Using a Data Protection Server to Backup and Restore Data on Virtual Servers

• US 20110131183A1
• Filed: 02/04/2011
• Published: 06/02/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ServiceNow Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Chandhok, Nikhil Vijay, Michael, Michael L., Fries, Robert M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,930,315 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/634
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1458 Management of the backup or restore process
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1464 for networked environments
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1469 Backup restoration techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1471 involving logging of persistent data for recovery
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/27 Replication, distribution or synchronisation of data between databases or within a distributed database system; Distributed database system architectures therefor
• 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 9/455 Emulation; Interpretation; Software simulation, e.g. virtualisation or emulation of application or operating system execution engines

Abstract

A virtual machine may be discovered through a directory service or via an agent that is installed on the host operating system that is running the virtual machine. If the agent is installed on the virtual machine, the agent monitors changes to a set of protected volumes on the virtual machine. If the agent is installed on the host, the agent monitors changes to the protected volumes, which may contain one or more virtual servers on the host. Periodically, these changes from the host or the virtual server are sent to a data protection server. The data protection server updates its replicas of protected volumes with the sent changes. Versions of files on a data protection server corresponding to a volume of a virtual server may be restored to the virtual machine, to another machine, or may be viewed from the data protection server.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

connecting a first machine to a plurality of host machines via a network;

discovering among the plurality of host machines, at least one host machine hosting a plurality of virtual machines;

each virtual machine causing changes to each volume associated with each virtual machine;

sending an agent over a computer network from the first machine to the discovered host machine to cause installation of an agent on the discovered host machine that hosts a plurality of virtual machines, the agent configured to monitor changes to each volume on the discovered host machine caused by each of the plurality of virtual machines; and

receiving on the first machine the changes to each volume and storing the changes in a replica for use in restoring the volume on the discovered host machine.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising discovering the plurality of virtual machines by querying a directory service.

3. The method of claim 1 comprising monitoring changes to the volume by monitoring updates to the volume via a file system filter and creating a log file that includes the changes.

4. The method of claim 3, comprising updating the replica on the first machine with the changes by at least modifying the replica as indicated in the log file.

5. The method of claim 1 comprising monitoring changes to the volume by creating a differencing disk on a host machine upon which at least one virtual machine resides, the differencing disk maintaining changes to the volume.

6. The method of claim 5 comprising updating the replica on the first machine with the changes by at least merging the differencing disk with a disk stored on the first machine to create a new replica.

7. The method of claim 2, comprising causing the installation of the agent to execute in the host machine and not as a process inside a virtual machine;

discovering, by the agent, each of the plurality of virtual machines that are hosted in the host machine; and

providing a list of the plurality of virtual machines to the first machine.

8. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

pausing at least one virtual machine;

inserting a checkpoint record into the log file;

unpausing at least one virtual machine after the record is inserted; and

forwarding data in the log file up to the record to the first machine; and

flushing data of the log file up to the record.

9. A computer-readable storage medium storing computer readable instructions that upon execution on a computing device cause acts comprising:

discovering, over a computer network, a host machine among a plurality of host machines, the host machine hosting a plurality of virtual machines;

sending an agent over the computer network to the discovered host machine to cause installation of the agent on the discovered host machine that hosts a plurality of virtual machines, the agent configured to monitor changes to each volume on the host machine caused by each of the plurality of virtual machines; and

receiving over the computer network the changes to each volume and storing the changes in a replica for use in restoring the volume on the host machine.

10. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 9 further storing computer readable instructions that upon execution on a computing device cause acts comprising querying a directory service to discover the host machine hosting the plurality of virtual machines.

11. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 9 storing computer readable instructions that upon execution on a computing device cause acts comprising monitoring changes to the volume via a file system filter and creating a log file that includes the changes to track changes to the volume.

12. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 storing computer readable instructions that upon execution on a computing device cause acts comprising updating a replica of the volume on the computing device with the changes by at least modifying the replica as indicated in the log file.

13. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 9 storing computer readable instructions that upon execution on a computing device cause acts comprising tracking changes to the volume by creating a differencing disk on a host machine upon which at least one virtual machine resides, the differencing disk maintaining changes to the volume.

14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 13 storing computer readable instructions that upon execution on a computing device cause acts comprising updating the replica on the computing device with the changes by at least merging the differencing disk with a disk stored on the computing device to create a new replica.

15. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10 storing computer readable instructions that upon execution on a computing device cause acts comprising installing an agent on a host machine comprises installing the agent to execute in the host machine and not as a process inside a virtual machine;

discovering, by the agent, each of the plurality of virtual machines that are hosted in the host machine; and

providing a list of the plurality of virtual machines to the computing device.

16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, further storing computer readable instructions that upon execution on a computing device cause acts comprising:

pausing at least one virtual machine;

inserting a checkpoint record into the log file;

unpausing the at least one virtual machine after the record is inserted;

forwarding data in the log file up to the record to the computing device; and

flushing data of the log file up to the record.

17. An apparatus comprising:

a storage device;

a computer device configured to communicate with the storage device when the apparatus is operational; and

a memory in communication with the computing device when the apparatus is operational, the memory storing computer instructions that upon execution on a processor at least cause;

discovery of a host machine connected to the computing device over a network, hosting at least one virtual machines, the host machine in a network of a plurality of host machines, each virtual machine causing changes to each volume associated with each virtual machine;

transmission of an agent over a computer network from a first computer to the discovered host machine to cause installation of the agent on the discovered host machine that hosts a plurality of virtual machines, the agent configured to monitor changes to each volume on the host machine caused by each of the plurality of virtual machines; and

processing on the first computer the changes received to each volume and storing on the storage device the changes to a replica of the volume for use in restoring the volume on the host machine.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 having further stored in the memory computer instructions that upon execution on the computer device at least cause discovery whether the virtual machine exists by querying a directory service.

19. The apparatus of claim 17 having further stored in the memory computer instructions that upon execution on the computer device at least cause tracking of changes to the volume by monitoring changes to the volume via a file system filter and creating a log file that includes the changes.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 having further stored in the memory computer instructions that upon execution on the computer device at least cause updating of the replica with the changes by at least modifying the replica as indicated in the log file.