VM Storage Backup Policy Compliance Tool

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Solution Overview

Problem

The migration of virtual machines from traditional backup protection to the Virtual Volumes framework poses challenges in ensuring data protection compliance, as the lack of visibility into existing backup policies leads to potential errors, resource under-optimization, and unwanted duplication of data protection mechanisms, making it difficult for administrators to maintain backup service level agreements.

Innovation Solution

A compliance tool is introduced to identify and map storage policies with backup policies, reporting any missing or duplicate data protection capabilities, allowing administrators to modify storage policies and optimize data protection configurations, ensuring seamless migration and compliance with backup requirements.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Extent of automation

If virtual machines are migrated from traditional backup protection to the Virtual Volumes framework, then storage policy-based management and automated provisioning are improved, but visibility into existing backup policies is lost leading to potential errors and compliance issues

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveautomated storage provisioningVSAvoidvisibility into backup policies

Core Design Contradiction:

Extent of automationVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The compliance tool implements feedback by continuously monitoring and comparing storage policies against backup policies, providing visibility into compliance status and notifying administrators of any discrepancies. This feedback mechanism ensures that automated provisioning does not compromise policy visibility or compliance.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The compliance tool acts as an intermediary between the Virtual Volumes framework and traditional backup systems, mapping storage policies to backup policies and ensuring compatibility. This intermediary layer preserves visibility into backup policies while enabling automated storage management.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Productivity

If storage policies are implemented without mapping to backup policies, then storage management efficiency is improved, but data protection compliance cannot be ensured

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestorage management efficiencyVSAvoiddata protection compliance

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The compliance tool performs preliminary mapping and validation of storage policies against backup policies before deployment. This preliminary action ensures that compliance requirements are met upfront, preventing errors and maintaining reliability while preserving storage management efficiency.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system replaces manual policy verification with automated compliance checking. The compliance tool automatically maps storage policies to backup policies and validates compliance, substituting manual mechanical processes with automated systematic verification that maintains both efficiency and reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Measurement precision

If manual verification of backup policies is performed, then compliance accuracy is improved, but time consumption and operational complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecompliance verification accuracyVSAvoidtime for policy verification

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The compliance tool enables self-service compliance verification by automatically comparing storage policies against backup policies without requiring manual administrator intervention. This self-service approach maintains high verification accuracy while eliminating time consumption and reducing operational complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

Manual verification processes are replaced with automated policy mapping and compliance checking. The system systematically verifies compliance accuracy through automated mechanisms, maintaining precision while dramatically reducing the time and effort required compared to manual verification.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

4Loss of energy

If backup policies are not mapped to storage policies, then resource optimization is improved, but duplicate data protection mechanisms may be created

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveresource optimizationVSAvoidduplicate data protection mechanisms

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of energyVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The compliance tool provides universal mapping capabilities that work across different storage and backup policy types. By establishing universal mapping rules, the system ensures that a single storage policy can be correctly mapped to appropriate backup policies, preventing duplication while optimizing resource usage across the entire virtualized environment.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The compliance tool provides feedback on policy mapping relationships, identifying potential duplicates and optimization opportunities. This feedback mechanism enables administrators to eliminate redundant data protection mechanisms while maintaining adequate protection levels, thereby optimizing resource utilization.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentUS10628075B1Data protection compliance between storage and backup policies of virtual machines

Publication Date: 2020.04.21 DELL EMC

AI summary

Data protection compliance between virtual machines' storage policies and backup policies is described. A compliance tool identifies a storage policy associated with a virtual machine storage management tool and a virtual machine. The compliance tool identifies a backup policy associated with the virtual machine. If the compliance tool determines that the backup policy has a data protection capability that is missing from the storage policy, the compliance tool outputs a report which indicates that the backup policy has the data protection capability that is missing from the storage policy.