Abstract: Disclosed are techniques that provide for eventually-complete backups, and restoration thereof. For example, such methods, computer program products, and computer systems can include initiating a backup operation (where the backup operation is configured back up a dataset), detecting termination of the backup operation, detecting termination of the backup operation, and determining whether the backup operation backed up the dataset completely. In response to a determination that the backup operation did not backup the dataset completely, generating an indication that the backup is not complete. In response to a determination that the backup operation did not backup the dataset completely, generating an indication that the backup is complete.

Abstract: According to certain aspects, a system includes a client device that includes a virtual machine (VM) executed by a hypervisor, a driver located within the hypervisor, and a data agent. The VM may include a virtual hard disk file and a change block bitmap file. According to some embodiments the driver intercepts write operations generated by the VM to store data in a sector, determines an identity of the sector based on the intercepted write operation, determines an entry in the change block bitmap file that corresponds with the first sector, and modifies the entry in the change block bitmap file to indicate that data in that sector has changed. The data agent may generate an incremental backup of the VM based on the change block bitmap file in response to an instruction from a storage manager, where the incremental backup includes the data in the sector where data was modified.

Abstract: A system and method is provided for changing parameter values of a computer system without changing security properties. An exemplary method includes receiving a request to change a system configuration of the computer system and identifying a parameter relating to system configurations based on the received request. Furthermore, based on the identified parameter, the method includes receiving instructions to change the identified at least one parameter and initiating a transaction to change the identified at least one parameter based on the received instructions. The initiated transaction is then analyzed to determine whether the change to the parameter will lower a security level of the computer system. If not, the method will execute the change of the identified parameter related to the system configuration.

Abstract: Example storage systems, storage nodes, and methods provide erasure coding of data shards containing multiple data objects. Storage nodes store data shards having a data shard size and each containing a plurality of data objects, where the sum of the data object sizes is less than the data shard size. Some storage nodes store a parity shard containing parity data for the other data shards.

Abstract: Techniques to back up a cluster resource are disclosed. In various embodiments, an active cluster node is used to take and store persistently on a cluster shared volume a snapshot of the cluster shared volume. The persistent snapshot is used to back up the cluster shared volume, including by storing checkpoint information indicating as the backup progresses which portions of the snapshot have been backed up. A cluster environment with which the cluster shared volume is associated is monitored to detect any failover or failback affecting the backup.

Abstract: A method for performing backup operations includes, while performing a backup operation for a virtual machine (VM), detecting a network disruption between a host and a backup storage system, wherein the VM is executing on the host, and, in response to the detection, storing a portion of snapshot of the VM using a helper VM executing on a second host.

Abstract: Embodiments redirect data from a source to a plurality of deduplication blockpools. In one embodiment, operations include accessing a binary large object (BLOB) that includes a plurality of blocklets, a blocklet having a hash value; upon determining that the plurality of blocklets includes less than a threshold number of blocklets: selecting, according to a first rule set, a target blockpool from among the plurality of deduplication blockpools; upon determining that the plurality of blocklets includes at least the threshold number of blocklets: selecting, according to a second, different rule set, a target blockpool. The second rule set includes a BalanceQuery rule that computes a fitness value for a member of the plurality of deduplication blockpools, and selects a target blockpool based, at least in part, on the fitness value. Embodiments provide the BLOB to the target blockpool.

Abstract: Systems and methods for synthetic data generation. A system includes at least one processor and a storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the at least one processor to perform operations including receiving a continuous data stream from an outside source, processing the continuous data stream in real-time, and using machine learning techniques to generating synthetic data to populate the dataset. The operations also include creating a plurality of bins, wherein the plurality of bins occupy a data range between the determined minimum and maximum values without overlapping; and determining a number of samples within each of the created bin, based on a bin edges, wherein the bin edges are bounds within the data range.

