BACKUP MANAGEMENT METHOD

• US 20100299309A1
• Filed: 07/09/2009
• Published: 11/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Maki, Nobuhiro, Emaru, Hironori
• Application Number:
  US12/500,336
• Publication Number:
  US 20100299309A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/640
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1438 Restarting or rejuvenating
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1479 Generic software techniques for error detection or fault masking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/815 Virtual
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/84 Using snapshots, i.e. a logical point-in-time copy of the data

Abstract

Restoration of all virtual machines are managed in respect of each restoration time thereof in a case where virtual machines at certain time in the past are restored under a server virtualization environment in which a plurality of virtual machines are constituted. A host computer creates a first snapshot of a first virtual machine at a first time specified by a management computer, and stores the first snapshot in a first logical volume of a storage device. Next, the storage system replicates in a second logical volume the first logical volume. In a case where the host computer creates a second snapshot of a second virtual machine at a second time that is before the first time and stores the second snapshot in the first logical volume, the management computer manages or displays the second snapshot creation time and snapshot information in association with the first snapshot creation time and snapshot information, respectively.

Claims

1. A storage system comprising a management computer, a host computer and a storage device, wherein

the host computer provides a first virtual machine and a second virtual machine to the host computer;

the host computer, based on an instruction from the management computer, creates a first snapshot file of the first virtual machine at a first time specified by the management computer, and stores the first snapshot file in a first logical volume of the storage device;

the storage device, based on an instruction from the management computer, replicates in a second logical volume of the storage system the first logical volume;

the management computer manages the first time in association with the first virtual machine snapshot file as the first snapshot file creation time; and

the management computer, in a case where the host computer creates a second snapshot file of the second virtual machine at a second time that is before the first time and stores the second snapshot file in the first logical volume, manages the second snapshot file creation time and a snapshot file of the second virtual machine in association with the first snapshot file creation time and a snapshot file of the first virtual machine.

2. The storage system according to claim 1, wherein the host computer creates the first snapshot file of the first virtual machine at the first time specified by the management computer, and stores the first snapshot file in a second logical volume of a storage system that is externally connected to the storage device.

3. The storage system according to claim 1, wherein the management computer, upon receiving an instruction to restore the first virtual machine at the first time stored in the second logical volume, determines whether only the first virtual machine is to be restored, or the first virtual machine and the second virtual machine are to be restored at the first time.

4. The storage system according to claim 3, wherein, in a case where the management computer has determined that the first virtual machine and the second virtual machine are to be restored at the first time,

(A) the host computer, based on an instruction from the management computer, suspends the first virtual machine and the second virtual machine;

(B) the storage device, based on an instruction from the management computer, writes data stored in the second logical volume back to the first logical volume;

(C) the host computer, based on an instruction from the management computer, boots up the first virtual machine and the second virtual machine, for which data have been written back to the first logical volume; and

(D) the management computer outputs the first snapshot file creation time and the snapshot file of the first virtual machine at the first snapshot file creation time, and the second snapshot file creation time and the snapshot file of the second virtual machine at the snapshot file creation time of the second time.

5. The storage system according to claim 3, wherein the management computer, upon determining that only the first virtual machine is to be restored at the first time, causes a third virtual machine to be provided to the host computer, and

the management computer instructs the host computer to suspend the first virtual machine, to mount the second logical volume of the storage device, and to reference the first virtual machine snapshot file of the second logical volume at the first snapshot file creation time.

6. A management computer which is connected to a host computer that constitutes a first virtual machine and a second virtual machine, and is connected to a storage device having a first logical volume and a second logical volume, wherein

the management computer, in order to restore the first virtual machine at a first time specified by the management computer, instructs the host computer to create a first snapshot file of the first virtual machine at the first time, and to store the first snapshot file in the second logical volume of the storage device;

the management computer instructs the storage device to replicate in the second logical volume of the storage device the first logical volume;

the management computer manages the first time in association with the first virtual machine snapshot file as the first snapshot file time; and

the management computer, in a case where the host computer creates a second snapshot file of the second virtual machine at a second time that is before the first time and stores the second snapshot file in the first logical volume, manages the second snapshot file creation time and the second virtual machine snapshot file in association with the first snapshot file creation time and the first virtual machine snapshot file.

