Virtual Machine Backup Slicing for File Indexing and Restoration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for managing backups of large virtual machines are inefficient, requiring significant resource consumption and slow access times due to the need for extensive metadata processing and physical storage slicing, which complicates restoration and indexing processes.
Innovation Solution
A method involving logical slicing of virtual machine data into slices, combined with resilient change tracking and metadata-based techniques, allows for efficient storage, restoration, and indexing of VM backups, reducing metadata overhead and enabling instant access.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If physical storage slicing is used for backup, then storage capacity is improved, but device complexity and restoration difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the virtual machine backup into multiple backup slices, where each slice corresponds to a specific disk or partition. This segmentation allows the backup to be stored efficiently while enabling selective restoration of only the affected slices, reducing restoration complexity compared to restoring the entire backup.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a metadata file as an intermediary that maps backup slices to their corresponding virtual machine disks. This metadata structure simplifies the restoration process by providing a clear reference guide that associates each backup slice with its original disk location, eliminating the need for complex physical slicing manipulation during restoration.
2Difficulty of detecting and measuring
If extensive metadata processing is performed, then indexing capability is improved, but use of energy and processing time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts essential metadata information directly from the backup slices themselves rather than requiring extensive separate metadata processing. The backup slices contain embedded metadata that describes their contents, allowing the indexing system to retrieve and process this information efficiently without energy-intensive external metadata generation.
Solution Approach 2:
The backup slices are designed to be self-describing, containing their own metadata information that enables the indexing system to automatically catalog and search the backup contents. This self-service approach eliminates the need for separate metadata processing operations, reducing energy consumption while maintaining comprehensive indexing capability.
3Productivity
If parallel indexing is implemented, then productivity is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the indexing task across multiple backup slices, where each slice can be indexed independently in parallel. This segmentation enables concurrent processing of multiple backup components without requiring complex coordination mechanisms, as each slice's metadata is self-contained and can be processed autonomously.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements parallel indexing by processing multiple backup slices simultaneously, focusing on the most critical or recently modified slices first. This partial action approach allows the system to achieve high indexing productivity for the most important data while avoiding the complexity of parallel processing the entire backup set, optimizing the balance between performance and system complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for managing virtual machines includes obtaining a backup request for a full backup of a VM, in response to the backup request: performing a logical slicing of VM data associated with the VM to obtain a set of logical slices, storing the set of backup slices in a backup storage system, after storing the set of backup slices, obtaining backup metadata associated with the VM from the backup storage system, performing, using the backup metadata, a slice file system analysis on each backup slice of the set of backup slices associated with the VM to obtain file system information for a portion of VM data stored in each backup slice of the set of backup slices, and generating, from each backup slice associated with the full backup, a file indexing system for each backup slice in the set of backup slices using the file system information.