Abstract: Various embodiments are generally directed to techniques for training deep neural networks, such as with an iterative approach, for instance. Some embodiments are particularly directed to a deep neural network (DNN) training system that generates a hardened DNN by iteratively training DNNs with images that were misclassified by previous iterations of the DNN. One or more embodiments, for example, may include logic to generate an adversarial image that is misclassified by a first DNN that was previously trained with a set of sample images. In some embodiments, the logic may determine a second training set that includes the adversarial image that was misclassified by the first DNN and the first training set of one or more sample images. The second training set may be used to train a second DNN. In various embodiments, the above process may be repeated for a predetermined number of iterations to produce a hardened DNN.

Abstract: A processor can produce a database catalog for a second version of a database management system of the database. The database catalog can store metadata related to definitions of objects or tables included in the second version of the database. A controller can be caused to be established in memory cells being used for the first version of the database. A copy of the database catalog for the second version of the database management system can be stored in the memory cells being used for the first version of the database. The controller, using the copy of the database catalog, can produce the second version of the database management system. The second version of the database management system can be caused to interact with data stored in a storage of the database. The storage can be included in the memory cells being used for the first version of the database.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method according to one embodiment includes receiving a request for data, locating the data at one or more partitions of a heterogeneously partitioned table, determining an access method associated with each of the one or more partitions, and requesting the data from the one or more partitions, utilizing the access method associated with each of the one or more partitions.

Abstract: Embodiments are directed to a method of performing block based backups for large-scale source volumes, by obtaining a total source volume size to determine if the source volume exceeds 64 TB, creating a number of sub-volumes to divide the total source volume into discrete sub-volumes of 64 TB each, and storing in an advanced file type device (AFTD), upon a read operation for a block based backup operation, each block of the source volume into a corresponding sub-volume of the sub-volumes. The method determines a block number and offset of each block and derives the corresponding sub-volume from the offset. Each sub-volume represents an individual saveset of the backup operation, and the container manages the individual saveset for the block based backup operation.

Abstract: Embodiments are directed to a method of performing block based backups for large-scale source volumes, by obtaining a total source volume size to determine if the source volume exceeds 64 TB, creating a number of sub-volumes to divide the total source volume into discrete sub-volumes of 64 TB each, grouping the discrete sub-volumes into a container, and storing, upon a read operation for a block based backup operation, each block of the source volume into a corresponding sub-volume of the sub-volumes. The method determines a block number and offset of each block and derives the corresponding sub-volume from the offset. Each sub-volume represents an individual saveset of the backup operation, and the container manages the individual saveset for the block based backup operation.

Abstract: A plurality of virtual machines are each restored to a previous state, by, for each virtual machine of the plurality, obtaining a first snapshot of an exemplary virtual machine, obtaining a set of local changes of a virtual machine, deriving a snapshot of the virtual machine based at least in part on the first snapshot and the set of local changes, and restoring the virtual machine to a previous state based on the snapshot.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for managing deduplicated images of data objects that change over time. The method includes: organizing unique content of each data object as a plurality of content segments and storing the content segments in a data store; for each data object, creating an organized arrangement of hash structures, wherein each structure, for a subset of the hash structures, includes a hash signature for a corresponding content segment and is associated with a reference to the corresponding content segment, and for each data object, maintaining an organized arrangement of temporal structures to represent a corresponding data object over time, wherein each structure is associated with a temporal state of the data object, and wherein each temporal state is associated with the hash structures representing the content of the data object during that temporal state.

Abstract: Embodiments are described for improved management of backed up data from a client device to a storage device. The storage device may be coupled to a backup server across a network. A backup of data from an application on a client device to a storage device may fail while the backup is in progress. Systems and methods described herein can detect and remove incomplete backups. Systems and methods described herein can also scan for, and delete, save sets of a backups within a specified time interval. Systems and methods described herein can update metadata that describes existing backup data so that existing backups may be used with an updated or changed application software.

Abstract: High speed backup of a target volume to a VHD format is disclosed. In various embodiments, a hint data indicating a last known file system extent associated with a previously-processed data zone is received. The hint data is used to determine a starting file system extent at which to begin processing file system extent data of the target volume to find file system extents associated with a VHD data zone that is currently being processed.

