Virtual Machine Snapshot via Segmented Data Copy

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing technologies face challenges in efficiently creating snapshots of storage units associated with virtual machines, particularly in managing data growth and ensuring reliable data protection while minimizing impact on productivity.

Innovation Solution

A method is described that involves requesting a host computing device to perform a virtual machine snapshot, identifying virtual data stores based on metadata, requesting a primary storage device to perform a storage unit snapshot, and merging changes to the virtual machine snapshot once the storage unit snapshot is complete.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a virtual machine snapshot is created by copying all data to a new location, then data protection reliability is improved, but storage space consumption increases and productivity is impacted

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata protection reliabilityVSAvoidproductivity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the snapshot data into two parts: unchanged data remains at the original location while only changed data is copied to a new location. This is achieved by identifying and separating modified data blocks from the original virtual machine data, allowing the snapshot to be created without duplicating all data.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent performs preliminary identification of changed data blocks before creating the snapshot. By pre-identifying which data blocks have been modified since the last snapshot, the system prepares only the necessary data for copying, minimizing the impact on productivity while ensuring data protection reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Reliability

If a virtual machine snapshot is created by copying all data to a new location, then data protection reliability is improved, but storage space consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata protection reliabilityVSAvoidstorage space consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

3Productivity

If changed data is stored in a different location from the virtual machine data, then data protection efficiency is improved, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata protection efficiencyVSAvoidsystem complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a metadata structure as an intermediary that tracks the location of changed data blocks. This metadata acts as a map between the original virtual machine data and the separated changed data stored in different locations, managing the complexity while maintaining data protection efficiency.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS20250156212A1Targeted backup of virtual machine

Publication Date: 2025.05.15 COMMVAULT SYSTEMS INC

AI summary

A data storage environment can include one or more virtual machines instantiated on a host computing device. Based on physical location data of the one or more virtual machines received from the host computing device, a storage manager can control the performance of a secondary copy operation on one or more storage units that store virtual machine data associated with the one or more virtual machines and/or the performance of a secondary copy operation on the one or more virtual machines.