METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR PERFORMING INCREMENTAL BACKUPS OF FRAGMENTED USER DATA
A system for providing backup services for limited-access user data includes persistent storage and a manager. The manager identifies a backup generation event for the limited-access user data based on a protection policy; in response to identifying the backup generation event, performs, using an application that gates access to the limited-access user data, a change analysis of the limited-access user data to identify a portion of the limited-access user data that is potentially in a backed-up state; obtains, using the application, metadata associated with the portion indicative of whether sub-portions of the portion are in the backed-up state; identify, using the metadata, at least one of the sub-portions that is not in the backed-up state; and generates the user data backup using the at least one of the sub-portions.
1 . A system for providing backup services for limited-access user data, comprising:
persistent storage for storing a user data backup; and
a manager programmed to:
identify a backup generation event for the limited-access user data based on a protection policy;
in response to identifying the backup generation event:
perform, using an application that gates access to the limited-access user data, a change analysis of the limited-access user data to identify a portion of the limited-access user data that is potentially in a backed-up state;
obtain, using the application, metadata, associated with the portion, indicative of whether sub-portions of the portion are in the backed-up state;
identify, using the metadata, at least one sub-portion of the sub-portions that is not in the backed-up state; and
generate the user data backup using the at least one sub-portion.
2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein performing the change analysis comprises:
obtaining, using the application, a list of all objects of the limited-access user data that have been modified with respect to a point in time.
3 . The system of claim 2 , wherein identifying the at least one sub-portion that is not in the backed-up state comprises:
comparing a part of the metadata associated with one object of the list of all objects to a listing of the objects that have been previously backed up using a previously generated backup of the limited-access user data.
4 . The system of claim 3 , wherein generating the user data backup comprises:
adding the at least one sub-portion to the user data backup; and
discarding a second of the sub-portions without adding it to the user data backup.
5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the system is unable to obtain the portion of the limited-access user data from the limited-access user data directly.
6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein generating the user data backup using the at least one sub-portion comprising:
adding information indicating that the at least one sub-portion was removed from the limited-access user data.
7 . The system of claim 1 , wherein generating the user data backup using the at least one sub-portion comprising:
adding information indicating that the at least one sub-portion was added to the limited-access user data.
8 . A method for providing backup services for limited-access user data, comprising:
identifying a backup generation event for the limited-access user data based on a protection policy;
in response to identifying the backup generation event:
performing, using an application that gates access to the limited-access user data, a change analysis of the limited-access user data to identify a portion of the limited-access user data that is potentially in a backed-up state;
obtaining, using the application, metadata, associated with the portion, indicative of whether sub-portions of the portion are in the backed-up state;
identifying, using the metadata, at least one sub-portion of the sub-portions that is not in the backed-up state; and
generating a user data backup using the at least one sub-portion.
9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein performing the change analysis comprises:
obtaining, using the application, a list of all objects of the limited-access user data that have been modified with respect to a point in time.
10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein identifying the at least one sub-portion that is not in the backed-up state comprises:
comparing a part of the metadata associated with one object of the list of all objects to a listing of the objects that have been previously backed up using a previously generated backup of the limited-access user data.
11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein generating the user data backup comprises:
adding the at least one sub-portion to the user data backup; and
discarding a second of the sub-portion without adding it to the user data backup.
12 . The method of claim 8 , wherein a system is unable to obtain the portion of the limited-access user data from the limited-access user data directly.
13 . The method of claim 8 , wherein generating the user data backup using the at least one sub-portion comprising:
adding information indicating that the at least one sub-portion was removed from the limited-access user data.
14 . The method of claim 8 , wherein generating the user data backup using the at least one sub-portion comprising:
adding information indicating that the at least one sub-portion was added to the limited-access user data.
15 . A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising computer readable program code, which when executed by a computer processor enables the computer processor to perform a method for providing backup services for limited-access user data, the method comprising:
identifying a backup generation event for the limited-access user data based on a protection policy;
in response to identifying the backup generation event:
performing, using an application that gates access to the limited-access user data, a change analysis of the limited-access user data to identify a portion of the limited-access user data that is potentially in a backed-up state;
obtaining, using the application, metadata, associated with the portion, indicative of whether sub-portions of the portion are in the backed-up state;
identifying, using the metadata, at least one sub-portion of the sub-portions that is not in the backed-up state; and
generating a user data backup using the at least one sub-portion.
16 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15 , wherein performing the change analysis comprises:
obtaining, using the application, a list of all objects of the limited-access user data that have been modified with respect to a point in time.
17 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16 , wherein identifying the at least one sub-portion that is not in the backed-up state comprises:
comparing a part of the metadata associated with one object of the list of all objects to a listing of the objects that have been previously backed up using a previously generated backup of the limited-access user data.
18 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17 , wherein generating the user data backup comprises:
adding the at least one sub-portion to the user data backup; and discarding a second sub-portion without adding it to the user data backup.
19 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15 , wherein a system is unable to obtain the portion of the limited-access user data from the limited-access user data directly.
20 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15 , wherein generating the user data backup using the at least one sub-portion comprising:
adding information indicating that the at least one sub-portion was removed from the limited-access user data.