Abstract: Disclosed herein are methods, systems, and processes that can include performing a replication operation, receiving a backup operation instruction at a replication agent, and, in response to receipt of the backup operation instruction, performing an application quiescing operation and invoking an action of a backup agent. The replication operation sends data of an application executed by a virtual machine at a primary site, to a secondary site. The virtual machine is executed by a computing system at the primary site. The backup operation instruction is received from the backup agent. The application quiescing operation is performed by the replication agent. The application quiescing operation quiesces the replication operation, at least in part, by quiescing the application.

Abstract: The disclosed computer-implemented method for protecting a folder from unauthorized file modification may include receiving, from a remote device, a modify request for a target file in a folder and determining whether the folder is a protected folder. The method may also include determining, in response to determining the folder is the protected folder, whether the remote device is a trusted host. The method may further include allowing, in response to determining that the remote device is the trusted host, the modify request for the target file. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are methods, systems, and processes that can include performing a replication operation, receiving a backup operation instruction at a replication agent, and, in response to receipt of the backup operation instruction, performing an application quiescing operation and invoking an action of a backup agent. The replication operation sends data of an application executed by a virtual machine at a primary site, to a secondary site. The virtual machine is executed by a computing system at the primary site. The backup operation instruction is received from the backup agent. The application quiescing operation is performed by the replication agent. The application quiescing operation quiesces the replication operation, at least in part, by quiescing the application.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are methods, systems, and processes to perform backup operations using replicas. A replica of a virtual machine is created as part of a replication operation. The replica includes data associated with the virtual machine and metadata associated with applications executing on the virtual machine. A backup operation generates a backup image from the replica using the metadata.

Abstract: One implementation of a method for providing backup storage services for encrypted data includes receiving signatures of convergently encrypted portions of data from client computers, determining whether the encrypted portions are already present on a backup storage, and obtaining only the needed portions. Users unassociated with a particular user account are denied access to information backed up in that account. The backup storage also stores password protected key files holding signatures of the unencrypted portions of data. One implementation of a system includes a memory, a single-instance storage circuit, a user account management circuit, and a signature index. The memory holds a user-account database and backup copies of convergently encrypted portions of data. The single-instance storage circuit uses the signature index to prevent duplicative backup copies. The user account management circuit responds to download requests after authenticating the user information associated with the requested data.

Abstract: A method for providing application functionality protection. The method includes accessing a distributed computer system having a cluster including a plurality of nodes, and receiving an indication of an application failure. The method further includes attempting to restore the application through a number of application restart attempts, and receiving an indication that the restart attempts have not restored the application. An image history is then accessed to obtain a last known good point in time image of the application. The application is restored in accordance with the last known good point in time image.

Abstract: A method to create a version map to represent the data state of a file at a particular point in time when an incremental backup is performed. In one embodiment, a logical memory backup file is created that is known as a cumulative data file. Changes to the cumulative data file according to one embodiment of the present invention include appending copies of modified data when the modified data meets a certain condition. A new version map may be created each time an incremental backup occurs. Locations of both modified and unmodified data in the backup data file are mapped for future reference to the data.

Abstract: A system and method for defining retention and lifecycle policies for data backups. A media server supports a recovery-chain-based retention policy for data lifecycle management (DLM) on a first tier of a multi-tier storage system. A recovery chain includes full backup data and at least one partial backup data. The recovery chain is maintained on the first tier until it is expired due to a new full backup operation being performed and corresponding full backup data being stored on the first tier. Based on another retention policy, the media server identifies given backup data corresponding to a recovery chain that qualifies for migration from the first tier. However, the media server determines the recovery chain includes the given backup data and other backup data that does not yet qualify for migration. In response, the media server maintains a copy of the given backup data on the first tier.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are methods, systems, and processes to perform backup operations using replicas. A replica of a virtual machine is created as part of a replication operation. The replica includes data associated with the virtual machine and metadata associated with applications executing on the virtual machine. A backup operation generates a backup image from the replica using the metadata.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for backing up large distributed scale-out data systems may include (1) identifying a backup job to be performed on a distributed scale-out storage system that presents a unified storage view, (2) determining, in response to the backup job applying to distributed scale-out storage and based on a scope of the backup job, a number of backup systems to deploy for performing the backup job, (3) deploying a plurality of backup systems creating a plurality of backups covering the plurality of data objects by (i) assigning, to each backup system, a subset of data objects within the backup job and (ii) backing up, by the backup system, the subset of data objects assigned to the backup system, and (4) combining the plurality of backups into a unified backup that represents the unified storage view. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for backing up large distributed scale-out data systems may include (1) identifying a backup job to be performed on a distributed scale-out storage system that presents a unified storage view, (2) determining, in response to the backup job applying to distributed scale-out storage and based on a scope of the backup job, a number of backup systems to deploy for performing the backup job, (3) deploying a plurality of backup systems creating a plurality of backups covering the plurality of data objects by (i) assigning, to each backup system, a subset of data objects within the backup job and (ii) backing up, by the backup system, the subset of data objects assigned to the backup system, and (4) combining the plurality of backups into a unified backup that represents the unified storage view. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.

