Abstract: One example method includes identifying a cloud object as a potential candidate for defragmentation, evaluating the cloud object to determine what portion of segments of the cloud object are expired, when the portion of expired segments meets or exceeds a threshold, segregating the expired segments and unexpired segments of the cloud object, creating a first new cloud object that includes only unexpired segments, creating a second new cloud object that includes only expired segments, and deleting the cloud object from storage.

Abstract: A snapshot is taken of at least a portion of a file system having a set of files to retain over a retention duration. The snapshot is taken at a level of the file system or a directory of the file system. A retention lock is applied to the snapshot to block, over the retention duration, operations involving deletion of the snapshot. The retention lock is not applied to the set of files.

Abstract: One example method includes receiving at a dedupe system, from a client, a request that comprises a set of fingerprints, where each fingerprint in the set corresponds to a particular data segment, filtering, at the dedupe system, the set of fingerprints into a set of unique fingerprints and a set of non-unique fingerprints, reading, at the dedupe system, from a container where copies of the non-unique fingerprints are stored, an additional set of non-unique fingerprints, sending, from the dedupe system to the client, a single response that comprises both the set of unique fingerprints and the additional set of non-unique fingerprints, and receiving from the client, at the dedupe system, data segments that respectively correspond to the unique fingerprints in the set of unique fingerprints, but no data segments corresponding to the non-unique fingerprints in the set of non-unique fingerprints are received by the dedupe system from the client.

Abstract: Embodiments for providing file immutability for cloud storage data in a deduplicating filesystem and using a new filesystem that is spawned to receive redirected live data, after which the old filesystem is expired. Data objects are stored in the cloud by defining a protection duration from a first date to a fixed future date and a selection period to select a subset of data objects to be protected during the protection period. A retention lock is applied to the subset of data objects stored in cloud storage during the protection duration, the retention lock preventing unauthorized deletion, modification or movement of the data. A cloud bucket is created for storing the subset of data objects and a new filesystem is spawned for attachment to the cloud bucket. Upon expiration of the selection period, the retention locks are expired and the new filesystem is destroyed.

Abstract: Embodiments for providing file immutability for cloud storage data in a deduplicating filesystem and using a new filesystem that is spawned to receive redirected live data, after which the old filesystem is expired. Data objects are stored in the cloud by defining a protection duration from a first date to a fixed future date, and applying a retention lock to one or more data objects stored in cloud storage during the protection duration, the retention lock preventing unauthorized deletion, modification or movement of the data. A renew threshold date is defined within the protection duration, and a new filesystem is spawned on this date. All new data is redirected to the new filesystem and locked for the protection duration, and the first file system is destroyed.

Abstract: Embodiments for providing file immutability for cloud storage data in a deduplicating filesystem and using a new filesystem that is spawned to receive redirected live data, after which the old filesystem is expired. Data objects are stored in the cloud by defining a protection duration from a first date to a fixed future date and a selection period to select a subset of data objects to be protected during the protection period. A retention lock is applied to files that meet a set selection criteria, as determined by a matching or filter process. The selection criteria can include one or more of time-based selection, filetype selection, or tag-based selection.

Abstract: A first flag is set on a backup file to which data to be backed up is written. The first flag indicates that the backup file should be automatically retention locked after a cooling off period is over. Before the cooling off period is over, a request is received to open the backup file for writes. The request is allowed and upon allowing the request, the first flag is cleared and a second flag is set on the backup file indicating that writes are in progress. The clearing of the first flag excludes the backup file from being automatically retention locked after the cooling off period is over.

Abstract: Dynamically selecting a protection duration for locking objects in a storage. A garbage collection deletes objects over time. The objects may not be removed from storage until associated locks have expired. The length of the lock may impact the cost. A new lock extension value is selected each time a lock extension operation is performed. The lock extension value selection process accounts for a garbage collection operation cycle, an amount of deleted objects that are stored because of being locked, and a garbage collection churn. This allows an optimum lock extension value to be selected dynamically and repeatedly to control costs automatically.

Abstract: One example method includes receiving, at a cloud storage site, a write request that identifies an object to be written to the cloud storage site, storing the object at the cloud storage site, receiving, at the cloud storage site, a read request that identifies the object, performing, at the cloud storage site, an evaluation of the object to determine if the object is corrupted, and sending a message identifying an outcome of the evaluation. One or more of the operations at the cloud storage site may be performed by an Object Lambda function that has been configured by a dedupe application.

Abstract: A method for providing data immutability using a deduplication filesystem for data objects stored in the cloud by defining a protection duration from a first date to a fixed future date, and applying a retention lock to one or more data objects stored in cloud storage during the protection duration, the retention lock preventing deletion, modification or movement of the data objects by an unauthorized entity. The method defines a renew threshold date within the protection duration, and performs a garbage collection (GC) operation at the renew threshold date to permanently delete dead data objects and carry forward live data objects, and extends the retention lock on remaining live data objects and subsequently written data objects upon completion of the GC operation.

