Abstract: A system and method enables cluster-wide management of backup operations issued by one or more backup managers to nodes of a cluster using a network management protocol, such as NDMP. An NDMP daemon executing on each node is extended to include a processing module and a backup module. The processing module interfaces with a backup manager to interpret the backup operation and, if necessary, forward (proxy) that operation to another NDMP daemon on another node of the cluster for processing in accordance with cluster's unified namespace.

Abstract: A method and system for backing up and restoring data in a file system that includes junctions is provided. In a backup operation, a junction is encoded as a symbolic link (“symlink”) directive, and sent with a sequential image data stream in the backup operation and written to a tape or disk. In a restore operation, when the encoded symlink directive is encountered after data is read from the tape, the symlink is decoded by an administrator to obtain the embedded junction information contained in the symlink directive. The administrator can then recreate the junction using the information. The junction information is thereby transmitted as part of the backup and restore operation while remaining transparent to third party software performing the backup and restore processes.

Abstract: Provided is a method and system for redirecting data access requests in a clustered computing environment. A clustered namespace applied to the clustered computing environment includes multiple modules for storing and manipulating data. The clustered namespace is enabled by using a replicated storage location repository listing storage locations distributed throughout the clustered computing environment. When searching for data, pathnames to storage locations are examined and compared with values listed in the storage location repository to identify a storage location to visit. A module associated with an identified storage location is visited to satisfy a data access request. If a redirection identifier is encountered when examining the metadata of the identified storage location, then the storage location repository is examined to find the next storage location to visit to satisfy the data access request.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a data corruption checker is integrated into the data backup operation. In one embodiment, the data corruption checker can skip over minor corruptions and back up the non-corrupt files, or can abort the backup and locate a major corruption. In one embodiment, the present invention includes receiving a backup command at a storage server, the backup command requesting that the storage server perform a backup operation on a storage component, scanning a set of inodes associated with the storage component to determine a subset of inodes corresponding to files to be backed up, and, as part of the scanning, identifying one or more corrupted files.