Changed files list with time buckets for efficient storage management

Abstract

There is provided, in a computer processing system, an apparatus for managing object data. The apparatus includes a changed objects manager for creating and managing a changed objects list that at least identifies the objects that have changed based on time of change. The changed objects list is associated with a plurality of time buckets. Each of the plurality of time buckets is associated with a respective date and time period and with object change records for objects having a timestamp falling within the respective date and time period. Each of the object change records is associated with a unique object identifier and the timestamp for a corresponding one of the objects. The timestamp specifies a date and a time corresponding to a latest one of a creation time or a most recent update time for the corresponding one of the objects.

1 . In a computer processing system, an apparatus for managing object data, comprising: 
 a changed objects manager for creating and managing a changed objects list that at least identifies the objects that have changed based on time of change, the changed objects list associated with a plurality of time buckets, each of the plurality of time buckets associated with a respective date and time period and with object change records for objects having a timestamp falling within the respective date and time period, each of the object change records associated with a unique object identifier and the timestamp for a corresponding one of the objects, the timestamp specifying a date and a time corresponding to a latest one of a creation time or a most recent update time for the corresponding one of the objects.    
   
   
       2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the changed objects list is configured for use by a storage management process.  
   
   
       3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the storage management process includes at least one of data backup and data replication.  
   
   
       4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 a file system processing module for comparing a current date and time against a timestamp for a given object, creating a new object change record for the given object and inserting the new object change record into a corresponding one of the plurality of time buckets having the respective time date and time period in which the timestamp falls when an existing object change record does not exist for the given object, and moving the existing object change record for the given object into the corresponding one of the plurality of time buckets having the respective time date and time period in which the timestamp falls when the current date and time is different than the timestamp and the existing object change record already exists for the given object.    
   
   
       5 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein the existing object change record is maintained in a currently inserted time bucket, when the timestamp matches the current date and time and falls within the respective date and time period of the currently inserted time bucket and the existing object change record already exists for the given object.  
   
   
       6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is implemented in a file system, and an amount of object change records in the changed objects list is without change except when a new object is created or when an existing object is deleted from the file system.  
   
   
       7 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the changed objects list is configured for use by a storage management process that is executed periodically or on demand, and wherein, for a current execution of the storage management process, only object change records in corresponding ones of the plurality of time buckets that are subsequent to an immediately previous execution of the storage management process are considered.  
   
   
       8 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein an object change involves any of a data change and a metadata change.  
   
   
       9 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein each of the objects in the object change records is further associated with at least one of an object type, a change type, a list of parent identifiers of directories through which that object is accessible.  
   
   
       10 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the changed files list is configured such that time granularities of the plurality of time buckets are variable so that different ones of the plurality of time buckets are capable of representing different time periods.  
   
   
       11 . In a computer processing system, a method for managing object data, comprising the step of: 
 at least one of creating and maintaining a changed objects list that is partitioned into a plurality of time buckets, each of the plurality of time buckets associated with a respective date and time period and with object change records for objects having a timestamp falling within the respective date and time period, each of the object change records associated with a unique object identifier and the timestamp for a corresponding one of the objects, the timestamp specifying a date and a time corresponding to a latest one of a creation time or a most recent update time for the corresponding one of the objects,    wherein the changed objects list identifies the objects that have changed based on the respective date and time periods of corresponding ones of the plurality of time buckets.    
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising the step of using the changed objects list for a storage management process.  
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the storage management process includes at least one of data backup and data replication.  
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising the steps of: 
 comparing a current date and time against a timestamp for a given object;    creating a new object change record for the given object and inserting the new object change record into a corresponding one of the plurality of time buckets having the respective time date and time period in which the timestamp falls, when an existing object change record does not exist for the given object; and    moving the existing object change record for the given object into the corresponding one of the plurality of time buckets having the respective time date and time period in which the timestamp falls, when the current date and time is different than the timestamp and the existing object change record already exists for the given object.    
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising the step of maintaining the existing object change record in a currently inserted time bucket, when the timestamp matches the current date and time and falls within the respective date and time period of the currently inserted time bucket and the existing object change record already exists for the given object.  
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the method is implemented in a file system, and an amount of object change records in the changed objects list is without change except when a new object is created or when an existing object is deleted from the file system.  
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the method is used for a storage management process that is executed periodically or on demand, and the method comprises the step of, for a current execution of the storage management process, considering only object change records in corresponding ones of the plurality of time buckets that are subsequent to an immediately previous execution of the storage management process.  
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein an object change involves any of a data change and a metadata change.  
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein each of the objects in the object change records is further associated with at least one of an object type, a change type, a list of parent identifiers of directories through which that object is accessible.  
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein time granularities of the plurality of time buckets are variable such that different ones of the plurality of time buckets are capable of representing different time periods.  
   
   
       21 . A computer program product comprising a computer usable medium including computer usable program code for managing object data, said computer program product including: 
 computer usable program code for at least one of creating and maintaining a changed objects list that is partitioned into a plurality of time buckets, each of the plurality of time buckets associated with a respective date and time period and with object change records for objects having a timestamp falling within the respective date and time period, each of the object change records associated with a unique object identifier and the timestamp for a corresponding one of the objects, the timestamp specifying a date and a time corresponding to a latest one of a creation time or a most recent update time for the corresponding one of the objects,    wherein the changed objects list identifies the objects that have changed based on the respective date and time periods of corresponding ones of the plurality of time buckets.    
   
   
       22 . The computer program product of  claim 21 , further comprising computer usable program code for using the changed objects list for a storage management process.  
   
   
       23 . The computer program product of  claim 21 , wherein the storage management process includes at least one of data backup and data replication.  
   
   
       24 . The computer program product of  claim 21 , further comprising: 
 computer usable program code for comparing a current date and time against a timestamp for a given object;    computer usable program code for creating a new object change record for the given object and inserting the new object change record into a corresponding one of the plurality of time buckets having the respective time date and time period in which the timestamp falls, when an existing object change record does not exist for the given object; and    computer usable program code for moving the existing object change record for the given object into the corresponding one of the plurality of time buckets having the respective time date and time period in which the timestamp falls, when the current date and time is different than the timestamp and the existing object change record already exists for the given object.    
   
   
       25 . The computer program product of  claim 24 , further comprising computer usable program code for maintaining the existing object change record in a currently inserted time bucket, when the timestamp matches the current date and time and falls within the respective date and time period of the currently inserted time bucket and the existing object change record already exists for the given object.  
   
   
       26 . The computer program product of  claim 21 , wherein the method is implemented in a file system, and an amount of object change records in the changed objects list is without change except when a new object is created or when an existing object is deleted from the file system.  
   
   
       27 . The computer program product of  claim 21 , wherein the method is used for a storage management process that is executed periodically or on demand, and the method comprises computer usable program code for, for a current execution of the storage management process, considering only object change records in corresponding ones of the plurality of time buckets that are subsequent to an immediately previous execution of the storage management process.  
   
   
       28 . The computer program product of  claim 21 , wherein an object change involves any of a data change and a metadata change.  
   
   
       29 . The computer program product of  claim 21 , wherein each of the objects in the object change records is further associated with at least one of an object type, a change type, a list of parent identifiers of directories through which that object is accessible.  
   
   
       30 . The computer program product of  claim 21 , further comprising computer usable program code for configuring time granularities of the plurality of time buckets to be variable such that different ones of the plurality of time buckets are capable of representing different time periods.