Abstract: Methods, systems and computer readable media for dynamic templates for virtualized systems are described. A method for initially deploying a virtualized can include receiving a selection indicating a dynamic template, and installing a base configuration using base configuration information obtained from the dynamic template. The method can also include traversing a hierarchy within the dynamic template and installing one or more sub-level configurations according to the hierarchy. The method can further include stopping the traversing and installing when a termination condition is reached.

Abstract: In one example, a method for method for backing up data begins when a backup notice is received from a node. In response to the notice, a slot is reserved in an accounting system for storage of a cumulative backup. One or more partial backups are then received and merged with any data present in the slot so as to create or modify a cumulative backup in the slot, where the cumulative backup includes the one or more partial backups and any other data in the slot. Upon receipt of an indication that the cumulative backup is final, the cumulative backup is recorded, and access to the cumulative backup enabled.

Abstract: Mechanism for two portions of an application to communicate so as to facilitate a transition from synchronous to asynchronous communication. In order to prepare for a possible transition, data flow is monitored between the two portions of the application, each portion interacting with a different hardware entity. The data flow between the first portion and the second portion of the application is recorded. If the second hardware entity is not available at the time, the recorded data flow from the first portion may be replayed by the second portion of the application for the benefit of the second hardware entity. If the second portion of the application is to be reassigned to another hardware entity, the target hardware entity may be sent the second portion of the application, as well as the recorded information. This allows the target hardware entity to replay what has happened thus far for context.

Abstract: According to certain aspects, a system includes a client device that includes a virtual machine (VM) executed by a hypervisor, a driver located within the hypervisor, and a data agent. The VM may include a virtual hard disk file and a change block bitmap file. The driver may intercept a first write operation generated by the VM to store data in a first sector, determine an identity of the first sector based on the intercepted write operation, determine an entry in the change block bitmap file that corresponds with the first sector, and modify the entry in the change block bitmap file to indicate that data in the first sector has changed. The data agent may generate an incremental backup of the VM based on the change block bitmap file in response to an instruction from a storage manager, where the incremental backup includes the data in the first sector.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention are directed to systems, methods and computer program products for automated collection of user-specified forensic data from a target computer associated with a case. In particular, embodiments herein disclosed provide for a system that is configured to provide a user interface to allow a user to select a target computer within a network, select one or more user profiles associated with the target computer, and specify one or more types of forensic data to be collected from the target computer. The system is also configured to create a subfolder in a folder linked to the case and one or more files in the subfolder for storing the user-specified data; connect the computer apparatus to the target computer; and collect the specified data and save the collected data to the files.

Abstract: A method and system for tracking a virtual machine is provided. The method includes determining updates applied to virtual machine instances and tracking updates associated with a master image used to generate the virtual machine instances. High level semantic updates to the master image are identified by performing a breadth-first search on a version graph to identify a cut on the version graph such that each edge in the cut comprises all elements of the high level semantic updates and splitting a node that immediately follows the cut into a node V1 and a node V2. The node V1 captures changes of the high level semantic updates and the node V2 captures changes not in the high level semantic updates. The node V1 is promoted to a root. A version tree configured to track drift of each virtual machine instance with respect to the master image is maintained.

Abstract: A method, non-transitory computer readable medium, and archive node computing device that receives an indication of each of a plurality of archived files required to service a job from one of a plurality of compute node computing devices of an analytics tier. An optimized schedule for retrieving the archived files from one or more archive storage devices of an archive tier is generated. The optimized schedule is provided to the one of the plurality of compute node computing devices. Requests for the archived files received from the one of the plurality of compute node computing device and at least one other of the plurality of compute node computing devices, wherein the requests are sent according to the optimized schedule.

