Using a metadata image of a file system and archive instance to backup data objects in the file system

1. A computer program product for backing-up a file system in communication with a backup storage, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therein that executes to perform operations, the operations comprising:

performing a point-in-time backup of files in the file system as of a point-in-time;

generating a metadata image of the file system including information on files and directories in the file system as of the point-in-time;

determining whether each of the files in the point-in-time backup has a size less than a size threshold;

storing content of the files to backup in the metadata image that have the size less than the size threshold, wherein the files having the size less than the size threshold can be restored from the content of the files stored in the metadata image;

backing-up the files in the point-in-time backup to the backup storage;

providing a backup database having records on the files backed-up from the file system in the backup storage, wherein each record in the backup database has a unique identifier for each backed-up file and a location of the backed-up file in the backup storage;

generating an archive instance including a copy of the database records for the files in the point-in-time backup; and

associating the metadata image and the archive instance for the point-in-time backup.

2. The computer program product of claim 1 , wherein the backing up of the files in the point-in-time backup comprises an incremental backup to copy files in the file system that are not changed or not yet stored in the backup storage and indicated in the backup database, further comprising:

for each file in the point-in-time backup copied to the backup storage, creating a record in the backup database identifying the file and indicating a location of the file in the backup storage.

3. The computer program product of claim 1 , wherein records are copied into the archive instance after completing the copying of the files in the point-in-time backup to the backup storage.

4. The computer program product of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise:

storing multiple archive instances created for different point-in-time backups at different points-in-time, wherein each archive instance includes records from the backup database for files in the point-in-time backup to allow for the recovery of the files in the different point-in-time backups of the file system.

5. The computer program product of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise:

issuing a command to mark backed-up files in the file system identified in the database records in the archive instance to prevent modification or deletion of the marked files.

6. The computer program product of claim 1 , wherein the metadata image includes an entry for each file system object comprising one of a file or directory, wherein the entry for each file system object includes an identifier of the file system object, an identifier of a parent file system object in which the file system object is included, permissions for the file system object, timestamps indicating a last time the file system object was modified, a type of the file system object indicating that the file system object is a file or a directory, and an external identifier for the file system object comprising a file.

7. The computer program product of claim 1 , wherein the metadata image includes an external identifier of each file indicated in the metadata image, wherein the external identifier comprises a path of the file in the file system, and wherein the record in the backup database for each file includes the path of the file in the file system to identify the file.

8. The computer program product of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise:

using the associated metadata image and archive instance to restore files to the file system as of the point-in-time of the point-in-time backup for which the metadata image and archive instance are created.

9. A system for backing-up a file system coupled to a backup storage, comprising:

a processor; and

a computer readable storage medium including code executed by the processor to perform operations, the operations comprising:

performing a point-in-time backup of files in the file system as of a point-in-time;

generating a metadata image of the file system including information on files and directories in the file system as of the point-in-time;

determining whether each of the files in the point-in-time backup has a size less than a size threshold;

storing content of the files to backup in the metadata image that have the size less than the size threshold, wherein the files having the size less than the size threshold can be restored from the content of the files stored in the metadata image;

backing-up the files in the point-in-time backup to the backup storage;

providing a backup database having records on the files backed-up from the file system in the backup storage, wherein each record in the backup database has a unique identifier for each backed-up file and a location of the backed-up file in the backup storage;

generating an archive instance including a copy of the database records for the files in the point-in-time backup; and

associating the metadata image and the archive instance for the point-in-time backup.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the backing up of the files in the point-in-time backup comprises an incremental backup to copy files in the file system that are not changed or not yet stored in the backup storage and indicated in the backup database, further comprising:

for each file in the point-in-time backup copied to the backup storage, creating a record in the backup database identifying the file and indicating a location of the file in the backup storage.

11. The system of claim 9 , wherein the operations further comprise:

storing multiple archive instances created for different point-in-time backups at different points-in-time, wherein each archive instance includes records from the backup database for files in the point-in-time backup to allow for the recovery of the files in the different point-in-time backups of the file system.

12. The system of claim 9 , wherein the metadata image includes an entry for each file system object comprising one of a file or directory, wherein the entry for each file system object includes an identifier of the file system object, an identifier of a parent file system object in which the file system object is included, permissions for the file system object, timestamps indicating a last time the file system object was modified, a type of the file system object indicating that the file system object is a file or a directory, and an external identifier for the file system object comprising a file.

13. The system of claim 9 , wherein the metadata image includes an external identifier of each file indicated in the metadata image, wherein the external identifier comprises a path of the file in the file system, and wherein the record in the backup database for each file includes the path of the file in the file system to identify the file.

14. The system of claim 9 , wherein the operations further comprise:

using the associated metadata image and archive instance to restore files to the file system as of the point-in-time of the point-in-time backup for which the metadata image and archive instance are created.

15. A method performed within a computer system, comprising:

performing a point-in-time backup of files in a file system as of a point-in-time;

generating a metadata image of the file system including information on files and directories in the file system as of the point-in-time;

determining whether each of the files in the point-in-time backup has a size less than a size threshold;

storing content of the files to backup in the metadata image that have the size less than the size threshold, wherein the files having the size less than the size threshold can be restored from the content of the files stored in the metadata image;

backing-up the files in the point-in-time backup to a backup storage;

providing a backup database having records on the files backed-up from the file system in the backup storage, wherein each record in the backup database has a unique identifier for each backed-up file and a location of the backed-up file in the backup storage;

generating an archive instance including a copy of the database records for the files in the point-in-time backup; and

associating the metadata image and the archive instance for the point-in-time backup.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the backing up of the files in the point-in-time backup comprises an incremental backup to copy files in the file system that are not changed or not yet stored in the backup storage and indicated in the backup database, further comprising:

for each file in the point-in-time backup copied to the backup storage, creating a record in the backup database identifying the file and indicating a location of the file in the backup storage.

17. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:

storing multiple archive instances created for different point-in-time backups at different points-in-time, wherein each archive instance includes records from the backup database for files in the point-in-time backup to allow for the recovery of the files in the different point-in-time backups of the file system.

18. The method of claim 15 , wherein the metadata image includes an entry for each file system object comprising one of a file or directory, wherein the entry for each file system object includes an identifier of the file system object, an identifier of a parent file system object in which the file system object is included, permissions for the file system object, timestamps indicating a last time the file system object was modified, a type of the file system object indicating that the file system object is a file or a directory, and an external identifier for the file system object comprising a file.

19. The method of claim 15 , wherein the metadata image includes an external identifier of each file indicated in the metadata image, wherein the external identifier comprises a path of the file in the file system, and wherein the record in the backup database for each file includes the path of the file in the file system to identify the file.

20. The method of claim 15 , wherein the operations further comprise:

using the associated metadata image and archive instance to restore files to the file system as of the point-in-time of the point-in-time backup for which the metadata image and archive instance are created.