Abstract: Making inline deduplicated backups of protected data using group fingerprints resident in a storage server by generating group fingerprints on a storage server for a backup client that is not capable of using group fingerprints, from individual fingerprints generated for each segment of protected data divided into variable size segments and then grouped together. Each fingerprint comprises a signature for a respective data segment. The method further maintains the group fingerprints for files resident on the storage server, compares, in the storage server, respective group fingerprints for these files with a new backup file to be backed up from the backup client to determine duplicated data between these files, and converts the new backup file to a virtual synthetic backup during a backup time of the new file.

Abstract: Embodiments of a targeted deduplication process that splits protected data into variable size segments, generates a fingerprint for each segment, and then combines fingerprints into groups to form group fingerprints. An embodiment auto-generates and persists the group fingerprints for the backups which are already on the storage server, thus enabling the backup client to fetch these fingerprints using an identifier and enforce synthesis for the new backup or replication copy against any previously written backup. For this embodiment, group fingerprints are generated on the storage server itself, rather than being generated on and pushed from the backup client for mere storage on the storage server, so that, as files are ingested, the storage server also auto-generates group fingerprints on its own.

Abstract: A backup system stores recipes during backup file creation when virtual synthetic backups are used, where a recipe comprises a specific sequence of steps used to generate the backup file. Replication logic of the backup system replays the recipe to generate the same backup file on the backup target so that an old backup combined with new backup data comprises the recipe. Embodiments of a server-side group fingerprint system include a process to auto-generate recipes for server resident files by formulating a file as a series of L1 fingerprints which are in turn a set of L0s and GFPs where some of the L1s are shared with other files. The recipe can be used to convert the representation of the file from a native fingerprint based representation into a virtual synthetic format.

Abstract: A system creates a snapshot of a part of copy management content which is displayed by a user interface, and which is selected by a user of the system as context for a subsequent message from the user. The system creates a hyperlink in the message to the snapshot which depicts the part of the copy management content. The system stores user entries for a tag that identifies at least one intended recipient of the message, a time when the message is made available for the intended recipient(s), and text for the message. The system sends the message at the time to the intended recipient(s) via an internal communication channel of the system. In response to the recipient of the message selecting the message's hyperlink to the snapshot, the system outputs the context for the message to the recipient's user interface, which enables the recipient to respond to the message.

Abstract: Methods of cloning data backup across namespaces are disclosed. In response to receiving a file replication request, one or more source files are cloned from a first namespace to a second namespace, as one or more destination files. A first attribute indicating that the source file(s) have been cloned to the second namespace as the destination file(s) is created. A source synthetic file is cloned from the first namespace to the second namespace, as a destination synthetic file, where synthetic information of the destination synthetic file points to the source file(s) as one or more base file. A second attribute indicating that the source synthetic file has been cloned to the second namespace as the destination synthetic file is created. Based on the first and second attributes, the synthetic information of the destination synthetic file is updated or propagated to use the destination file(s) as one or more base files on the second namespace.

Abstract: Methods of cloning data backup across namespaces are disclosed. One or more source files are cloned from a first namespace to a second namespace, as one or more destination files. When the cloning of the source file(s) is performed, a data structure including source file information and destination file information is generated. A source synthetic file is cloned from the first namespace to the second namespace, as a destination synthetic file, where the source synthetic file uses the source file(s) as one or more base files on the first namespace. When the cloning of the source synthetic file is performed, the data structure is looked up to obtain the source file information and the destination file information. Based on the source file information and the destination file information, synthetic information of the destination synthetic file is updated to use the destination file(s) as one or more base files on the second namespace.

Abstract: Embodiments of a targeted deduplication process that splits protected data into variable size segments, generates a fingerprint for each segment, and then combines fingerprints into groups to form group fingerprints. The group fingerprints are stored on and retrieved from a server by a client to identify duplicate data present on a server during the backup process on an “as needed” basis. The specific group fingerprints sent are based on knowledge of previous backups of the asset, either learned or provided as a hint from the backup application. Once it is known that a specific group fingerprint is present on the server, a virtual synthetic request can be generated instead of a traditional deduplication process. This enables virtual synthetic backups for applications that do not have sufficient knowledge of changed blocks from a previous backup to use the virtual synthetic operations on their own.

Abstract: One example method includes receiving a set of filesystem parameters, creating a simulated filesystem based on the filesystem parameters, receiving a set of target characteristics for a file collection, based on the target characteristics, slicing a datastream into a grouping of data slices, populating the simulated files with the data slices to create the file collection and forward or reverse morphing the file collection from one generation to another without rewriting the entire file collection.

