VM Backup File Exclusion via Specialized Buffer
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing virtual machine backup systems lack the ability to perform file-level exclusion across various file systems without requiring deep knowledge of each file system, leading to increased development and testing time, limited support for multiple file systems, and complexity in handling logical volumes.
Innovation Solution
A backup proxy system that operates across file systems, using a backup module, exclusion identification module, and file system to create a snapshot and exclude specific files by inserting a specialized buffer with a header and file name, allowing for file-level exclusion without needing file system-specific knowledge.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If prior art backup systems use file system specific code to identify and exclude files, then file level exclusion can be achieved, but the number of supported file systems is limited and development and testing time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The backup program uses a universal interface that allows it to work with multiple file systems (NTFS, EXT2/3/4, XFS, etc.) without requiring separate code for each file system. The system achieves multi-functionality by interacting with file systems through a standardized interface rather than file system specific code, enabling the same backup program to support numerous file systems simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary layer between the backup program and the file systems. This intermediary interface acts as a mediator that translates file system specific operations into a universal backup protocol, allowing the backup program to exclude files from various file systems without needing deep knowledge of each file system's internal structure.
2Ease of operation
If prior art systems require deep knowledge of each file system to exclude files, then file exclusion can be performed, but the complexity of the backup system increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the file system specific knowledge from the backup program itself and places it in separate file system modules or drivers that implement a standard interface. This separation allows the main backup program to remain simple and file-system agnostic, while the complexity of individual file system handling is isolated in dedicated components that can be independently managed.
3Device complexity
If image level backups are used to backup VMs, then backup process is simplified, but file by file backup or file exclusion is not supported
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the backup process into two distinct phases: first, an image level backup captures the entire virtual machine disk image efficiently; second, a file level exclusion phase allows selective exclusion of specific files from the backup. This segmentation enables the system to maintain the simplicity of image level backup while adding the versatility of file level control through a subsequent processing stage.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates generally to backups and more specifically to virtual machine (VM) backups including file exclusion. Aspects of the present invention related to using a specialized buffer to identify a file for exclusion. In embodiments, a file system used by the VM can be used to search for the specialized buffer. In embodiments, when the specialized buffer is located, offsets are noted related to the file associated with the specialized buffer. In embodiments, the offsets are used to zero out blocks associated with the offsets. Thus, the file can be effectively excluded from the backup.