7. The management computer according to claim 6, wherein the management computer instructs the host computer to create a first snapshot file of the first virtual machine at the first time, and to store the first snapshot file in a second logical volume of a storage device that is externally connected to the storage device.

8. A storage system according to claim 6, wherein the management computer, upon receiving an instruction to restore the first virtual machine at the first time stored in the second logical volume, determines whether only the first virtual machine is to be restored, or the first virtual machine and the second virtual machine are to be restored at the first time.

9. The storage system according to claim 8, wherein, in a case where the management computer has determined that the first virtual machine and the second virtual machine are to be restored at the first time,

(A) the management computer instructs the host computer to suspend the first virtual machine and the second virtual machine;

(B) the management computer instructs the storage system to write data stored in the second logical volume back to the first logical volume;

(C) the management computer instructs the host computer to boot up the first virtual machine and the second virtual machine, for which data have been written back to the first logical volume; and

(D) the management computer outputs the first snapshot file creation time and the snapshot file of the first virtual machine at the first snapshot file creation time, and the second snapshot file creation time and the snapshot file of the second virtual machine at the snapshot creation time of the second time.

10. The storage system according to claim 8, wherein, in a case where the management computer has determined that only the first virtual machine is to be restored at the first time,

the management computer instructs the host computer to suspend the first virtual machine, to mount the second logical volume of the storage device, and to reference the first virtual machine snapshot file of the second logical volume at the first snapshot file creation time.

11. A backup management method for a first virtual machine constituting to a host computer in a storage system comprising a management computer, the host computer and a storage device, wherein

the host computer, based on an instruction from the management computer, creates a first snapshot file of a first virtual machine at a first time specified by the management computer, and stores the first snapshot file in a first logical volume of the storage device;

the storage device, based on an instruction from the management computer, replicates in a second logical volume of the storage system the first logical volume;

the management computer manages the first time in association with the first virtual machine snapshot file as the first snapshot file creation time; and

the management computer, in a case where the host computer creates a second snapshot file of a second virtual machine, which is constituted to the host computer, at a second time that is before the first time, and stores the second snapshot file in the first logical volume, manages the second snapshot file creation time and a snapshot file of the second virtual machine in association with the first snapshot file creation time and a snapshot file of the first virtual machine.

12. The backup management method according to claim 11, wherein the host computer creates the first snapshot file of the first virtual machine at the first time specified by the management computer, and stores the first snapshot file in a second logical volume of a storage system that is externally connected to the storage device.

13. The backup management method according to claim 11, wherein the management computer, upon receiving an instruction to restore the first virtual machine at the first time stored in the second logical volume, determines whether only the first virtual machine is to be restored, or the first virtual machine and the second virtual machine are to be restored at the first time.

14. The backup management method according to claim 13, wherein, in a case where the management computer has determined that the first virtual machine and the second virtual machine are to be restored at the first time,

(A) the host computer, based on an instruction from the management computer, suspends the first virtual machine and the second virtual machine;

(B) the storage device, based on an instruction from the management computer, writes data stored in the second logical volume back to the first logical volume;

(C) the host computer, based on an instruction from the management computer, boots up the first virtual machine and the second virtual machine, for which data have been written back to the first logical volume; and

(D) the management computer outputs the first snapshot file creation time and the snapshot file of the first virtual machine at the first snapshot file creation time, and the second snapshot file creation time and the snapshot file of the second virtual machine at the snapshot file creation time of the second time.

15. The backup management method according to claim 13, wherein

the management computer, upon determining that only the first virtual machine is to be restored at the first time, causes a third virtual machine to be provided to the host computer, and

the management computer instructs the host computer to suspend the first virtual machine, to mount the second logical volume of the storage device, and to reference the first virtual machine snapshot file of the second logical volume at the first snapshot file creation time.