Abstract: One example method includes receiving, from a caller, a call for a data stream of a specified size, initializing the data stream by specifying a first prime number and a second prime number, both of which may be 32-bit primes, and by specifying an available amount of data. The method further includes generating data of the data stream using the first prime number and the second prime number, and transmitting the data of the data stream to the caller until either the data stream has fulfilled the call, or until the available amount of data becomes zero. During the transmitting, the method includes maintaining a running counter that starts at the available amount of data, and decrementing the counter by the amount of data sent to the caller.

Abstract: One example method, which may be performed in a dedupe environment, includes receiving a data call from a caller, in response to the data call, generating data that fulfills a portion of the data call, storing the data in a buffer, checking an offset to determine if the offset maps to the buffer, and when the offset maps to the buffer, altering the data that is located at the offset in the buffer. When the offset does not map to the buffer, the generation of data may cease.

Abstract: One example method includes by a data source entity, querying a data storage entity to determine if it has adequate under-utilized resources to perform a portion of a data seeding process. When the data storage entity indicates to the data source entity that the data storage entity has adequate unused resources to perform the portion of the data seeding process, initiating, by the data source entity, the data seeding process, and the data seeding process includes transmitting data from the data source entity to the data storage entity for storage in a temporary file at the data storage entity, and the data that is transmitted is data that was targeted to be protected by a data protection process. Finally, the data protection process may be performed so that only data not already present at the data storage entity is transmitted by the data source entity to the data storage entity.

Abstract: One example method includes receiving a set of database parameters, creating one or more simulated databases based on the database parameters, receiving a set of target characteristics for the database, based on the target characteristics, slicing a datastream into a grouping of data slices, populating the simulated database(s) with the data slices to create the database collection and forward or reverse morphing the database from one generation to another without rewriting the entire database collection.

Abstract: One example method includes receiving a set of filesystem parameters, creating a simulated filesystem based on the filesystem parameters, receiving a set of target characteristics for a file collection, based on the target characteristics, slicing a datastream into a grouping of data slices, populating the simulated files with the data slices to create the file collection and forward or reverse morphing the file collection from one generation to another without rewriting the entire file collection.

Abstract: One example method includes receiving ‘n’ data streams, where ‘n’ is ?2, receiving a commonality parameter ‘F’, creating a mixed data stream having a commonality of ‘F’ by mixing data from the ‘n’ data streams together, and outputting the mixed data stream. The mixed data stream may be provided to a deduplication engine for deduplication of stream data that is common to one or more other data streams.

Abstract: One example method includes receiving a set of filesystem parameters, creating a simulated filesystem based on the filesystem parameters, receiving a set of target characteristics for a file collection, based on the target characteristics, slicing a datastream into a grouping of data slices, populating the simulated files with the data slices to create the file collection and forward or reverse morphing the file collection from one generation to another without rewriting the entire file collection.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a request is received to replicate a plurality of ranges of a source file from a source storage system to a target storage system, where the request specifies a first range of the source file and a second range of the source file. A first replication stream and a second replication stream of a replication session are established with the target storage system. First data of the first range and the second data of the second range from the source file are directly read from the source file, without creating separate files for storing the first data and the second data. The first data and second data are transmitted to the target storage system via the first stream and the second stream respectively in parallel.

Abstract: One example method includes receiving a generation 0 data stream, creating and/or receiving a mask that includes multiple entries, each of which corresponds to a respective block of the generation 0 data stream, and each mask entry indicating a value n (0<=n<=desired generation N), identifying, in the mask, all non-zero entries, locating, in the generation 0 data stream, the blocks to which this entry corresponds to and based on the value n, modifying the generation 0 block to generate a generation N data stream.

Abstract: One example method includes receiving a mixed data stream that was created using a first data stream and a second data stream, the mixed data stream having a compressibility of N, where N is a compressibility merging parameter, and the mixed data stream has a compressibility that is between a compressibility of the first data stream and a compressibility of the second data stream, providing the mixed data stream to an application and/or hardware, observing and recording a response of the application and/or hardware to the mixed data stream, and analyzing the response of the response of the application and/or hardware to the mixed data stream.

Abstract: Data stream generation using prime numbers is disclosed, including: receiving an initialization parameter; and using the initialization parameter to generate a data stream comprising a merging of a first sequence and a second sequence, wherein the first sequence is generated using a first prime number and the initialization parameter and the second sequence is generated using a second prime number and the initialization parameter.

Abstract: Generating a data stream with a predictable change rate is disclosed, including: receiving a change rate parameter; and using the change rate parameter to provide a modified data stream that differs from a corresponding unmodified non-deduplicatable data stream by an amount determined based at least in part on the change rate parameter, including by: modifying at least a portion of a plurality of data blocks associated with the non-deduplicatable data stream to obtain a corresponding portion of the modified data stream, wherein a data block of the plurality of data blocks is associated with a block size that is based on a segmenting attribute associated with a storage destination.