Patent · US Active

Expiration handling for block level backup of virtual machines

US10572178B2 · kind B2 · utility

0Cited by

3References

15Claims

0Family size

Assignee

International Business Machines Corporation · US

Inventors

Christian Mueller · Wiesbaden, DE
Mauro Cruciani · Mainz, DE
Stefan Bender · Engen, DE
Sabine U. Steinhauer · Ingelheim am Rhein, DE

Key dates

Filing date	Jun 21, 2018
Grant date	Feb 25, 2020
Priority date	—
Expiry date	Jun 21, 2038

Classification

Technology area (CPC G)Physics
CPC primaryG06F2201/815
WIPO fieldComputer technology
WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A backup system retains a certain number of file versions in backups of a virtual machine running on a host computing system. Files are identified that have changed on the virtual machine since storing a backup of the virtual machine on a backup server. Host blocks on that are associated with each of the changed files are determined. Backup blocks associated with each of the host blocks are determined. The changed files and associated backup blocks are merged with previous file version information. It is determined that a version of a file has become expired, the version of the file associated with a backup block. The backup block is deleted in response to determining that the backup block is not associated with any unexpired file versions and the backup block is not associated with any unexpired virtual machine backups.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.