Abstract: Techniques for virtualization of file based content are disclosed. In one particular exemplary embodiment, the techniques may be realized as a method for virtualization of file based content comprising creating, using at least one computer processor, a virtual disk containing metadata associated with one or more files of a backup image. The techniques may include receiving an Input/Output (I/O) request associated with a file of the one or more files of the virtual disk, determining whether the Input/Output (I/O) request is directed towards a virtual disk location containing a portion of the metadata of the virtual disk or a virtual disk location indicating file data of the backup image, sending the Input/Output (I/O) request to the backup image to the virtual disk based on the determination.

Abstract: Techniques for data access statistics management are disclosed. In one particular embodiment, the techniques may be realized as a method for data access statistics management comprising determining that a portion of data has been deduplicated, and modifying access statistics of the portion of data for each reference to the portion of data.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for backing up virtual machine data may include (1) identifying a volume of data for a guest system within a virtual machine that may be scheduled for a backup from outside the guest system, (2) identifying, before the backup may be scheduled to occur, a plurality of blocks within the volume of data that have changed since a previous backup of the volume of data, (3) partially performing the backup by copying the plurality of blocks to a backup image and (4) completing the backup from outside the guest system once the backup may be scheduled to occur by copying to the backup image an additional plurality of blocks within the volume of data that have changed since identifying the plurality of blocks. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for efficiently backing up data may include (1) identifying a volume scheduled for a backup by a computing system, (2) determining that resource usage of the computing system will fall below a predetermined threshold for a period of time, (3) identifying at least one unit of data in the volume of data to copy to a backup image for the backup during the period of time, (4) in response to determining that the resource usage of the computing system will fall below the predetermined threshold for the period of time, copying the unit of data to the backup image during the period of time, (5) taking the snapshot of the volume, and (6) copying at least one additional unit of data from the snapshot to the backup image to make the backup image consistent with the snapshot. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.

Abstract: A method for performing storage system de-duplication. The method includes accessing a plurality of initial partitions of files of a storage system and performing a de-duplication on each of the initial partitions. For each duplicate found, an indicator comprising the metadata that is similar across said each duplicate is determined. For each indicator, indicators are determined that infer a likelihood that data objects with said indicators contain duplicate data is high. Optimized partitions are generated in accordance with the chosen indicators. A de-duplication process is subsequently performed on each of the optimized partitions.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for automatically archiving data items from backup storage without having to first restore the data items is provided. In one embodiment, the method comprises processing at least one data item in backup storage using a mapping, wherein the mapping indicates at least one location of the at least one data item and ingesting the at least one data item into an archive database.

Abstract: A method to create a version map to represent the data state of a file at a particular point in time when an incremental backup is performed. In one embodiment, a logical memory backup file is created that is known as a cumulative data file. Changes to the cumulative data file according to one embodiment of the present invention include appending copies of modified data when the modified data meets a certain condition. A new version map may be created each time an incremental backup occurs. Locations of both modified and unmodified data in the backup data file are mapped for future reference to the data.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for variable-length chunking may include 1) identifying a first data stream subject to deduplication, 2) identifying a predetermined chunk of the first data stream that starts at a first location and ends at a second location within the first data stream, 3) identifying a second data stream with a matching chunk for the predetermined chunk that starts at a third location and ends at a fourth location within the second data stream, 4) identifying a subsequent chunk within the second data stream that starts at the fourth location and ends at a fifth location within the second data stream, 5) calculating a candidate boundary offset within the first data stream based on exceeding the second location by a difference between the fifth location and the fourth location, and 6) performing a boundary test at the candidate boundary offset. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are disclosed.

Abstract: A method of creating a synthetic backup set which can be used as a baseline for subsequent incremental backup or for the restoration of a data volume. The method includes copying a first data object from a first backup set to a memory media for storing the synthetic backup set, and copying a second data object from a second backup set to the memory media. The second data object is copied to the memory media when both the first and second backup sets are open for read access. In one embodiment, the first backup set data of data objects is stored on a first magnetic tape, and the second backup set data of data objects is stored on a second magnetic tape. When the second data object is copied to the memory media, the first and second magnetic tapes are simultaneously mounted on first and second tape drives, respectively.