Virtual Machine Format Conversion for Cross-Hypervisor Disaster Recovery
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing virtual machine backup solutions cannot restore virtual machines to different hosting environments with different formats, limiting disaster recovery, cost reduction, and performance enhancement options.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of on-demand restore technology and cloud volumes allows users to back up primary virtual machines to cloud storage, enabling restoration to destination virtual machines with different formats, leveraging cloud-based disaster recovery, load balancing, and migration capabilities.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If virtual machines are backed up to cloud storage environments, then disaster recovery capability is improved, but the ability to restore to different hosting environments with different formats is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a format conversion layer that acts as an intermediary between the backup storage system and the destination virtual machine hosting environment. This conversion layer translates virtual machine formats between different hosting environments, enabling restoration flexibility without compromising disaster recovery reliability.
2Ease of manufacture
If virtual machines are restored to the same hosting environment, then format compatibility is maintained, but cost reduction and performance enhancement options are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the format parameter of virtual machine disks through automated conversion processes. By modifying the disk format parameters to match the destination environment's requirements, the system enables restoration to different hosting environments while maintaining compatibility through systematic parameter transformation.
3Speed
If on-demand restore technology is implemented, then restoration speed is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs format conversion and restoration preparation actions in advance, before the actual restoration is needed. By pre-converting formats and preparing restoration packages, the system reduces on-demand restoration time while managing complexity through automated preprocessing workflows.
Data Source
AI summary
Techniques are provided for virtual machine hosting and disaster recovery across virtual machine hosting environments, such as hypervisors, supporting different virtual machine formats. A virtual machine is hosted by a first hypervisor that supports a first virtual machine format. Snapshots capturing virtual machine disks of the virtual machine are created and backed up to a cloud storage environment. The snapshots are used to restore the virtual machine as a destination virtual machine hosted by a second hypervisor supporting a second virtual machine format different than the first virtual machine format. As part of restoring the destination virtual machine, virtual machine disks of the virtual machine are reformatted according to the second virtual machine format supported by the second hypervisor.