Remote, Granular Restore from Full Virtual Machine Backup

• US 20090313447A1
• Filed: 06/13/2008
• Published: 12/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Veritas Technologies, LLC (Whitehouse Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Symantec Operating Corporation (NortonLifeLock Inc.)
• Inventors: Naftel, Timothy M., Nguyen, Sinh D.
• Granted Patent: US 8,577,845 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 711/162
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1451 by selection of backup contents
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1458 Management of the backup or restore process
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1469 Backup restoration techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2009/45562 Creating, deleting, cloning virtual machine instances
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/45558 Hypervisor-specific management and integration aspects

Abstract

In one embodiment, a backup application transmits a remote request to a virtual machine that includes an application to be backed up. The request solicits metadata from the application that describes a structure of the data stored by the application on the virtual storage devices of the virtual machine. Using the metadata, the backup application may identify objects within the virtual machine (e.g. individual files, individual messages, database records or tables, etc.). Accordingly, a granular restore of data to the virtual machine may be possible without installing backup software within the virtual machine.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

requesting metadata from an application executing on a virtual machine, the request originating external to the virtual machine, and the metadata describing a logical structure of the data stored on one or more virtual storage devices in the virtual machine;

requesting a first image of the virtual machine from a virtual machine monitor that controls the virtual machine; and

storing the metadata and the first image as a backup of the virtual machine.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising performing storage mapping on the one or more virtual storage devices using the metadata to create a catalog of objects in the logical structure and locations of the objects on the one or more virtual storage devices.

3. The method as recited in claim 2 further comprising storing the catalog as part of the backup of the virtual machine.

4. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising remotely logging into an account on the virtual machine to transmit the request for the metadata.

5. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

presenting objects stored on the one or more virtual storage devices to a user in response to a restore request;

accepting user input identifying one or more objects to restore, the user input excluding at least one object that is stored on the one or more virtual storage devices;

extracting the identified objects from the first image of the virtual machine; and

restoring identified objects to a second image of the virtual machine that is different from the first image.

6. The method as recited in claim 5 further comprising requesting the second image from the virtual machine manager.

7. The method as recited in claim 5 wherein the restoring comprises modifying the second image to store the identified objects on the one or more virtual storage devices.

8. The method as recited in claim 7 further comprising:

detecting one or more additional objects to be restored to synchronize the second image to a consistent state;

extracting the additional objects from the first image of the virtual machine; and

restoring the additional objects to the second image of the virtual machine.

9. The method as recited in claim 5 further comprising signalling the virtual machine manager to start the virtual machine from the second image.

10. A computer accessible storage medium storing a plurality of instructions including instructions which, when executed on a backup server that is separate from a computer system that executes a virtual machine that includes an application:

request metadata from the application, the metadata describing a logical structure of the data stored on one or more virtual storage devices in the virtual machine;

request a first image of the virtual machine from a virtual machine monitor that controls the virtual machine; and

store the metadata and the first image as a backup of the virtual machine.

11. The computer accessible storage medium as recited in claim 10 wherein the instructions, when executed, perform storage mapping on the one or more virtual storage devices using the metadata to create a catalog of objects in the logical structure and locations of the objects on the one or more virtual storage devices.

12. The computer accessible storage medium as recited in claim 11 wherein the instructions, when executed, store the catalog as part of the backup of the virtual machine.

13. The computer accessible storage medium as recited in claim 10 wherein the instructions, when executed, remotely log into an account on the virtual machine to transmit the request for the metadata.

14. The computer accessible storage medium as recited in claim 10 wherein the instructions, when executed:

present objects stored on the one or more virtual storage devices to a user in response to a restore request;

accept user input identifying one or more objects to restore, the user input excluding at least one object that is stored on the one or more virtual storage devices;

extract the identified objects from the first image of the virtual machine; and

restore identified objects to a second image of the virtual machine that is different from the first image.

15. The computer accessible storage medium as recited in claim 14 wherein the instructions, when executed:

detect one or more additional objects to be restored to synchronize the second image to a consistent state;

extract the additional objects from the first image of the virtual machine; and

restore the additional objects to the second image of the virtual machine.

16. A system comprising:

a computer system configured to execute at least one virtual machine, wherein the virtual machine comprises an application and one or more virtual storage devices; and

a backup server coupled to the computer system and configured to backup up the virtual machine, wherein the backup server permits a restore of selected objects from a backup to the virtual machine while not restoring other objects, and wherein the backup server permits the restore of selected objects without installing software within the virtual machine.

17. The system as recited in claim 16 wherein the backup server is configured to request metadata from the virtual machine, the metadata describing a logical structure of the data on the one or more virtual storage devices, and wherein the backup server is configured to request a first image of the virtual machine from a virtual machine manager that controls the virtual machine on the computer system, and wherein the backup server is configured to store the first image and the metadata as a backup of the virtual machine.

18. The system as recited in claim 17 wherein the backup server is further configured to perform storage mapping on the one or more virtual storage devices using the metadata to create a catalog of objects in the logical structure and locations of the objects on the one or more virtual storage devices, and wherein the backup server is further configured to store the catalog as part of the backup of the virtual machine.

19. The system as recited in claim 16 wherein the backup server is further configured to present objects stored on the one or more virtual storage devices to a user in response to a restore request;

accept user input identifying one or more objects to restore, the user input excluding at least one object that is stored on the one or more virtual storage devices;

extract the identified objects from the first image of the virtual machine; and

restore identified objects to a second image of the virtual machine that is different from the first image.

20. The system as recited in claim 19 wherein the backup server is further configured to detect one or more additional objects to be restored to synchronize the second image to a consistent state;

extract the additional objects from the first image of the virtual machine; and

restore the additional objects to the second image of the virtual machine.