Abstract: A system and method for generating a virtual full synthetic backup of a target volume is described. For each zone associated with the target volume in which a corresponding data block has changed since the previous backup or is not represented by the previous backup, the system and method may directly copy the associated data blocks from the target volume. For each zone associated with the target volume in which a corresponding data block has not changed since the previous backup and is represented by the previous backup, the system and method may rebase the offset for the zone in the virtual full synthetic backup file to the corresponding zone in the previous backup file. Using this technique, a more efficient and robust backup may be generated.

Abstract: A hash-optimized backup system and method takes data blocks and generates a probabilistically unique digital fingerprint of the content of each data block using a substantially collision-free algorithm. The process compares the generated fingerprint to a database of stored fingerprints and, if the generated fingerprint matches a stored fingerprint, the data block is determined to already have been backed up, and therefore does not need to be backed up again. Only if the generated fingerprint does not match a stored fingerprint is the data block backed up, at which point the generated fingerprint is added to the database of stored fingerprints. Because the algorithm is substantially collision-free, there is no need to compare actual data content if there is a hash-value match. The process can also be used to audit software license compliance, inventory software, and detect computer-file tampering such as viruses and malware.

Abstract: A system reserves and manages a hidden service partition through components of the hardware platform of a computing device. The hidden partition is not accessible by way of a host operating system on the computing device. A hardware platform controller provisions a portion of nonvolatile storage through configuration settings of the hardware platform controller. When the host system requests settings related to storage in the system, the request is routed through the interfaces of the hardware platform, and the hardware platform controller reports in accordance with the configuration settings, hiding the service partition. The hidden partition is dynamically modifiable through secure remote access to the hardware platform controller, not through the host system such as operating system or BIOS.

Abstract: Methods, apparatus, and products for backing up an image in a computing system that includes computer memory, including: receiving, by a backup image manager, an image for one or more computing devices within the computing system; identifying, by the backup image manager, available protected computer memory within the computing system, wherein the available protected computer memory within the computing system is restricted from alteration by a user of the computing system; slicing, by the backup image manager, the image into a plurality of image slices; and storing, by the backup image manger, one or more of the image slices in the available protected computer memory.

Abstract: Systems and methods for replicating data from a production server to a backup server include identifying one or more data blocks of a file that were modified after a first time instant and before a second time instant. The file may be associated with a protected directory of the production server. An representative data block (e.g., including a hash value) for at least one of the identified data blocks may be computed using a cryptography algorithm, e.g., MD5 or SHA-1. The computed cryptographic data block representing the identified data block may then be sent for replication to the backup server. An operation performed between the first time instant and the second time instant on one or more files of the protected directory may be recorded, and sent to the backup server.

Abstract: A method for restarting backup including receiving an indication of an interruption to a backup process, saving data backed up prior to the interruption as a partial save set, and upon restart of the backup process, saving subsequently backed data in one or more subsequent partial save sets linked to a first partial save set.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method, system, and computer program product for data backup, the method comprising: performing first chunking on current data by using the same chunking method as that used by original backup data to obtain a current chunk; calculating hash value of the current chunk; and acquiring, from a hash value table of the original backup data, an identifier of a matched chunk whose hash value is the same as the calculated hash value of the current chunk, and incrementing number of continuous matched chunks by one. Since the pertinence between original backup data and current data is maximally utilized, performance of de-duplication method can be efficiently improved.

Abstract: A system and method provide for backing up and restoring using patch level data for operating system and application files. Patch level data for the files in the backup image may be displayed along with current patch level data. Further, files in a backup image may be replaced based on current patch level data indicating a patched version of the file in the backup image is available. Further, upon a restore, if a patched file is available for a corresponding file in a backup image, the patched file may be retrieved from a patch source and used in place of the file that would have been restored from the backup image.

Abstract: A system comprises a processing device including a storage device. The system further comprises a wireless mobile device (“WMD”) in wireless communication with the processing device. The processing device registers the WMD and stores the registration in the system memory, receives a request for retrieval of data located in the WMD, authenticates the request based on the registration, and retrieves the data wirelessly based on the authentication.

