VM Backup Orchestrator for Snapshot and Storage Proxy Coordination
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Solution Overview
Problem
The computing environment hosting virtual machines lacks adequate data protection and storage functionality, such as deduplication, compression, encryption, and scalable backup and restore capabilities, and is unable to natively communicate with storage environments to leverage their robust data protection and storage efficiency features.
Innovation Solution
An orchestrator is implemented to coordinate operations between the computing and storage environments, using proxies compatible with the APIs and protocols of both environments to facilitate backup, restore, and other operations, enabling seamless integration and leveraging storage environment functionalities like deduplication, compression, and encryption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the computing environment hosts virtual machines with basic storage functionality, then virtual machine operations can be performed, but data protection and storage efficiency are inadequate
Solution Approach 1:
An orchestrator is introduced as an intermediary component that bridges the computing environment and the storage environment. The orchestrator translates virtual machine operations into storage environment operations, enabling access to advanced data protection features like deduplication, compression, and encryption without modifying the virtual machine management platform.
Solution Approach 2:
The storage environment is designed to provide universal data protection services that can be applied to multiple virtual machines simultaneously. Features such as deduplication, compression, and encryption are implemented at the storage environment level, providing scalable and versatile storage functionality across the entire computing environment.
2Productivity
If the computing environment implements basic backup functionality, then virtual machine data can be backed up, but scalable backup and restore capabilities are lacking
Solution Approach 1:
The orchestrator serves as a mediator that handles the complexity of scalable backup and restore operations. It manages the coordination between virtual machine snapshots and storage environment backup/restore operations, providing scalable capabilities without requiring complex modifications to the virtual machine management platform.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates snapshots of virtual machines before backup operations and prepares restore environments in advance. This preliminary action enables efficient backup and restore operations by pre-processing data and establishing the necessary infrastructure before actual backup or restore is needed.
3Reliability
If the computing environment uses standard storage operations, then virtual machines can access storage resources, but deduplication, compression, and encryption are not adequately provided
Solution Approach 1:
The orchestrator acts as an intermediary that transparently applies deduplication, compression, and encryption operations to storage operations. Virtual machines continue to use standard storage operations through the hypervisor, while the orchestrator enhances these operations with advanced data protection features at the storage environment level.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates copies of virtual machine data through snapshots and uses these copies for backup operations. The orchestrator manages these copies and applies data protection features like deduplication and compression to the copied data, providing enhanced protection without affecting the original virtual machine operations.
4Adaptability or versatility
If the virtual machine management platform manages virtual machines directly, then virtual machine operations are efficient, but integration with storage environment is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The orchestrator serves as a time-efficient intermediary that automatically translates virtual machine operations into storage environment operations. This automation eliminates manual coordination overhead and enables seamless integration between the computing and storage environments without significant time loss.
Solution Approach 2:
The orchestrator implements feedback mechanisms to monitor the state of virtual machines and storage operations. This feedback enables the orchestrator to automatically adjust and coordinate operations between environments, improving integration efficiency and reducing coordination time through continuous state monitoring and adaptive response.
Data Source
AI summary
Techniques are provided for orchestrating operations between a storage environment and a computing environment hosting virtual machines. A virtual machine proxy, associated with a computing environment hosting a virtual machine, is accessed by an orchestrator to identify the virtual machine and properties of the virtual machine. A storage proxy, associated with a storage environment comprising a volume within which snapshots of the virtual machine are to be stored, is accessed by the orchestrator to initialize a backup procedure. The orchestrator utilizes the virtual machine proxy to create a snapshot of the virtual machine. The orchestrator utilizes the storage proxy to back up the snapshot to the volume using the backup procedure.