Virtual Machine Migration Backup Rebaselining
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Solution Overview
Problem
Migrating virtual machines from one physical server to another often requires rebaselining, which is computationally expensive and time-consuming, as existing methods necessitate recopying the entire VM's data to a new data store location, even if a prior backup relationship exists.
Innovation Solution
Utilizing a unique identifier (UUID) to determine if a virtual machine has been migrated and if it had a prior data backup relationship, allowing the system to reuse the existing relationship for subsequent backups, thus mitigating the need for rebaselining by avoiding the recopying of all data.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a VM is migrated from one physical server to another, then the system achieves load balancing and server utilization, but a new data backup relationship must be created requiring rebaselining and recopying of the entire VM data
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by monitoring system directories to detect VM migrations before they complete, and proactively determines whether the VM had a prior data backup relationship. This allows the system to prepare for the migration consequences in advance, identifying opportunities to reuse existing backup relationships before the rebaselining process would normally be triggered.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of recopying the entire VM data to a new location in the data store (full rebaselining), the system uses copying selectively by reusing the existing backup relationship and data location. The VM data is copied only if necessary, rather than always recopying the entire dataset, thereby reducing the computational expense and time required for migration.
2Reliability
If a new data backup relationship is created for a migrated VM, then the system maintains data backup integrity, but the process requires computationally expensive recopying of all VM data
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses feedback by monitoring system directories to detect VM migrations and then determining whether the migrated VM had a prior data backup relationship. This feedback loop allows the system to make informed decisions about whether to create a new backup relationship or reuse an existing one, thereby maintaining data backup integrity while avoiding unnecessary computational expense associated with full recopying operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the parameter of the backup relationship by reusing the existing data store location and backup relationship identifier for the migrated VM, rather than creating a new relationship with a new location. This parameter change approach maintains the functional requirements of data backup integrity while significantly reducing the computational resources required, as the VM data remains at its original location and does not need to be recopied.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the system monitors system directories to detect VM migrations, then it can identify prior backup relationships, but this adds complexity to the data management system
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses self-service by monitoring its own system directories to detect VM migrations and automatically determining whether migrated VMs had prior backup relationships. This self-monitoring capability allows the system to adapt to migrations without requiring external management intervention, and the complexity is managed through automated decision-making logic that reuses existing backup relationships when applicable, rather than requiring complex manual reconfiguration processes.
Data Source
AI summary
A virtual machine can be migrated from a first physical server to a second physical server. Rebaselining of the virtual machine after migration can be mitigated, thereby mitigating recopying of the virtual machine's data to a second location on a backup data store, for example. A unique identifier for the virtual machine is used to determine if it has been migrated to another physical server. If a migration is detected, it is determined whether the virtual machine had a data store backup relationship prior to the migration. If a prior data backup relationship is detected, this prior relationship is used for the virtual machine at its migrated location on the second physical server for subsequent data backups. Conformance testing is used to mitigate multiple data backups of the VM, comprising data backups to a data store for both the first and second VM hosting servers.