Abstract: Definitions are received for allowable activity windows and epochs. Each epoch specifies a retention duration and allowable activity window. There can be a retention policy specifying that copies created during a particular time period of the allowable activity window are to be retained past a retention duration of an initial epoch. A determination is made as to whether a copy was created during the particular time period specified in the retention policy. If the copy was not created during the particular time period, the retention duration of the initial epoch is added to a creation time of the copy to obtain a date after which the copy should be deleted. If the copy was created during the particular time period, a retention duration of a subsequent epoch is added to the creation time to obtain the date. The date is then associated with the copy.

Abstract: A set of logical containers are maintained in a cache, each logical container corresponding to a portion of a main snapshot catalog. First metadata of a first snapshot created by a first snapshot appliance is examined. Based on the first metadata examination, the first snapshot is cataloged into a first logical container. Second metadata of a second snapshot created by a second snapshot appliance is examined. Based on the second metadata examination, the second snapshot is cataloged into a second logical container, separate from the first logical container. A request is received to perform an operation involving one of the first or second snapshots. The request is matched to one of the first or second logical containers. The one of the first or second logical containers is searched to retrieve a snapshot responsive to the request without searching another of the first or second logical containers.

Abstract: Backup storage is configured to automatically take one or more snapshots of a protected device. After a plurality of snapshots of the protected device have been automatically taken by the backup storage, the backup storage is communicated with in order to catalog metadata associated with the plurality of snapshots.

Abstract: A backup system comprises a tape backup storage storing a set of tape backup data, a snapshot backup storage storing a nearest snapshot, and a processor. The processor is configured to determine the nearest snapshot, wherein a snapshot time of the nearest snapshot is nearest in time to a backup time, and determine the set of tape backup data, wherein the set of tape backup data and the nearest snapshot enable recovery of a backup data.

Abstract: Embodiments are described for dynamically modifying backup policy of an application using changes in metrics of a data set generated by the application and/or user-specified rules. Each application can have its own backup policy having a protection level that determines a frequency of backup for the application data set. An application can have an initial backup policy. An application backup policy can be based on the application type, a percent of change to the data set since the last backup, a size of the data set, or other metric. A user can specify a rule for the backup policy and protection level for the application. The backup policy or protection level can be dynamically updated in response to changes in the data set or a user-specified rule, on a per-application basis.

Abstract: A discovery is made of an object to be backed up on a storage array of a client. An object mapping is generated that maps the object to a LUN of the storage array where the object is located. The object mapping is stored at a backup server. A snapshot of the storage array is obtained. The object mapping is reviewed to identify on the snapshot the object to be backed up and the object is backed up to a backup storage unit.

Abstract: A backup system comprises a tape backup storage storing a set of tape backup data, a snapshot backup storage storing a nearest snapshot, and a processor. The processor is configured to determine the nearest snapshot, wherein a snapshot time of the nearest snapshot is nearest in time to a backup time, and determine the set of tape backup data, wherein the set of tape backup data and the nearest snapshot enable recovery of a backup data.

Abstract: A backup system comprises a tape backup storage storing a set of tape backup data, a snapshot backup storage storing a nearest snapshot, and a processor. The processor is configured to determine the nearest snapshot, wherein a snapshot time of the nearest snapshot is nearest in time to a backup time, and determine the set of tape backup data, wherein the set of tape backup data and the nearest snapshot enable recovery of a backup data.

Abstract: A method and system are provided for dynamic provisioning of snapshots in a data backup system with a software defined storage (SDS). The method implemented by the backup system receives a snapshot provisioning request including a user selection of snapshot objectives by a dynamic snapshot module, converts a file system reference mapping to a logical unit number (LUN) of the SDS, consolidates the snapshot provisioning request to the mapping and snapshot frequency, and passes the consolidated snapshot provisioning request to the SDS to provision snapshots.