Virtual Desktop Backup via Centralized Data Deduplication
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional data protection methods in virtual desktop environments are inefficient, requiring thousands of backups and relying on client agents, which can be stressful on backup infrastructure and are not intuitive for individual user PCs, and current datacenter backups are mainly for disaster recovery, lacking user-centric restore capabilities.
Innovation Solution
A hybrid approach that centrally backs up virtual desktop user data in a datacenter, enabling end-user self-service restore functionality, using a backup server to manage data and metadata, and employing deduplication techniques to reduce bandwidth and storage needs, allowing users to restore their data without IT intervention.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional DT/LT agent based backup technology is used, then user data can be backed up, but it requires running potentially thousands of backups which places stress on backup infrastructure and requires all clients to be online during backup window
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple individual client backups into a single centralized backup operation by consolidating user data at the datacenter storage level. Instead of running separate backup agents on thousands of client devices, the system performs one backup operation on the consolidated user data stored centrally, eliminating the need for multiple concurrent backup operations and reducing infrastructure stress.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the backup operation from the client device level and moves it to the datacenter storage level. By taking out the backup function from individual clients and implementing it centrally at the storage layer, the system eliminates the need for client agents and reduces the complexity of managing thousands of distributed backup operations.
2Productivity
If datacenter backup is used for virtual desktop user data, then backup efficiency is improved, but the data is formatted in a vendor-specific way that is not intuitively associated with individual user PCs, limiting restore capabilities
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the consolidated user data into individual user data sets that are logically associated with specific users, while maintaining the efficient centralized backup structure. This segmentation allows users to access and restore only their own data independently, providing user-centric restore capabilities without sacrificing backup efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary layer between the vendor-specific datacenter storage format and the user restore interface. This intermediary translates the consolidated data format into user-specific data representations that users can intuitively understand and access, enabling ease of operation while maintaining backup efficiency at the storage level.
3Reliability
If traditional data protection products back up data at the source (PC), then data can be protected, but in VDI environment where data is stored in datacenter, this approach is not intuitive and requires backing up individual devices rather than the centralized data storage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the traditional backup approach by not backing up data at the source (client devices) but rather backing up the consolidated user data at the storage location (datacenter). This inversion aligns with the VDI architecture where data resides centrally, simplifying the backup approach while maintaining reliable data protection.
Data Source
AI summary
Techniques to backup and restore virtual desktop data are disclosed. User data associated with a plurality of virtual desktop users is backed up at a central data storage location. A request is received from a requesting user to restore data associated with the requesting user's virtual desktop. Data associated with the requesting user's virtual desktop is retrieved from said user data as backed up at the central data storage location said. The retrieved data associated with the requesting user's virtual desktop is used to provide a response to the request to restore said data associated with the requesting user's virtual desktop.