Agent-Less Virtual Desktop Preservation via Host Snapshots
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional legal hold solutions for virtual desktops are agent-based and not optimized, making it difficult to enforce and control the preservation of confidential and privileged data on decentralized custodian computers, which are challenging to implement due to the decentralized nature of data storage.
Innovation Solution
An agent-less solution that processes directories to identify virtual machines used by data custodians, automatically generating and communicating snapshots to preserve virtual desktops, allowing for efficient legal holds without the need for software agents.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If agent-based solutions are used to preserve virtual desktops for legal holds, then data preservation capability is achieved, but system complexity and implementation difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the agent software from the virtual desktop environment and relocates the preservation functionality to the physical host server. The agentless approach removes the need for software installation on virtual desktops, eliminating the complexity associated with agent deployment, configuration, and maintenance while maintaining data preservation capabilities through host-level snapshot operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a mediation layer at the virtualization platform level that enables data preservation without requiring agents on the virtual desktops. This intermediary mechanism allows the host server to capture and preserve virtual desktop states through snapshot technology, bridging the gap between the need for data preservation and the desire to avoid system complexity.
2Reliability
If agents are installed on custodian computers to enforce legal holds, then data control is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables the virtualization infrastructure to self-serve the data preservation function without requiring external agents on custodian computers. The host server automatically manages snapshot creation, storage, and retrieval for virtual desktops, eliminating the need for manual agent installation and configuration on each virtual desktop while maintaining centralized data control.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a universal preservation mechanism at the host server level that can enforce legal holds across multiple virtual desktops simultaneously. This multi-functional approach allows a single implementation on the physical host to control and preserve data from numerous virtual desktops, greatly simplifying the operational process compared to installing individual agents on each custodian computer.
3Reliability
If conventional agent-based solutions are applied to virtual desktops, then legal hold functionality is achieved, but productivity and efficiency decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the data preservation function from the virtual desktop environment and places it at the host server level. This segmentation allows the legal hold functionality to operate independently of individual virtual desktop configurations, enabling centralized management and significantly improving implementation efficiency by avoiding the need to deploy and configure agents on each virtual desktop separately.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs data preservation actions at the host level before data is potentially lost or modified on virtual desktops. By implementing snapshot capture and legal hold enforcement at the physical host before virtual desktop operations can alter or delete data, the system achieves efficient and reliable preservation without requiring ongoing agent-based monitoring on each virtual desktop.
Data Source
AI summary
A method and apparatus for preserving virtual desktops for e-discovery using an agent-less solution is provided. In one embodiment, the method for providing an agent-less solution to prevent at least one virtual desktop from expiration comprises processing a directory to identify at least one virtual machine used by at least one data custodian as at least one virtual desktop and automatically communicating at least one snapshot of the at least one virtual machine to preserve the at least one virtual desktop.