METHOD FOR APPLICATION BACKUP IN THE VMWARE CONSOLIDATED BACKUP FRAMEWORK

• US 20090216816A1
• Filed: 02/27/2008
• Published: 08/27/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Smith, James Patrick, Derk, David George, Basler, Jason Ferris
• Granted Patent: US 8,458,419 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1464 for networked environments
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1466 to make the backup process non-disruptive
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/815 Virtual middleware or OS functionality using virtual machines to implement generic software techniques for error detection or fault masking G06F11/1484

Abstract

Systems and methods for backing up applications executing on a virtual machine are provided. The method comprises submitting a first notification to a remote computing system to prepare an application running on a virtual machine for backup, such that application data consistency is maintained during the backup process; receiving a second notification from the remote computing system, indicating that the application is prepared for backup; creating a snapshot of the virtual machine in response to the second notification; and receiving application data from the computing system to process the snapshot and complete an application-specific backup for the virtual machine.

Claims

1. A method of backing up one or more applications executing on a virtual machine, the method comprising:

preparing an application for backup in response to a first notification from a first system communicatively coupled to a second system on which one or more virtual machines are running, wherein the first system identifies a first virtual machine executing the application and provides the first notification to the first virtual machine to prepare the application for backup, such that application data consistency is maintained during the backup process;

providing a second notification from the second system to the first system, indicating that the application is prepared for backup, wherein the first system creates a snapshot of the first virtual machine in response to the second notification; and

communicating the application data to the first system, wherein the first system utilizes the application data to process the snapshot and complete an application-specific backup for the first virtual machine.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first system is remotely coupled to the second system over a communications network.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first system identifies the first virtual machine executing the application by querying a third system communicatively coupled to the first system, wherein the third system provides information about one or more computing systems, and respective virtual machines running on each computing system.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising preparing the application for backup by utilizing a backup framework locally installed on the second system, wherein the backup framework enables backing up the application data.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the backup framework comprises Microsoft'"'"'s®

Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS) framework.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first system creates a snapshot of the first virtual machine by utilizing a snapshot framework that enables taking a snapshot of the first virtual machine.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the first system utilizes a VMware Consolidated Backup®

(VCB) framework.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first system communicates with the first virtual machine on the second system via backup client software comprising a first software module locally installed on the first system and a second software module locally installed on the second system,

wherein the first software module enables the first system to take a snapshot of a virtual machine running on the second system, and

wherein the second software module enables the second system to backup data associated with an application that runs on a virtual machine on the second system.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein application data consistency is maintained during the backup process by temporarily switching the application into a halt state.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein in the halt state operations that alter the application data are blocked or terminated, without terminating the application.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the first system is remotely coupled to the second system over a communications network.

14. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein execution of the logic code further causes the computing system to prepare the application for backup by utilizing a backup framework locally installed on the second system, wherein the backup framework enables backing up the application data.

17. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein application data consistency is maintained during the backup process by temporarily switching the application into a halt state.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein in the halt state operations that alter the application data are blocked or terminated, without terminating the application.

11. A computer program product comprising a computer usable medium including logic code, wherein the logic code when execute by a computing system causes the computing system to:

prepare an application for backup in response to a first notification from a first system communicatively coupled to a second system on which one or more virtual machines are running, wherein the first system identifies a first virtual machine executing the application and provides the first notification to the first virtual machine to prepare the application for backup, such that application data consistency is maintained during the backup process;

provide a second notification from the second system to the first system, indicating that the application is prepared for backup, wherein the first system creates a snapshot of the first virtual machine in response to the second notification; and

communicate the application data to the first system, wherein the first system utilizes the application data to process the snapshot and complete an application-specific backup for the first virtual machine.

13. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the first system identifies the first virtual machine executing the application by querying a third system communicatively coupled to the first system, wherein the third system provides information about one or more computing systems, and respective virtual machines running on each computing system.

15. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the first system creates a snapshot of the first virtual machine by utilizing a snapshot framework that enables taking a snapshot of a the first virtual machine.

16. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the first system communicates with the first virtual machine on the second system via backup client software comprising a first software module locally installed on the first system and a second software module locally installed on the second system,

wherein the first software module enables the first system to take a snapshot of a virtual machine running on the second system, and

wherein the second software module enables the second system to backup data associated with an application that runs on a virtual machine on the second system.

19. A system comprising:

memory for storing data;

a logic unit to submit a first notification to a remote computing system to prepare an application running on a virtual machine for backup, such that application data consistency is maintained during the backup process;

a logic unit to receive a second notification from the remote computing system, indicating that the application is prepared for backup;

a logic unit to create a snapshot of the virtual machine in response to the second notification; and

a logic unit to receive application data from the computing system to process the snapshot and complete an application-specific backup for the virtual machine.

20. The system of claim 19, further comprising:

a logic unit to communicate with the virtual machine on the remote computing system via backup client software comprising a first software module locally installed on the system and a second software module locally installed on the remote computing system,

wherein the first software module enables the system to take a snapshot of a virtual machine running on the remote computing system, and

wherein the second software module enables the remote computing system to backup data associated with an application that runs on a virtual machine on the remote computing system.