Abstract: One example method includes scanning, at a cloud storage site, metadata associated with an object stored at the cloud storage site, fetching, from the metadata, an object creation time for the object, and determining whether the object is out of a minimum storage duration. When the object is out of the minimum storage duration, it is copy-forwarded and then marked for deletion, and when the object is not out of the minimum storage duration, the object is deselected from a list of objects to be copied forward.

Abstract: A method, system and computer-readable storage medium for data backup by a backup server having local storage. In normal mode of operation the backup server stores any ingest data in the local storage. A redirect monitor continuously monitors the capacity utilization of the local storage. When the capacity utilization surpasses a preset threshold, the backup server is switched to operate in redirect mode, where newly received ingest data is redirected to alternate storage. The alternate storage may be, e.g., cloud storage or storage as a service facility. Thereafter the redirect monitor checks the utilization of the local storage and if that drops below a preset safety margin, the backup server reverts to normal operating mode. The backup server may or may not copy all redirected data from the alternate storage to the local storage, depending on the setup.

Abstract: Dynamically selecting a protection duration for locking objects in a storage. A garbage collection deletes objects over time. The objects may not be removed from storage until associated locks have expired. The length of the lock may impact the cost. A new lock extension value is selected each time a lock extension operation is performed. The lock extension value selection process accounts for a garbage collection operation cycle, an amount of deleted objects that are stored because of being locked, and a garbage collection churn. This allows an optimum lock extension value to be selected dynamically and repeatedly to control costs automatically.

Abstract: One example method includes, at a replication data source, initiating a replication process that includes transmitting a replication stream to a replication destination vault, and data in the replication stream is transmitted by way of a closed airgap between the replication data source and the replication destination vault, switching, by the replication data source, from a transmit mode to a receive mode, receiving, at the replication data source, a first checksum of a file, and the first checksum and file were created at the replication destination vault, receiving, at the replication data source, the file, calculating, at the replication data source, a second checksum of the file, and when the second checksum matches the first checksum, ending the replication process.

Abstract: A method of detecting object corruption of deduplicated cloud objects includes a two-layered approach. In a first layer, only metadata areas from segments of a deduplicated cloud object are processed in order to detect corruptions in the metadata. If no corruption is detected in the metadata, a second layer analysis can be performed. The second layer analysis includes a progressive scanning of data only on objects that were not found to be corrupted in the first layer analysis.

Abstract: A system clock is protected by limiting clock changes, change frequency, and calculating skew. System and secure clocks are initialized to a same time. First and second thresholds are set. The first threshold corresponds to an alert and the second threshold corresponds to an action. At a time interval at which the secure clock is to be updated, a skew is calculated between the system and secure clocks, and a cumulative skew is calculated. Upon a determination that the cumulative skew has reached the first threshold, but not the second threshold, the alert is triggered while deletions of files having retention locks that have expired according to the system clock are allowed to continue. Upon a determination that the cumulative skew has reached the second threshold, the action is triggered. The action includes blocking the deletions of files having retention locks that have expired according to the system clock.

Abstract: One example method includes, at a replication data source, initiating a replication process that includes transmitting a replication stream to a replication destination vault, and data in the replication stream is transmitted by way of a closed airgap between the replication data source and the replication destination vault, switching, by the replication data source, from a transmit mode to a receive mode, receiving, at the replication data source, a first checksum of a file, and the first checksum and file were created at the replication destination vault, receiving, at the replication data source, the file, calculating, at the replication data source, a second checksum of the file, and when the second checksum matches the first checksum, ending the replication process.

Abstract: Embodiments for retention locking a deduplicated file stored in cloud storage by defining object metadata for each object of the file, and comprising a lock count and a retention time based on an expiry date of the lock, with each object having segments, the object metadata further having a respective expiry date and lock count for each segment, where at least some segments are shared among two or more files. Also updating the lock count and retention time for all segments of the file being locked; and if the object is not already locked, locking the object using a retention lock defining a retention time and updating the object metadata with a new lock count and the retention time, otherwise incrementing the lock count and updating the retention time for the expiry date if expiry date of a previous lock is older than a current expiry date.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, and system manages an object in a storage provider that provides a plurality of storage classes of storage. The method may include receiving a request for transfer of the object comprising segments from a first storage class to a second storage class of the storage provider; storing metadata associated with the object; determining that each of the segments satisfies a data storage policy based on the access characteristics of each of the segments within the object, wherein the determining includes: determining that none of the segments are referenced by the new segment for a predetermined time period; determining that none of the segments are accessed for the predetermined time period from the last accessed time instance; and in response to determining that each of the segments satisfies the data storage policy, transferring the object from the first storage class to the second storage class of the storage provider.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, and system determines an optimal storage configuration of storing backup data. The method may include receiving a request from a client device for determining an optimal storage configuration for storing backup data of a client. The method may include determining a cloud utilization pattern of the backup data based on prior access activities and determining a first suitability score for the first storage class based on the cloud utilization pattern. The method may include, for each of the storage classes of the first storage provider, determining a suitability score for the corresponding storage class if the backup data were stored in the corresponding storage class. The method may include transmitting to the client device a recommendation of a second storage class of the first storage provider having a suitability score higher than the first suitability score based on the suitability score to reduce cloud resources usage.