Virtual Machine Backup via Attached Storage Container
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional backup systems for virtual machines are inflexible and inefficient, particularly when trying to back up and restore data for individual applications, leading to a heavy administrative burden and potential for human error due to the need to install and manage backup applications across numerous virtual machines.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that attach a storage container with a backup agent to virtual machines, allowing the agent to be executed from within the virtual machines, enabling granular backup and restore operations while centralizing administration and reducing maintenance requirements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If backup applications are installed within each virtual machine to enable granular backup operations, then backup flexibility and granularity are improved, but administrative burden and complexity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a storage container as an intermediary component that bridges the backup server and virtual machines. This container includes a backup agent that can be attached to multiple virtual machines without installing software inside each VM, thereby enabling granular backup capabilities while reducing administrative complexity through centralized management.
Solution Approach 2:
The storage container with backup agent serves multiple virtual machines simultaneously, providing universal backup functionality across the virtualization environment. This multi-functional approach allows a single backup infrastructure to serve numerous VMs, reducing the need for individual backup applications in each virtual machine.
2Measurement precision
If backup applications are installed within each virtual machine to target individual applications, then backup precision is improved, but the risk of human error increases due to manual installation and updates
Solution Approach 1:
The storage container acts as a reliable intermediary that eliminates the need for manual software installation within each virtual machine. The backup agent in the container is centrally managed and automatically updated, reducing human error risk while maintaining the ability to perform precise granular backups of individual applications and data.
3Ease of manufacture
If traditional backup systems back up virtual machine disk files, then implementation simplicity is improved, but backup flexibility deteriorates when individual application backup is needed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the backup approach by introducing a storage container that can attach to specific virtual machines and target individual applications or data within them. This segmentation allows the system to maintain implementation simplicity through centralized container management while achieving backup flexibility by selectively backing up specific applications or data sets rather than entire virtual machine disk files.
Data Source
AI summary
A computer-implemented method for protecting virtual machine data may include (1) receiving a request to perform a granular backup operation on data stored by a guest system within a virtual machine, (2) identifying a storage container that comprises an agent that performs backup operations, (3) attaching the storage container to the virtual machine in response to the request, and (4) performing the granular backup operation by sending an instruction to the guest system within the virtual machine to execute the agent. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.