Parallel Virtual Machine Disk Restoration via Image Proxy Threads
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing backup and restore applications for virtual machines restore disks sequentially, leading to prolonged recovery times and bottlenecks during disaster recovery, impacting recovery time objectives and customer experience.
Innovation Solution
Implementing parallel restoration of virtual machine disks by utilizing multiple threads in an image proxy appliance to restore multiple virtual machine disks simultaneously, creating dummy virtual machines and attaching them to the main virtual machine, thereby enhancing recovery efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If sequential restoration of virtual machine disks is performed, then system simplicity is maintained, but recovery time is excessively prolonged
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the restoration process into multiple independent parallel threads, each handling a specific virtual machine disk. The image proxy appliance creates multiple worker threads that simultaneously restore different disks, transforming a single sequential operation into multiple concurrent operations. This segmentation directly addresses the time loss issue while managing complexity through structured thread organization.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a new dimension of parallelism by utilizing multi-threading capability of the image proxy appliance. Instead of restoring disks one after another in a single dimension of time, the system transitions to a multi-dimensional approach where multiple disks are restored simultaneously across different threads, dramatically reducing total recovery time.
2Productivity
If parallel restoration using multiple threads is implemented, then recovery speed is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an image proxy appliance as an intermediary component that manages the complexity of parallel restoration. This intermediary sits between the backup system and the virtual machine disks, orchestrating multiple worker threads and coordinating the restoration process. By centralizing control in the image proxy appliance, the system achieves high productivity while containing complexity in a dedicated management layer.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates dummy virtual machines as temporary copies during the restoration process. These dummy VMs serve as intermediate structures that allow parallel restoration operations to proceed independently. Each worker thread restores a disk to a dummy VM, and once completed, the dummy VM is attached to the main virtual machine. This copying approach enables parallel processing while maintaining system integrity.
3Productivity
If multiple dummy virtual machines are created and attached, then concurrent disk restoration is achieved, but resource consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary actions by creating dummy virtual machines and restoring disks to these dummies before final attachment. This preliminary restoration phase allows parallel processing to begin immediately without waiting for the main virtual machine to be fully prepared. The dummy VMs serve as temporary containers that enable concurrent operations, and they are only attached to the main VM after restoration completes, optimizing resource utilization throughout the process.
Data Source
AI summary
Parallel restoration of a virtual machine's virtual machine disks is described. A system identifies restoration parameters for restoring multiple virtual machine disks associated with a virtual machine. The system identifies multiple available threads in an image proxy appliance that are sufficient for parallel restoration of each of the multiple virtual machine disks. Each of the multiple available threads restores a corresponding virtual machine disk as a corresponding dummy virtual machine, based on the restoration parameters. The system attaches the multiple dummy virtual machines to the virtual machine as the multiple virtual machine disks.