CROSS-PLATFORM OBJECT LEVEL RESTORATION FROM IMAGE LEVEL BACKUPS

• US 20110196842A1
• Filed: 02/04/2011
• Published: 08/11/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Veeam Software Group GmbH
• Original Assignee: Veeam Software International Ltd.
• Inventors: TIMASHEV, Ratmir, GOSTEV, Anton
• Granted Patent: US 9,015,129 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/679
• 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 2201/815 Virtual

Abstract

Systems and methods for restoring file system objects from image level backups of servers. The method receives a selection of an image level backup of a source, file system object(s) to be restored, and restoration parameters identifying a destination. The method initializes and attaches a virtual storage to a virtual appliance and an associated hypervisor. The method stores virtual storage data changes resulting from the file system object restoration in changes storage. The method preserves file system object information, wherein the file system object information corresponds to the source operating system (OS) and file system. The method preserves file system object information such as permissions and ownership through business logic that ensures that the file system object information for restored file system object(s) on the destination match file system object information from the source, even when the method operates on a host running a different OS than the source server.

Claims

1. A system for restoring a file system object from an image level backup, comprising:

a display device having an interactive user interface configured to receive a selection of an image level backup and restoration parameters, wherein the restoration parameters include at least;

selection of at least one file system object within the image level backup;

file system object information associated with the at least one file system object; and

selection of a destination host to which the at least one file system object is to be restored;

a virtual appliance comprising;

a file system module enabling the virtual appliance to read data from a file system type corresponding to the at least one file system object; and

a file system object transfer module enabling the virtual appliance to copy the at least one file system object to the destination host, wherein the file system object transfer module is configured to preserve the file system object information,

wherein the virtual appliance is coupled to a hypervisor, wherein the hypervisor is configured to launch the virtual appliance;

a virtual storage coupled to the virtual appliance;

a changes storage used to store virtual disk data changes inflicted by restoration of the at least one file system object, wherein the changes storage is implemented using virtual storage logic; and

a restore business logic module coupled to the hypervisor, wherein the restore business logic module is configured to restore, using the restoration parameters and the file system object transfer module, the at least one file system object to the destination host, and wherein the restore business logic module is configured to preserve the file system object information for the restored at least one file system object on the selected destination host.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the changes storage is implemented using backup file storage capabilities.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the restoration parameters further comprise platform information for a source of the image level backup, and wherein the virtual appliance further comprises an operating system (OS) corresponding to the platform information.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the hypervisor has disk input output (I/O) redirection capabilities, and wherein the changes storage is implemented using the hypervisor disk I/O redirection capabilities, and wherein the hypervisor disk I/O redirection capabilities include the capability to create snapshots.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the file system object transfer module comprises file copy commands.

6. The system of claim 3, wherein the file system object transfer module comprises a server application corresponding to the platform information, the server application enabling selection and copying of the selected at least one file system object.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising a restore operator console running on a local host having a user interface, wherein the user interface is used to select the image level backup and restoration parameters.

8. The system of claim 3, wherein the platform information comprises an operating system (OS) running on the source and one or more file systems supported by an OS of the source.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein at least one of the file systems supported by the source OS is not a file system supported by a local host.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein at least one of the file systems supported by the destination OS is not a file system supported by the local host.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the file system object information comprises timestamp information, permission information, and ownership information.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the ownership information indicates a user identifier (UID) that owns the at least one file system object on the source.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the ownership information indicates a group identifier (GID) that owns the at least one file system object on the source.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the permission information indicates one or more of user or group privileges for the at least one file system object, and wherein the user or group privileges include at least read, write, and delete privileges.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the file system object is one or more of a file or a directory.

16. A method for restoring a file system object from an image level backup, comprising:

receiving a selection of an image level backup;

receiving restoration parameters, wherein the restoration parameters include at least;

selection of at least one file system object within the image level backup;

file system object information associated with the at least one file system object; and

selection of a destination host which the at least one file system object is to be restored;

initializing virtual storage;

launching a virtual appliance comprising;

a file system module enabling the virtual appliance to read data from a file system type corresponding to the at least one file system object; and

a file system object transfer module enabling the virtual appliance to copy the at least one file system object to the destination host, wherein the file system object transfer module is configured to preserve the file system object information,

wherein the virtual appliance is coupled to a hypervisor, wherein the hypervisor is configured to launch the virtual appliance, and wherein the virtual storage is coupled to the virtual appliance;

attaching the virtual storage to the hypervisor;

attaching a changes storage to the virtual storage, wherein the changes storage used to store virtual disk data changes inflicted by restoration of the at least one file system object, and wherein the changes storage is implemented using virtual storage logic; and

executing restore business logic, wherein the restore business logic is configured to restore, using the received restoration parameters, the at least one file system object to the selected destination host, and wherein the restore business logic preserves the file system object information for the restored at least one file system object on the selected destination host.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the restoration parameters further comprise platform information for a source of the image level backup, and wherein the virtual appliance further comprises an operating system (OS) corresponding to the platform information.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the hypervisor has disk input output (I/O) redirection capabilities, and wherein the changes storage is implemented using the hypervisor disk I/O redirection capabilities.

19. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform operations comprising:

receiving a selection of an image level backup;

receiving restoration parameters, wherein the restoration parameters include at least;

platform information for a source of the selected image level backup;

selection of at least one file system object within the image level backup;

file system object information associated with the at least one file system object; and

selection of a destination host which the at least one file system object is to be restored;

initializing virtual storage;

launching a virtual appliance comprising;

an operating system (OS) corresponding to the platform information; and

a file system module enabling the virtual appliance to read data from a file system type corresponding to the at least one file system object; and

a file system object transfer module enabling the virtual appliance to copy the at least one file system object to the destination host, wherein the file system object transfer module is configured to preserve the file system object information,

wherein the virtual appliance is coupled to a hypervisor, wherein the hypervisor is configured to launch the virtual appliance, and wherein the virtual storage is coupled to the virtual appliance;

attaching the virtual storage to the hypervisor;

attaching a changes storage to the virtual storage, wherein the changes storage used to store virtual disk data changes inflicted by restoration of the at least one file system object, and wherein the changes storage is implemented using virtual storage logic; and

executing restore business logic, wherein the restore business logic is configured to restore, using the received restoration parameters, the at least one file system object to the selected destination host, and wherein the restore business logic preserves the file system object information for the restored at least one file system object on the selected destination host.

20. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the changes storage is implemented using backup file storage capabilities.