Virtual Machine Snapshot Transition Without Full Backup
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Solution Overview
Problem
Switching from hypervisor native snapshots to continuous data protection solutions in virtual machines requires a full backup, which is time-consuming and resource-intensive, especially for large virtual disks.
Innovation Solution
A method that involves toggling an input/output tap at a specific time to switch to continuous data protection, capturing incremental snapshots, and generating a synthetic snapshot using pre-existing and newly captured snapshots, eliminating the need for a full backup.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a full backup is performed to switch from hypervisor native snapshots to continuous data protection solution, then the transition to continuous data protection is successful, but the backup time and software resource consumption are significant
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the backup process into multiple incremental snapshots taken at different time points (first incremental snapshot at time T1, second incremental snapshot at time T2, third incremental snapshot at time T3). Instead of performing one comprehensive full backup, the system divides the data protection transition into smaller incremental steps, each capturing only the changes since the previous snapshot. This segmentation reduces the time and resources required for each individual backup operation while ensuring complete data protection through the combination of all incremental snapshots.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary actions by capturing incremental snapshots at specific time points (T1, T2, T3) during the transition process. The first incremental snapshot is taken at time T1 before the continuous data protection solution is fully activated, capturing the state of virtual disks at that moment. Subsequent incremental snapshots are taken at T2 and T3 to capture any changes. These preliminary incremental captures ensure that no data is lost during the transition, eliminating the need for a time-consuming full backup while maintaining data integrity.
2Reliability
If a full backup is performed to switch from hypervisor native snapshots to continuous data protection solution, then the transition to continuous data protection is successful, but the software resource consumption is significant
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the backup process into multiple incremental snapshots taken at different time points (first incremental snapshot at time T1, second incremental snapshot at time T2, third incremental snapshot at time T3). Instead of performing one comprehensive full backup, the system divides the data protection transition into smaller incremental steps, each capturing only the changes since the previous snapshot. This segmentation reduces the time and resources required for each individual backup operation while ensuring complete data protection through the combination of all incremental snapshots.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies partial action by capturing only the necessary portions of data at each incremental snapshot rather than performing a complete full backup. The first incremental snapshot captures changes since the last hypervisor native snapshot, the second incremental snapshot captures changes since T1, and the third incremental snapshot captures changes since T2. This partial capturing approach performs only the minimum necessary action at each step, significantly reducing software resource consumption compared to a full backup while still achieving complete data protection when all snapshots are combined.
3Loss of time
If incremental snapshots are captured at multiple time points during transition, then the need for full backup is eliminated, but the complexity of generating synthetic snapshot increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a gateway as an intermediary component that manages the complexity of synthetic snapshot generation. The gateway receives incremental snapshots from the continuous data protection solution at different time points (T1, T2, T3) and orchestrates their combination. This intermediary gateway handles the complex logic of merging multiple incremental snapshots, tracking which virtual disks have changed, and synthesizing the final protective snapshot. By placing this complexity management function in the gateway rather than requiring direct coordination between multiple snapshot systems, the patent reduces overall system complexity while still achieving the goal of eliminating full backups.
Data Source
AI summary
The disclosed computer-implemented method for protecting data may include (i) detecting that a data storage protection protocol for backing up a virtual machine is switching from a hypervisor native snapshot solution to a continuous data protection solution, (ii) toggling, at a specific toggling time, an input/output tap to switch to the continuous data protection solution, (iii) capturing, at a specific snapshot time and in response to switching to the continuous data protection solution, an incremental snapshot that includes differences in the virtual machine between a last snapshot captured prior to the specific toggling time and the specific snapshot time, and (iv) generating a synthetic snapshot based on a combination of the incremental snapshot captured at the specific snapshot time and a set of at least one snapshot taken prior to the specific toggling time. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.