Abstract: A method for upgrading software in a shared data store comprises a reliable, safe in-place method of transformation of metadata in which a metadata catalog is cloned, stored in the data store, and the cloned metadata is transformed in-place using the data store engine and SQL declarative language. The original and transformed cloned catalog files are swapped atomically, and the system upgrade is validated using the new version of software. If errors are encountered during the upgrade, the original catalog can be swapped back and the system returned to its original state.

Abstract: Renamed directory handling for incremental file migration is described. A directory is stored in a storage device. An inode number associated with the directory in a directory table is identified. A determination is made whether the inode number equals an inode number associated with another directory in the directory table. At least one of a file and a subdirectory associated with the directory in the file system is stored into the directory in the storage device if the inode number equals the inode number associated with another directory in the directory table.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for backing up and/or restoring data. In one embodiment, a request is received to back up at least a first unit of data stored in a database. Upon determining that the first unit of data is at least partially derived from a second unit of data stored in the database, a backup may be generated that includes less than all of the first unit of data. Subsequently, the first unit of data may be fully restored from the backup.

Abstract: Some embodiments of the invention provide techniques for performing system reset and/or system restore operations. Some embodiments store a record of any changes performed to a data file stored on a virtual hard disk using differencing virtual disks that are captured over time. To restore the file to the state in which it existed at any particular point in time, embodiments of the invention may allow for rolling back the system to a differencing virtual disk captured at or before that time and setting aside blocks of the differencing virtual disk chain captured after that point. To perform a system reset, the system may be rolled back to the parent virtual hard disk, by setting aside all of the blocks of the differencing virtual disk chain. Some embodiments of the invention provide for separating information on the system into a plurality of entities, and maintaining a separate set of differencing virtual disks for each entity.

Abstract: A large number of objects, such as objects representing beams and columns in an object-oriented enterprise engineering system, may be copied in a model database by partitioning the objects according to certain criteria into a number of ordered small copy groups and copying the objects in each group as an atomic operation. Objects that are to be copied are organized into the ordered groups, and the groups are copied in order, such that all predecessors of a given object are copied into the database before, or in the same small operation as, the given object. If a large copy operation abnormally terminates before all the small copy operations have been completed, the model database is, nevertheless, left in a consistent state, and the copy operation may be resumed from the point of interruption. Furthermore, the number of objects that may be copied is not constrained by the amount of memory available in the system.

Abstract: An information management system according to certain aspects allows users to share a portion of a file (e.g., a document) stored in secondary storage. The user may specify a portion of a secondary storage file to share and send a link to the portion to another user. The other user can access the shared portion from the link, and just the shared portion may be restored from secondary storage. The system according to certain aspects provides a native view of secondary storage data on a client computing device. The index data and/or metadata relating to secondary storage data may be stored in native application format for access via the native source application.

Abstract: A data storage system protects virtual machines using block-level backup operations and restores the data at a file level. The system accesses the virtual machine file information from the file allocation table of the host system underlying the virtualization layer. A file index associates this virtual machine file information with the related protected blocks in a secondary storage device during the block-level backup. Using the file index, the system can identify the specific blocks in the secondary storage device associated with a selected restore file. As a result, file level granularity for restore operations is possible for virtual machine data protected by block-level backup operations without restoring more than the selected file blocks from the block-level backup data.

Abstract: The data storage system according to certain aspects can allow users to share a portion of a file (e.g., a document) in secondary storage. The user may specify a portion of a secondary storage file to share and send a link to the portion to another user. The other user can access the shared portion from the link, and just the shared portion may be restored from secondary storage. The data storage system according to certain aspects can also provide a native view of secondary storage data on a client computer. The index data and/or metadata relating to secondary storage data may be stored in native format (e.g., format of the application(s) that generated the secondary storage data) so that the secondary storage data can be displayed in a native view. The index data and/or metadata may be synchronized on the client without synchronizing the secondary storage data itself.

