Composite Virtual Disk for Instant VM Restoration

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing systems face challenges in providing instant access to data stored in backup storage systems across multiple computing devices, leading to inefficiencies in data retrieval and management.

Innovation Solution

The proposed solution involves a method and system for managing data access by generating backups without crawling the file system, using metadata files for instant access, and employing resilient change tracking (RCT) to optimize incremental backups and restoration processes.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If traditional backup methods are used to store large virtual machine backups, then data is preserved, but restoration time and data retrieval efficiency deteriorate significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata preservationVSAvoidrestoration time

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent divides large virtual machine backup data into multiple smaller backup slices stored in parallel. Each slice can be independently restored and accessed, enabling parallel restoration operations that significantly reduce overall restoration time while maintaining complete data preservation through the combination of all slices.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Ease of operation

If complete virtual machine data is restored to enable access, then data availability improves, but storage resource consumption and system load increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata accessibilityVSAvoidstorage resource consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts and restores only the specific backup slices needed for particular restoration operations rather than restoring complete virtual machine data. This selective extraction approach enables data accessibility for specific operations while minimizing storage resource consumption by avoiding unnecessary data restoration.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Productivity

If metadata overhead is reduced to improve backup efficiency, then backup performance improves, but data tracking accuracy and incremental backup reliability may deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebackup efficiencyVSAvoiddata tracking accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces traditional file system crawling mechanisms with direct metadata-based data location and access. This substitution eliminates the need for extensive file system traversal while maintaining accurate data tracking through optimized metadata structures, thereby improving backup efficiency without compromising tracking accuracy.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Data Source

PatentUS20250094198A1Restoration of large virtual machines using composite virtual disks

Publication Date: 2025.03.20 DELL PROD LP

AI summary

A method for managing virtual machines (VMs) includes obtaining, by a backup agent, a restoration request for a VM, in response to the restoration request: identifying a set of backup slices associated with the VM, initiating a restoration of each of the set of backup slices to a production host, wherein the set of backup slices is stored in a backup storage system operatively connected to the production host, generating, at the production host, a composite virtual disk associated with the VM, mapping VM data in the set of backup slices to the composite virtual disk, and generating the VM to read from the composite virtual disk.