Virtual Machine Backup Grouping with Migration Exclusion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing data backup processes for virtual machines are prone to failures due to migration of virtual machines during the backup process, leading to inefficiencies and reduced reliability.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that generate backup groupings of virtual machines, disable migration during the backup process by issuing a disable migration command to production hosts, and exclude migrating virtual machines from the backup groupings to ensure successful data protection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If virtual machines are allowed to migrate during backup process, then system flexibility and resource utilization are improved, but backup reliability and consistency deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by detecting migrating virtual machines before the backup process begins and excludes them from the backup groupings in advance. This prevents migration-related failures during backup by proactively identifying and isolating affected virtual machines, ensuring that only stable virtual machines are included in the backup process.
2Reliability
If migration is disabled during backup process, then backup reliability is improved, but system productivity and resource utilization deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments virtual machines into different groups based on their migration status: excluded groupings for migrating virtual machines and included groupings for stable virtual machines. This segmentation allows the backup process to proceed reliably with stable virtual machines while migrating virtual machines are handled separately, minimizing the impact on overall system productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of disabling migration for all virtual machines during backup, the system applies migration exclusion only to the specific virtual machines that are currently migrating. This partial action approach maintains system productivity by allowing migration to continue for unaffected virtual machines while ensuring backup reliability for the excluded group.
3Quantity of substance
If migrating virtual machines are included in backup groupings, then backup completeness is improved, but backup success rate deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements feedback mechanisms by continuously monitoring virtual machine migration status and dynamically adjusting backup groupings. The backup management component receives feedback about migrating virtual machines and responds by excluding them from the backup process, preventing failures while maintaining backup completeness for stable virtual machines.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for performing a data backup process on a cluster includes: obtaining a backup generation request for virtual machines; in response to obtaining the backup generation request: generating a first set of backup groupings based on the backup generation request where each of the first set of backup groupings includes at least one of the virtual machines; issuing a disable migration command to a plurality of production hosts where each of the plurality of production hosts is associated with at least one of the virtual machines; identifying, after the issuing, a virtual machine of the virtual machines that is migrating; removing, based on the identifying, the virtual machine from the first set of backup groupings to obtain a second set of backup groupings where the virtual machine is placed in an excluded group after the removing; and backing up the second set of backup groupings.