Coordinated point-in-time snapshots of multiple computing platforms

Abstract

Coordinating point-in-time snapshots among multiple computing platforms by receiving a notification from a first computing platform agent indicating a first computing platform snapshot time, receiving a notification from a second computing platform agent indicating a second computing platform snapshot time, determining that second computing platform snapshot time is later than the first computing platform snapshot time, notifying the first computing platform agent of the second computing platform snapshot time, and receiving from the first computing platform agent a report of any location in the first computing platform's data storage to which data were written after the first computing platform snapshot time and responsive to a write request that was made prior to or including the second computing platform snapshot time.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for coordinating point-in-time snapshots among multiple computing platforms, the method comprising:
 notifying an agent on a first computing platform of a time when a snapshot of a second computing platform's data storage was performed; and   receiving from the agent on the first computing platform a report of any location in the first computing platform's data storage to which data was written after the time when the snapshot of the first computing platform's data storage was performed in response to a write request that was made prior to or including the time when the snapshot of the second computing platform's data storage was performed.   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising instructing the agents to perform their snapshots at or about the same designated time. 
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising
 receiving from the agent on the first computing platform the snapshot of the first computing platform's data storage; and   performing a backup of the first computing platform's data storage, wherein the backup is performed using:
 the snapshot of the first computing platform's data storage; and 
 the report of any location in the first computing platform's data storage to which data were written after the time when the snapshot of the first computing platform's data storage was performed and responsive to a write request that was made prior to or including the time when the snapshot of the second computing platform's data storage was performed. 
   
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the receiving, determining, and notifying are implemented in any of (a) computer hardware, and (b) computer software embodied in a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. 
     
     
         5 . A method for coordinating point-in-time snapshots among multiple computing platforms, the method comprising:
 receiving a notification indicating that a snapshot synchronization time is later than a time when a snapshot of a first computing platform's data storage was performed, the snapshot synchronization time equaling a time when a snapshot of a second computing platform's data storage was performed; and   reporting any location in the first computing platform's data storage to which data were written after the time when the snapshot of the first computing platform's data storage was performed and in response to a write request to the first computing platform's data storage that was made prior to or including the snapshot synchronization time.   
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 5 , further comprising
 recording in the snapshot of the first computing platform's data storage any location in the first computing platform's data storage to which data were written after the time when the snapshot of the first computing platform's data storage was performed and in response to a write request to the first computing platform's data storage that was made prior to or including the snapshot synchronization time.   
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 5 , wherein reporting the time when the snapshot of the first computing platform's data storage was performed comprises reporting the time when the snapshot of the first computing platform's data storage was completed. 
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 5 , further comprising:
 causing all requests to write data to the first computing platform's data storage to be intercepted by a first interceptor;   causing the time of each intercepted request to be recorded; and   preventing the data of each intercepted request from being written to the first computing platform's data storage,   wherein the causing and preventing are performed prior to performing the snapshot of the first computing platform's data storage.   
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 8 , further comprising:
 causing all requests to write data to the first computing platform's data storage to be intercepted by a second interceptor;   allowing the data of each request intercepted by the second interceptor to be written to the computing platform's data storage at write locations;   causing the write locations to be recorded; and   causing the first interceptor to release each intercepted request that was intercepted prior to and including the snapshot synchronization time.   
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 5 , wherein the performing, reporting, and receiving are implemented in any of (a) computer hardware, and (b) computer software embodied in a non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium. 
     
     
         11 . A system for coordinating point-in-time snapshots among multiple computing platforms, the system comprising:
 an agent on a first computing platform;   an agent on a second computing platform; and   a backup server configured to:
 notify the agent on the first computing platform of the time when a snapshot of the second computing platform's data storage was performed, and 
 receive from the agent on the first computing platform a report of any location in the first computing platform's data storage to which data were written after the time when the snapshot of the first computing platform's data storage was performed and in response to a write request that was made prior to or including the time when the snapshot of the second computing platform's data storage was performed. 
   
     
     
         12 . The system according to  claim 11 , wherein the backup server is further configured to instruct the agents to perform their snapshots at or about the same designated time. 
     
     
         13 . The system according to  claim 11 , wherein the backup server is further configured to
 receive from the agent on the first computing platform the snapshot of the first computing platform's data storage; and   perform a backup of the first computing platform's data storage, wherein the backup is performed using:
 the snapshot of the first computing platform's data storage and 
 the report of any location in the first computing platform's data storage to which data were written after the time when the snapshot of the first computing platform's data storage was performed and responsive to a write request that was made prior to or including the time when the snapshot of the second computing platform's data storage was performed. 
   
     
     
         14 . The system according to  claim 11 , wherein the first agent and second agent are configured to:
 perform a snapshot of a computing platform's data storage,   report a time when the snapshot was performed,   receive a notification indicating that a snapshot synchronization time that is later than the time when the snapshot of the computing platform's data storage was performed, and   report any location in the computing platform's data storage to which data were written after the time when the snapshot of the computing platform's data storage was performed and in response to a write request that was made prior to or including the snapshot synchronization time.   
     
     
         15 . The system according to  claim 14 , wherein the first agent and second agent are further configured to record in the snapshot of the computing platform's data storage any location in the computing platform's data storage to which data were written after the time when the snapshot of the computing platform's data storage was performed and in response to a write request that was made prior to or including the snapshot synchronization time. 
     
     
         16 . The system according to  claim 14 , wherein times when the snapshots were performed are the times when the snapshots were completed. 
     
     
         17 . The system according to  claim 14 , wherein the first agent and second agent are further configured to:
 cause all requests to write data to the computing platform's data storage to be intercepted by a file system monitor prior to performing the snapshot,   cause the time of each intercepted request to be recorded by the file system monitor; and   cause the file system monitor to prevent the data of each intercepted request from being written to the computing platform's data storage.   
     
     
         18 . The system according to  claim 17 , wherein the first agent and second agent are configured to:
 cause all requests to write data to the computing platform's data storage to be intercepted by a disk monitor,   cause the disk monitor to allow the data of each request intercepted by the second interceptor to be written to the computing platform's data storage at write locations,   cause the write locations to be recorded, and   cause the file system monitor to release each intercepted request that was intercepted prior to and including the snapshot synchronization time.   
     
     
         19 . The system according to  claim 11 , wherein the backup server and the first agent and second agent are implemented in any of (a) computer hardware, and (b) computer software embodied in a non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium.