JP5623137B2 - Backup data management device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a backup data management apparatus that manages backup of data over a plurality of generations.

  There is one that creates a duplicate volume image for a transaction volume in a disk array for multiple generations. For example, the replication volume generation management system described in Patent Document 1 is a system that creates three generations of replication volumes corresponding to three different applications. In this system, when a new replication volume is created, if there are already three generations of replication volumes in the disk array, the replication volume information corresponding to the generation information with the oldest update time is acquired and the replication volume is deleted. . Then, the current backup data (replication volume) is created and the generation information is reassigned.

  Patent Document 2 discloses an apparatus that processes medical office work data on a monthly basis and manages the backup data together with a corresponding version of the program. In such a device or system, the backup data is an external recording medium, a magneto-optical disk (MO), a magnetic tape, or an additional magnetic disk device provided separately from the main recording device, a so-called hard disk device. To record.

  Since the capacity of data backup recording media is limited, the number of generations that can be backed up is also limited. The number of backup generations is determined from the relationship between the capacity of the recording medium or the capacity of the backup area allocated for backup and the capacity of the data to be backed up. In the case of taking a new backup exceeding the number of generations, it has been conventionally performed to perform backup processing after deleting the oldest backup data and securing the recording capacity.

  FIG. 5 is a diagram schematically showing the case of managing backup data up to three generations. Here, for convenience, the latest backup, that is, the version one generation before, is represented by “−1”, and the oldest version three generations before is represented by “−3”. “SB01” to “SB03” are names of areas for recording backup data. Specifically, file names or folder names can be used for easy management, and three files or folders corresponding to three generations are prepared. “Index” is an index indicating an area to be written at the time of the next backup, and here indicates “SB02” holding backup data of the oldest generation “−3”. As is apparent from the figure, this index is managed to be increased (incremented) to SB03 when the backup is performed, and then moved back to SB01 and again to be promoted to SB02 and SB03.

  When the backup process is performed here, the data of SB02 indicated by the index is first deleted, or the latest data is written to SB02 by overwriting, and "-1" is assigned to the generation information. Accordingly, the generation information of SB01 of the previous generation is carried down to “−2” by one generation. Similarly, in SB03, the generation information is decremented to “-3” by one generation. Then, the index is updated by 1 to indicate SB03. Therefore, the latest data is written to SB03 at the next backup.

JP 2006-252100 A JP 2000-132381 A

  When the amount of data to be backed up decreases, or when the backup area has sufficient capacity, processing to increase the number of generations to be backed up, for example, processing to switch from management up to 3 generations to management up to 5 generations Done. At that time, conventionally, an index for the next backup has been reset, that is, initialized.

  In the case of FIG. 5, in order to switch from management of three generations to management of five generations, the index value is initialized to point to SB01, and an empty area SB04 for two more generations. And SB05 are generated. As a result, the backup data is set for five generations SB01 to SB05, and the next backup is written from SB01. That is, the backup process itself is initialized and started again from the beginning.

  However, as can be seen from the figure, this will cause the backup data that has been taken to be overwritten at the next backup. Also, the order is not overwritten from the oldest to the newest. The present invention aims to eliminate such inconveniences.

The present invention is a backup data management apparatus that manages backup data, which is a copy of data and / or a program, over M generations (M is a natural number) , ordered according to a predetermined rule for recording backup data and M regions having a name, with an index indicating the area to be recorded during the next backup, the index points to a region having a leading name among names were ordered in the predetermined rules as the initial value, Incremented every time backup processing is performed, and M areas are instructed to be circulated, whereby the M areas are sequentially circulated and used to perform backup processing, and the number of generations to be managed is greater than M (N is N When increasing to (natural number), start with the area currently indicated by the index for the M areas that currently exist With straight to arranged in order to back up, the re-impart a name so that the end of M out of N names were ordered in a predetermined rule, the index points to the beginning of region of the N Name By setting as described above, the above-described problem is solved.

  According to the backup data management device of the present invention, when the number of generations of backup data to be managed is increased, a new backup can be performed while leaving the existing backup data. Also, when overwriting existing backup data, the old generation backup data is overwritten in order from the new generation to prevent discontinuity of the generation of backup data.

It is a figure which shows typically the folder structure of embodiment. It is a figure which shows the block configuration of the paperwork apparatus which is embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows operation | movement of embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows operation | movement of embodiment. It is a figure which shows typically operation | movement of the conventional backup system.

  FIG. 2 shows a block configuration of the business processing apparatus 10 which is an embodiment of the backup data management apparatus of the present invention. Reference numeral 1 denotes a control device composed of a general-purpose microcomputer (MPU), 2 an input device composed of a keyboard for inputting information (data) such as characters and numbers, and 3 a display device for displaying and outputting information. Reference numeral 4 denotes a first file device composed of a hard disk device or the like as data recording means.

  The control device 1 exhibits various functions of the business processing device 10 by introducing and executing a predetermined program. Examples of the office processing apparatus 10 include a medical office calculator that calculates medical expenses, a medical support apparatus that records patient medical information, and a so-called electronic medical chart apparatus.

  Data processed by the control device 1 is recorded in the first file device 4 which is a standard file device. In order to facilitate data reference, update, and addition processing and to ensure security, the data is managed as a single database. Various programs executed by the control device 1 are also recorded in the first file device 4, and the control device 1 reads and executes a program corresponding to the function.

  Reference numeral 5 denotes a second file device for recording backup data that is a copy of the data recorded in the first file device 4. In the present embodiment, a hard disk device having the same hardware configuration as that of the first file device 4 is externally used, but a rewritable portable recording medium such as a magneto-optical disk device is used. May be. Alternatively, the same hard disk device may be used as the first and second file devices by dividing the partition.

  The control device 1 executes backup processing according to the instruction. The control device 1 duplicates the data recorded in the first file device 4 and records the duplicated data in the second file device 5. In short, a data copy process from the first file device 4 to the second file device 5 is performed. This duplicate is backup data, and the business processing apparatus 10 records and manages backup data up to three generations in the initial state.

  Therefore, three folders are provided in the second file device 5 to make an area for recording backup data, and new backup data is recorded in order in the three folders. These folders are given names ordered according to a predetermined rule. Then, an area for recording backup data next, that is, an index for designating a folder is provided. At the time of the next backup process, the backup data is recorded in the folder pointed to by the index, and the index value is incremented to indicate the next folder. The increment direction, that is, the order in which backup data is recorded is the same as the order of folder names. Of course, when the backup process is performed three times, the index is incremented so as to return to the first folder through the three folders. In this way, the three areas are circulated and instructed, whereby the three areas are circulated and used in order to perform the backup process.

  FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing the folder structure of the embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1A, the three folders have names “SB01”, “SB02”, and “SB03” in order (predetermined values). Names ordered by rules). In this example, a part of the name includes a number, and the name is given so that the number increases in order. Folders can be ordered by this number. The name is not limited to numbers, and any name can be used as long as it can be ordered according to a predetermined rule.

  The number in parentheses below the name is the generation number of the backup data. Specifically, “−1” represents the latest backup data, that is, data one generation before, and “−3” represents the data three generations before, that is, the oldest backup data in the apparatus. “Index” is an index indicating an area in which backup data is recorded next. The generation number is shown for convenience in understanding, and in the embodiment, the backup data itself does not hold information indicating the generation.

  Here, the backup process will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. In response to the backup processing instruction, the control device 1 records the latest backup data in the folder indicated by “index” (step S11). That is, in the state of FIG. 1A, a copy of the data of the first file device 4 is overwritten and recorded in the SB02 folder pointed to by “index” on the second file device 5. Then, the index is incremented (S13). At this time, if the index indicates SB03, that is, the maximum folder corresponding to the number of generations to be managed (S12; Yes), the index is set to the initial value, that is, SB01 (S14). As can be seen, the latest backup data is overwritten and recorded in the SB02 folder that holds the oldest three generations of backup data. In this way, the latest backup data is always overwritten and recorded on the oldest backup data.

  Next, processing for increasing the number of backup data generations to be managed will be described with reference to the schematic diagram of FIG. 1 and the flowchart of FIG. Here, in the present embodiment, the backup data is initially managed up to the third generation, and the second file device 5 is currently in the state shown in FIG. 1A by performing the backup processing several times. And

  When the number of generations is increased from this state to 5 generations according to an instruction, if the current generation number is M (3 in this example) and the new generation number is N (5 in this example), the control device 1 firstly Rename according to a predetermined rule so that folders indicated by “index”, “index + 1”,..., “Index + (M−1)” are managed in this order.

  This corresponds to rearranging folders, that is, backup data, from the old generation to the new generation by changing the names in order from the oldest backup data to the new generation. This order of arrangement is the same as the order of folders used in the backup process. The virtually rearranged state is shown in FIG.

  Therefore, the control device 1 renames the current three folders as follows so that they are arranged at the end of the new generation number of five folders (step S22). That is, the name of the folder indicated by “index” is renamed to the “N- (M−1) th” folder name, specifically “SB03”. Next, the folder name indicated by “index + 1” is renamed to the “N− (M−2) th” folder name, specifically “SB04”. Similarly, the name of the folder indicated by “index + (M−1)” is renamed to the “N− (M−M) th” folder name, specifically “SB05”. This is shown in FIG.

  Then, the index is set to SB01 and the process ends (step S23). In this way, the index is set to the same initial value as the initial state in which the backup data is changed to a new setting for managing five generations and the backup process has never been performed. This is shown in FIG.

  As a result, the backup data for the latest M generations (3 generations) can be used as they are, and when the backup processing is sequentially performed in the future, the 2 generations of backup data are recorded in SB01 and SB02. Later, the data is overwritten in order from SB03 (data at the time of 5 generations at that time) which is backup data of 3 generations before. Thus, backup data corresponding to the increased number of generations can be held without wasting existing backup data.

  In this embodiment, when the index is set to the initial value in step S23, the control device 1 does not create the folders SB01 and SB02. When an error indicating that the folder does not exist is returned when an attempt is made to write backup data to SB01 indicated by the index at the next backup, the control device 1 creates the SB01 folder, and then continues the backup process. Of course, it is optional to create an empty folder.

  The control device 1 changes the number of generations managed in accordance with the instruction, but this instruction does not necessarily have to be an explicit instruction by the user. When it becomes clear that the recording capacity of the second file device 5 has sufficient margin when trying to execute the backup processing, a process of increasing the number of generations M managed by the control device 1 to N larger than that is triggered by that. You may make it implement.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Control apparatus 4 1st file apparatus 5 2nd file apparatus

Claims (3)

A backup data management apparatus that manages backup data, which is a copy of data and / or a program, over M generations (M is a natural number), and has names that are ordered according to a predetermined rule for recording backup data and number of regions, including an index indicating the area to be recorded during the next backup, the index points to a region having a leading name among names were ordered in the predetermined rules as the initial value, each time the backup process Incremented and instructed to circulate M areas, thereby performing a backup process using the M areas in a cyclic order,
If you increase the number of generations to be managed M greater than N (N is a natural number), the M regions of BASIS, indexes with straight to arranged in order to back up starting from the present instruction region, were ordered in the predetermined rule A backup data management device , wherein a name is reassigned so as to be M at the end of N names, and the index is set so as to indicate a head area of the N names . 2. The backup data management apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the area is a folder in a file device, and the name is a folder name. 2. The backup data management apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the area is a file in a file device, and the name is a file name.

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