US 11,853,276 B2
Incrementally updated database server database images and database cloning, using windows virtual hard drives and database server backups
Paul Stanton, Mill Creek, WA (US); and Ramesh Parameswaran, Bellevue, WA (US)
Assigned to Nirvaha Corporation, Bellevue, WA (US)
Filed by Nirvaha Corporation, Bellevue, WA (US)
Filed on Jan. 6, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/142,988.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/957,889, filed on Jan. 7, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2021/0209078 A1, Jul. 8, 2021
Int. Cl. G06F 16/20 (2019.01); G06F 16/21 (2019.01); G06F 16/27 (2019.01); G06F 11/14 (2006.01); G06F 16/25 (2019.01)
CPC G06F 16/219 (2019.01) [G06F 11/1451 (2013.01); G06F 11/1469 (2013.01); G06F 16/256 (2019.01); G06F 16/275 (2019.01); G06F 2201/80 (2013.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method comprising:
initiating a database server instance;
creating a parent virtual hard disk (VHD);
mounting the parent VHD to the database server instance;
restoring a full database server backup to the parent VHD;
unmounting the parent VHD from the database server instance;
generating a replicated differencing disk chain from the parent VHD, wherein the replicated differencing disk chain comprises an active chain and an inactive chain;
creating a first clone by cloning a most recent VHD differencing disk on the active chain of the replicated differencing disk chain; and
merging a plurality of VHD differencing disks on the inactive chain into a single merged differencing disk, wherein the plurality of VHD differencing disks are merged in response to the inactive chain reaching a predetermined length.