System and method for restoring data on a data storage system
A backup computer storage system that protects and/or recovers data on a primary computer storage system is disclosed. The backup computer system may be used to backup databases, files, and/or applications. In some embodiments, the backup system may be used to backup an image of the primary computer system. In other embodiments, the backup system may be used to backup one or more databases. In some embodiments of the present invention, the backup system replicates an image of data that is on a primary computer system. The backup system may also be used to restore data from the backup system to the primary computer system. In some embodiments, the backup system may restore data to a database while non-affected portions of the database are available and can be used. In some embodiments, the backup system records all transactions in real time without overwriting any previously stored backup data. In some embodiments of the present invention, the backup system maintains historical and/or chronological information related to the backed up data.
1. A method for restoring data on a data storage system from data on a backup storage system, the backup storage system including a plurality of transactions, each transaction corresponding to a plurality of data writes to the data storage system, the method comprising:
receiving an estimated time location;
identifying a transaction associated with the estimated time location; and
applying an individual data write subsequent to the identified transaction to an image of data on the backup storage system, thereby recreating data on the data storage system at a time associated with when the individual data write was first applied to the data storage system;
wherein each transaction includes a backward increment between data on the data storage system at a second time and data on the data storage system at a first time based on the plurality of data writes, and a forward increment between data on the data storage system at the first time and data on the data storage system at the second time based on the plurality of data writes.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the individual data write is a first data write, the method comprising:
applying a second individual data write to the image of data, thereby recreating data on the data storage system at a time associated with when the second individual data write was first applied to the data storage system, the second individual data write being located immediately subsequent to the first individual data write.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the identified transaction corresponds to the first time, and the applying an individual data write includes applying the individual data write that is subsequent to the first time.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the individual data write is a first data write, the method comprising:
reviewing the image of data on the backup storage system for an error;
determining that the error is not present; and
applying a second individual data write to the image of data based on the determination that the error is not present, in order to recreate data on the data storage system at a time associated with when the second individual data write was first applied to the data storage system, the second individual data write being located immediately subsequent to the first individual data write.
5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
rolling back the image of data on the backup storage system to the identified transaction.
6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
sorting the plurality of data writes so that they may be applied to the image of data in a monotonically increasing disk location sequence.