VM Snapshot Packaging for Storage-Optimized Backup Retention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Computing environments lack adequate data protection and storage efficiency for backing up and restoring virtual machines due to overhead and cost, and are not natively compatible with storage environments for leveraging robust storage functionalities.
Innovation Solution
Implementing virtual machine and storage agents that interact with both environments to facilitate backup and restore operations, using metadata to create metafiles and snapshot packages compatible with storage environments, enabling deduplication, compression, and encryption for efficient data management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If snapshots are maintained within the computing environment for backup, then data protection capability is improved, but overhead and cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the backup storage function from the computing environment to a separate storage environment. Snapshots are created in the computing environment but then transferred and stored in the storage environment, which is optimized for long-term retention. This separation reduces the overhead and cost burden on the computing environment while maintaining data protection capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces agents as intermediary components that facilitate communication and data transfer between the computing environment and the storage environment. These agents handle the complexity of backup operations, including snapshot creation, data transformation, and transfer, thereby reducing the direct overhead on the computing environment.
2Duration of action of stationary object
If computing environment maintains snapshots for long-term retention, then backup functionality is improved, but storage cost and overhead increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the long-term storage function from the computing environment to a specialized storage environment optimized for archival and backup purposes. This allows the computing environment to focus on active computing tasks while the storage environment handles long-term retention, reducing storage costs and overhead in the computing environment.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different storage characteristics to different environments: the computing environment uses high-performance storage for active operations, while the storage environment uses cost-effective storage optimized for long-term retention. This local optimization of storage quality reduces overall costs while maintaining appropriate performance levels.
3Adaptability or versatility
If computing environment provides robust storage functionality (deduplication, compression, encryption), then data management capability is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts complex storage management functions (deduplication, compression, encryption) from the computing environment and implements them in the storage environment. This allows the computing environment to maintain simplicity while the storage environment provides robust data management capabilities through specialized hardware and software optimized for these functions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses agents as intermediaries that handle complex storage operations. These agents transform data into formats suitable for the storage environment and manage the transfer process, thereby providing robust data management capabilities without adding significant complexity to the computing environment itself.
4Adaptability or versatility
If computing environment is made natively compatible with storage environment, then interoperability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses agents as intermediary components that provide native compatibility between the computing environment and the storage environment. These agents handle protocol translation, data format transformation, and communication coordination, thereby achieving seamless interoperability without requiring either environment to become inherently more complex.
Data Source
AI summary
Techniques are provided for backing up virtual machines from a computing environment to a storage environment. A virtual machine agent is utilized to generate a snapshot of the virtual machine. Metadata comprising a snapshot identifier of the snapshot and virtual disk information of virtual disks captured by snapshot is generated at the computing environment. The metadata is retrieved and used to create a metafile that is transferred to the storage environment within which snapshots of the virtual machine are to be stored. The snapshot is retrieved from the computing environment and is packaged into a snapshot package having a protocol format used by the storage environment. The snapshot package is transferred to the storage environment.