Active Directory Object Restore From Agentless VM Backups

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing data protection systems for virtual machines with active directory applications lack efficient methods for granular recovery of application objects without requiring agents in the production environment, and there is a need for effective management of backup schedules and resource consumption.

Innovation Solution

A backup server with AD listeners and microservices tracks changes to AD objects, enabling granular recovery from VM backups, manages backup schedules, and optimizes resource use by installing or removing AD listeners based on change rates, utilizing production tombstones for efficient restoration.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If agents are installed in the production environment to enable granular recovery, then recovery capability is improved, but device complexity and resource consumption increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvegranular recovery capabilityVSAvoidagent installation requirement

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the backup and recovery functionality from the production environment agents and consolidates it into the backup server. The backup server directly interacts with VM backups and AD databases to enable granular recovery without requiring agents in the production environment, thus eliminating agent-related complexity while maintaining recovery capabilities.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The backup server acts as an intermediary between the production environment and the recovery process. It connects to VM backups and AD databases through network interfaces, performing granular recovery operations without needing direct agent communication with production systems. This intermediary approach enables agentless granular recovery.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Measurement precision

If AD listeners are continuously monitoring for changes, then backup accuracy is improved, but resource consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvechange detection accuracyVSAvoidresource consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The system dynamically adjusts the monitoring behavior of AD listeners based on actual change detection needs. Listeners can be activated or deactivated depending on whether changes are detected, allowing the system to maintain high change detection accuracy while reducing resource consumption during periods of stability. This dynamic approach enables efficient resource utilization without compromising backup accuracy.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentUS20260017148A1Agentless active directory granular level restore from virtual machine level backups

Publication Date: 2026.01.15 DELL PROD LLC

AI summary

A method for managing data protection includes obtaining, by a backup server, a restoration request for a virtual machine (VM) that includes an active directory (AD) application, and wherein the AD application comprises a set of AD objects and a directory service for managing the set of AD objects, parsing a VM backup corresponding to the VM, stored in a backup storage system, to identify an AD application backup of the AD application using metadata stored in an index and search microservice of the backup server, mounting, using an AD recovery microservice, backups of the set of AD objects of the AD application backup to the production environment, and providing browse and restoration services to the production environment based on the mounting of the AD objects and using the AD recovery microservice.