Archiving data objects using secondary copies

摘要

A system for archiving data objects using secondary copies is disclosed. The system creates one or more secondary copies of primary copy data that contains multiple data objects. The system maintains a first data structure that tracks the data objects for which the system has created secondary copies and the locations of the secondary copies. To archive data objects in the primary copy data, the system identifies data objects to be archived, verifies that previously-created secondary copies of the identified data objects exist, and replaces the identified data objects with stubs. The system maintains a second data structure that both tracks the stubs and refers to the first data structure, thereby creating an association between the stubs and the locations of the secondary copies.

主权项

1. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium whose contents cause a data storage system to perform a method for archiving multiple data objects included in primary copy data, the method comprising:
receiving, from a client, both full and incremental backup copies of the client's primary copy data; using the received backup copies to create a secondary copy of multiple data objects included in the primary copy data; for each of the multiple data objects for which a secondary copy was created, adding an entry for the data object to a data structure, the entry including an identifier associated with the data object; after creating the secondary copy, identifying one or more of the multiple data objects that satisfy predetermined archival criteria: and, for each of the identified one or more data objects:
looking up the identified data object in the data structure using the identifier associated with the identified data object;receiving a token for the identified data object; andreplacing the identified data object in the primary copy data with a stub referencing the secondary copy of the identified data object, wherein the stub comprises the token; wherein the method further comprises: determining that a first data object included in the primary copy data has been deleted and a corresponding deletion time; only when the deletion time is less than a predetermined period of time ago, creating, from the first secondary copy of the first data object, a second secondary copy of the first data object; and creating, from the first secondary copy of other data objects except for the first data object, a corresponding second secondary copy of the other data objects.