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SUMMARY

An illustrative Internet Small Computer Systems Interface server (“ISCSI server”) provides user computing devices with “private writable snapshots” of a desired volume of data and/or further provides “private writable backup copies”, which are derived from block-level backup copies of data stored on backup media. Collectively, these are referred to herein as “private writable environments” or “private writable workspaces.” An illustrative ISCSI service, which executes on the ISCSI server, is provided without invoking snapshot limits imposed by storage arrays and further without requiring that specialized backup software and/or pseudo-disk drivers be installed on the user computing devices. Thus, the user computing devices can conveniently access the ISCSI service and need not be specially equipped and/or loaded with special-purpose software. Moreover, there is no limit on how many private writable environments each user computing device can access from a given ISCSI server. A user can have any number of co-existing private writable snapshots and private writable backup copies.

The illustrative embodiments provide for private writable environments as well as for live browsing of the source data. A user can browse block-level backup copies as well as edit personal versions of any number and/or versions of the block-level backup copies—the “private writable backup copies”. Likewise, a user can browse snapshots of desired data storage volumes and edit personal versions of any number of snapshots of one or more versions of one or more desired data volumes—the “private writable snapshots”. Each private writable environment is configured such that it operates independently of other similar private writable environment(s) on the same user computing and/or hosted by the same ISCSI server. Each private writable environment operates independently of the others, even when derived from the same data source (i.e., data volume and/or block-level backup copy).

Sparse files, extent-files, special-purpose directories, and/or media agents co-residing on the ISCSI server along with the ISCSI service are used in the illustrative embodiments. There is no limit on how many user computing devices the ISCSI server can serve under the present architecture. Likewise, there is no limit on how many distinct private writable snapshots and/or private writable backup copies can be configured and serviced for any given user computing device.

In regard to live browsing block-level data sources, such as block-level backup copies and/or snapshots of data storage volumes, advantages include:Mounting block-level backup copies (images) and/or snapshots as ISCSI LUNs to computing devices (e.g., user computing devices) that are not equipped with special purpose backup software or pseudo-disk drivers. Contrast the present solution to prior art pseudo-disk driver-based solutions described in e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 9,852,026.Live browsing data sources without a pseudo-disk driver, i.e., a driverless solution.ISCSI service can execute on any operating system computing device (e.g., Linux, Windows) without limitation and exposes the block-level backup copies and/or data volumes (configured as block data storage) to user computing devices having any operating system without limitation.

Advantages of the illustrative private writable environments include:Advantages listed above in regard to live browsing.No limit on the number of private writable snapshots and/or private writable backup copies, because storage array limitations are not invoked.No limit on the number of mutually independent private writable workspaces (e.g., private writable snapshots, private writable backup copies), because storage array limitations are not invoked.Storage array snapshots (so-called hardware snapshots) are not used here. Instead, so-called software snapshots taken by the ISCSI server (e.g., using ISCSI server's operating system) and presented as LUNs to user computing devices.

