected inodes, wherein the sendmap structure includes a bitmap structure to store status of file/directories inode selection for the restoration, wherein generating the sendmap structure comprises:

traversing from a root folder to the path to determine inode numbers of the files/directories to be restored, the traversing includes searching a directory tree to determine the inode numbers and names of child files and subdirectories, wherein each bit of the sendmap structure corresponds to an inode, and a bit value of the sendmap structure indicates whether a corresponding inode is selected or unselected;

restoring a first file of the files/directories to be restored from the inode based backup to a path based structure;

determining whether an inode number of the first file, which identifies an inode of the first file, and associated metadata of the inode number are available in a metadata cache, and if so: using the inode number of the first file and the associated metadata in the metadata cache in the restoration of the first file; and

adding the inode number of the first file and the associated metadata to the metadata cache when the inode number of the first file and the associated metadata are not available in the metadata cache.

10. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein if the inode number of the first file and the associated metadata are not available in the metadata cache:

retrieving the inode number of the first file and the associated metadata from an inode file tree;

determining whether any other inode that shares a second level sub-path with the inode of the first file in the inode file tree is a selected inode based on the sendmap structure; and

in response to determining that one or more other inodes that share the second level sub-path with the inode of the first file in the inode file tree are selected inodes, storing the one or more other inodes and associated metadata of the one or more other inodes in the metadata cache.

11. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 10 , wherein an inode of a second file of the files/directories to be restored shares the second level sub-path with the inode of the first file when the inode of the second file and the inode of the first file share the first 5 hex digits (20 bits) in respective inode numbers of the inodes of the first and the second files.

12. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the path based structure is a Linux file system or a Windows file system.

13. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the sendmap structure is stored in a memory.

14. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the inode number is a 32-bit unsigned integer.

15. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the metadata cache is a mapping structure that stores inode numbers and respective associated metadata of the inode numbers.

16. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 9 , the operations further comprising clearing the sendmap structure and the metadata cache when the restoration is completed.

17. A data processing system, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory coupled to the processor storing instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform restoration operations, the operations including:

receiving a path encompassing one or more files or directories (files/directories) to be restored;

selecting one or more inodes when metadata associated with each of the one or more inodes is to be used in a restoration;

determining, in an inode based backup, one or more selected inodes that correspond to the files/directories to be restored and one or more unselected inodes that correspond to one or more files/directories that are not in the path and not to be restored, wherein metadata associated with the one or more selected inodes is to be used in the restoration, wherein metadata associated with the unselected inodes is not to be used in the restoration;

generating a sendmap structure that is indicative of the selected inodes and the unselected inodes, wherein the sendmap structure includes a bitmap structure to store status of file/directories inode selection for the restoration, wherein generating the sendmap structure comprises:

traversing from a root folder to the path to determine inode numbers of the files/directories to be restored, the traversing includes searching a directory tree to determine the inode numbers and names of child files and subdirectories, wherein each bit of the sendmap structure corresponds to an inode, and a bit value of the sendmap structure indicates whether a corresponding inode is selected or unselected;

restoring a first file of the files/directories to be restored from the inode based backup to a path based structure;

determining whether an inode number of the first file, which identifies an inode of the first file, and associated metadata of the inode number are available in a metadata cache, and if so: using the inode number of the first file and the associated metadata in the metadata cache in the restoration of the first file; and

adding the inode number of the first file and the associated metadata to the metadata cache when the inode number of the first file and the associated metadata are not available in the metadata cache.

18. The data processing system of claim 17 , wherein if the inode number of the first file and the associated metadata are not available in the metadata cache:

retrieving the inode number of the first file and the associated metadata from an inode file tree;

determining whether any other inode that shares a second level sub-path with the inode of the first file in the inode file tree is a selected inode based on the sendmap structure; and

in response to determining that one or more other inodes that share the second level sub-path with the inode of the first file in the inode file tree are selected inodes, storing the one or more other inodes and associated metadata in the metadata cache of the one or more other inodes.

19. The data processing system of claim 18 , wherein an inode of a second file of the files/directories to be restored shares the second level sub-path with the inode of the first file when the inode of the second file and the inode of the first file share the first 5 hex digits (20 bits) in respective inode numbers of the inodes of the first and the second files.

20. The data processing system of claim 17 , wherein the path based structure is a Linux file system or a Windows file system.

21. The data processing system of claim 17 , wherein the sendmap structure is stored in a memory.

22. The data processing system of claim 17 , wherein the inode number is a 32-bit unsigned integer.

23. The data processing system of claim 17 , wherein the metadata cache is a mapping structure that stores inode numbers and respective associated metadata of the inode numbers.

24. The data processing system of claim 17 , the operations further comprising clearing the sendmap structure and the metadata cache when the restoration is completed.