Instant VM Recovery from Compressed Image Backups

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Solution Overview

Problem

Traditional methods for recovering virtual machines from image-level backups are resource-intensive and time-consuming, often taking hours due to the need to extract and move large amounts of data, which can lead to extended downtime and failure to meet Recovery Time Objectives (RTOs) and Service Level Agreements (SLAs).

Innovation Solution

The system enables instant recovery of virtual machines from compressed, deduplicated, and encrypted image-level backups without prior full extraction, using virtual storage to provide access to data during recovery and allowing for zero or minimal downtime by migrating the VM to production storage during scheduled maintenance.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If traditional complete restoration of image-level backup is performed, then data integrity is ensured, but recovery time becomes excessively long

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata integrityVSAvoidrecovery time

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by creating a runnable virtual machine instance from the compressed backup image before complete extraction is finished. The VM is registered with the virtual environment and made available for use while the background extraction and migration process continues, thus ensuring data integrity through complete restoration while minimizing recovery time through early availability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Quantity of substance

If backup files are highly compressed and de-duplicated to conserve storage space, then storage efficiency is improved, but restoration and recovery duration increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestorage spaceVSAvoidrestoration duration

Core Design Contradiction:

Quantity of substanceVSDuration of action of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary decompression and extraction of only the necessary portions of the compressed backup image required to create a runnable VM instance, rather than waiting for complete extraction. This allows the VM to become available quickly while the background process continues extracting and migrating the remaining data, thus reducing restoration duration while maintaining storage efficiency through selective extraction.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system applies partial action by extracting and restoring only the critical portions of the compressed backup image needed for VM operation, rather than performing complete extraction. This partial extraction enables the VM to run while the background process handles the remaining data, reducing restoration duration while the full extraction continues in the background.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

3Reliability

If backup files are encrypted to enhance security, then data security is improved, but extraction and restoration process becomes slower

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata securityVSAvoidrestoration speed

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary decryption of only the necessary portions of the encrypted backup image required to create a runnable VM instance, rather than decrypting the entire backup file. This allows the VM to be registered and made available quickly while the background process continues decrypting and migrating the remaining data, thus maintaining data security through encryption while improving restoration speed through selective decryption.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

4Reliability

If complete extraction of backup image is performed before restoration, then data completeness is ensured, but resource consumption and time required increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata completenessVSAvoidrecovery efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary extraction and restoration of only the essential portions of the backup image needed to create a functional VM instance, rather than extracting the complete backup image first. The VM is registered and made available for use while the background process continues extracting and migrating the remaining data, thus ensuring data completeness while significantly improving recovery efficiency by avoiding the bottleneck of complete prior extraction.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS9104624B2Systems, methods, and computer program products for instant recovery of image level backups

Publication Date: 2015.08.11 VEEAM SOFTWARE GROUP GMBH

AI summary

Systems, methods, and computer program products are provided for instant recovery of a virtual machine (VM) from a compressed image level backup without fully extracting the image level backup file's contents to production storage. The method receives restore parameters and initializes a virtual storage. The method attaches the virtual storage to a hypervisor configured to launch a recovered VM. The method stores virtual disk data changes inflicted by a running operating system (OS), applications, and users in a changes storage. The method provides the ability to migrate the actual VM disk state (taking into account changed disk data blocks accumulated in changes storage) so as to prevent data loss resulting from the VM running during the recovery and accessing virtual storage, to production storage without downtime. In embodiments, the method displays receives restore parameters in an interactive interface and delivers the recovery results via an automated message, such as an email message.