VM Application Data Backup Using Virtual-to-Physical LUN Mapping

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing backup and recovery solutions for applications executing in virtual machines often require backing up the entire virtual machine, including metadata, which is inefficient and unnecessary for application-specific data recovery, and fail to account for changing physical storage topologies.

Innovation Solution

A method for backing up and recovering application data in virtual machines by discovering and utilizing virtual to physical storage mappings, such as RDM and VMDK, to capture and restore application data independently of the virtual machine, allowing for recovery to a previous state without requiring backup of the virtual machine metadata.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If entire virtual machine is backed up, then all data including metadata is preserved, but backup size and time increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata recovery capabilityVSAvoidbackup size

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts only the application data portion from the virtual machine disk images for backup, separating it from the virtual machine metadata and configuration. This allows backup of only the necessary data (application files, databases, logs) rather than the entire VM, significantly reducing backup size while maintaining recovery capability for the application data.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent segments the virtual machine disk images into different components: virtual machine metadata (configuration, registry), virtual hard disks (data storage), and application data. The backup process then targets only the relevant segments (application data and associated disk images) rather than the entire VM structure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Reliability

If entire virtual machine is backed up, then all data is preserved, but backup time increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata recovery capabilityVSAvoidbackup time

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts only the application data portion from the virtual machine disk images for backup, separating it from the virtual machine metadata and configuration. This allows backup of only the necessary data (application files, databases, logs) rather than the entire VM, significantly reducing backup time while maintaining recovery capability for the application data.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent performs preliminary identification and classification of application data within the virtual machine before initiating the backup process. By pre-determining which data needs to be backed up based on application requirements and data importance, the system can optimize the backup scope and avoid unnecessary data copying, thereby reducing overall backup time.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Reliability

If virtual machine metadata is included in backup, then VM can be fully recovered, but unnecessary data is stored

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveVM recovery capabilityVSAvoidunnecessary data

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of substance

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

4Ease of manufacture

If physical storage topology changes are not accounted for, then backup process is simple, but data cannot be recovered to correct locations

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebackup process simplicityVSAvoiddata recovery accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements a feedback mechanism that continuously monitors and updates the mapping between virtual disk locations and physical storage locations. After each storage topology change (migration, rebalancing, hardware reconfiguration), the system detects the change and refreshes its knowledge of the virtual-to-physical mapping, ensuring that subsequent recovery operations can accurately locate and restore data to the correct physical locations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The patent makes the backup system dynamic by enabling it to adapt to changing physical storage topologies. Rather than using static backup configurations, the system dynamically updates its understanding of storage mappings and can adjust backup and recovery operations accordingly, maintaining reliability despite storage infrastructure changes.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentUS20260104970A1Backup and recovery of application data of an application executing in a virtual machine

Publication Date: 2026.04.16 NETAPP INC

AI summary

Backup of application data associated with an application executing in a virtual machine managed by a hypervisor is performed. Backup of the application data includes retrieving a Logical Unit Number (LUN) identification (ID) used by the application to store the application data in a storage volume. Backup of the application data also includes performing a virtual storage resolution for the LUN ID to determine whether the application data is stored in the storage volume identified by the LUN ID based on a first virtual mapping or a physical mapping.Backup also includes storing in metadata for the backup the LUN ID and whether the LUN ID is based on the first virtual mapping or the physical mapping. Backup includes creating a backup of the application data stored in the storage volume. Application data can subsequently be restored based on the application data that is backed up.