Abstract: The data storage system according to certain aspects can implement partial file restore, where only a portion of the secondary copy of a file is restored. Such portion may be designated by one or more application offsets for the file. The system may provide an in-chunk index that includes mapping information between the application offsets and the secondary copy offsets. Chunks may refer to logical data units in which secondary copies are stored, and the in-chunk index for a chunk may be stored in secondary storage with the chunk. Because the mapping information may not be provided at a fixed interval, the system can search through application offsets in the in-chunk index to locate the secondary copy offset corresponding to the portion application offset(s). In this manner, the system may restore the designated portion of the secondary copy in a fast and efficient manner by using the in-chunk index.

Abstract: The data storage system according to certain aspects can implement partial file restore, where only a portion of the secondary copy of a file is restored. Such portion may be designated by one or more application offsets for the file. The system may provide an in-chunk index that includes mapping information between the application offsets and the secondary copy offsets. Chunks may refer to logical data units in which secondary copies are stored, and the in-chunk index for a chunk may be stored in secondary storage with the chunk. Because the mapping information may not be provided at a fixed interval, the system can search through application offsets in the in-chunk index to locate the secondary copy offset corresponding to the portion application offset(s). In this manner, the system may restore the designated portion of the secondary copy in a fast and efficient manner by using the in-chunk index.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for file sharing between continuous and scheduled backups is described. One example relates to backing up source data stored by a computer system. A first portion of the source data is backed up at points in time in response to a backup schedule to produce a plurality of partial backups. A second portion of the source data is backed up continuously in response to changes of the second portion to maintain a replica of the second portion. The replica of the second portion is linked to the plurality of partial backups to produce a respective plurality of full backups of the source data.

Abstract: A first node is assigned a first data group, and a second node is assigned a second data group. In addition, the second node manages a backup copy of the first data group. The second node receives, from the first node, a log indicating an instruction executed on a data record belonging to the first data group, and stores the received log in a memory of the second node. The second node writes logs for a plurality of instructions accumulated in the memory into a storage device of the second node different from the memory when a predetermined condition is satisfied.

Abstract: A method, article of manufacture, and apparatus for backing up data. In some embodiments, this includes determining a file type, analyzing an operating system to determine if the file type is registered, associating the file with only one rule from the group comprising: always include, always exclude, include if, and exclude if, storing the file type, file type registration, and rule in a file type table, adding a location to an exclusion location table, and storing the file type table and exclusion location table in a storage device.

Abstract: Various method, system, and computer program product embodiments for performing a backup of a source storage volume to a target storage volume are provided. In one exemplary embodiment, a flashcopy of the source storage volume to the target storage volume is initiated. The content of the source storage volume is stored on the target storage volume in a space efficient manner. The space requirement of the stored content on the target storage volume is monitored. The flashcopy is terminated when the space requirement reaches a predetermined level. The stored content on the target storage volume is copied to a backup storage medium. A new flashcopy of the source storage volume is initiated.

Abstract: A deduplication storage system enables new input data to be deduplicated with data of synthetic backups already constructed, and for this purpose efficiently calculates deduplication digests for synthetic backups being constructed, based on already existing digests of data referenced by the synthetic backups. For each input data segment of the plurality of input data segments of a synthetic backup being constructed, a plurality of deduplication digests of stored data segments, referenced by the input data segment, is retrieved from an index. Each input data segment is partitioned into each of a plurality of fixed-sized data sub-segments. A calculation is performed producing a deduplication digest for a data sub-segment, where the calculation is based on the retrieved deduplication digests of the plurality of stored data sub-segments referenced by the input data sub-segment.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for performing secure incremental backup and restore operations are disclosed.

Abstract: A method, article of manufacture, and apparatus for protecting data. In some embodiments, this includes tracking changed blocks in a virtual machine, determining a MFT range of the virtual machine, identifying a common region between the changed blocks and MFT range, parsing the common region to determine a list of changed files, and storing the list of changed files in a file index.