SYSTEMS AND METHODS TO CATEGORIZE UNPROTECTED VIRTUAL MACHINES

• US 20140181038A1
• Filed: 06/28/2013
• Published: 06/26/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: CommVault Systems Incorporated
• Original Assignee: CommVault Systems Incorporated
• Inventors: Pawar, Rahul S., Kottomtharayil, Rajiv, Gokhale, Parag, Deshpande, Sumer Dilip, Dornemann, Henry Wallace
• Application Number:
  US13/930,918
• Publication Number:
  US 20140181038A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/650
• 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 11/1461 Backup scheduling policy
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1464 for networked environments
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1484 involving virtual machines
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/13 File access structures, e.g. distributed indices arrangements of input from, or output to, record carriers G06F3/06
• 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

Abstract

Virtualization sprawl can lead to virtual machines with no designated periodic backup. If the data associated with these unprotected virtual machines is not backed up, it cannot be restored if needed, leading to system failures. A data storage system identifies and protects the unprotected virtual machines. For instance, the system automatically determines whether characteristics of the unprotected virtual machines meet characterization rules for backup policies and assigns backup policies to the unprotected virtual machines whose characteristics meet the characterization rules for a certain backup policy. The system further identifies those unprotected virtual machines that remain uncategorized and applies a default backup policy to the uncategorized and unprotected virtual machines to provide protected virtual machines.

Claims

1. A method to categorize unprotected virtual machines in a data management system, the method comprising:

automatically identifying with one or more computer processors one or more virtual machines not associated with a backup policy in a data management system;

automatically retrieving with one or more computer processors backup characteristics of each virtual machine not associated with a backup policy;

automatically retrieving with one or more computer processors one or more categories, each category associated with criteria and a backup policy;

automatically comparing with one or more computer processors the backup characteristics of each virtual machine not associated with a backup policy with the criteria associated with each category; and

when the backup characteristics of the virtual machine match the criteria associated with the category, automatically applying with one or more computer processors the associated backup policy to the virtual machine.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising automatically identifying virtual machines not associated with a backup policy and not matching the criteria of any category as uncategorized virtual machines.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising comparing a list of virtual machines in the data management system with a list of computing devices in the data management system, each computing device associated with a backup policy, the list of virtual machines stored in a database associated with virtual machine management software and the list of computing devices stored in a database associated with an information manager for the data management system.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the backup characteristics are stored in a database associated with an information manager.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising querying each virtual machine not associated with a backup policy and receiving the backup characteristics from each queried virtual machine.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein an information manager queries each virtual machine not associated with a backup policy.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the backup characteristics are retrieved from a database associated with virtual machine management software.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the backup characteristics comprise one or more of a type of client, a processor platform, an operating system, a type of software, a version of software, a user, a location of the user, a department assigned to the virtual machine, a name of the virtual machine, a guest domain name system (DNS) hostname, a guest operating system, and a location of one or more of a folder, a resource pool, a datacenter, and a virtual machine datastore.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising automatically assigning the associated backup policy to the virtual machine and storing the assignment.

11. A system to categorize unprotected virtual machines in an information management cell, the system comprising:

computer hardware including one or more computer processors; and

computer-readable storage comprising computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the computer hardware to perform operations defined by the computer-readable instructions, the computer-readable instructions configured to;

automatically identify one or more virtual machines not associated with a backup policy in an information management cell;

automatically retrieve backup characteristics of each virtual machine not associated with a backup policy;

automatically retrieve one or more categories, each category associated with criteria and a backup policy;

automatically compare the backup characteristics of each virtual machine not associated with a backup policy with the criteria associated with each category; and

when the backup characteristics of the virtual machine match the criteria associated with the category, automatically apply the associated backup policy to the virtual machine.

10. The method of claim 11 wherein the assignment is stored in a database associated with an information manager.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the computer-readable instructions are further configured to automatically identify virtual machines not associated with a backup policy and not matching the criteria of any category as uncategorized virtual machines.

13. The system of claim 11 wherein the computer-readable instructions are further configured to compare a list of virtual machines in the information management cell with a list of computing devices in the information management cell, each computing device associated with a backup policy, the list of virtual machines stored in a database associated with virtual machine management software and the list of computing devices stored in a database associated with an information manager for the information management cell.

14. The system of claim 11 wherein the backup characteristics are stored in a database associated with an information manager.

15. The system of claim 11 wherein the computer-readable instructions are further configured to query each virtual machine not associated with a backup policy and to receive the backup characteristics from each queried virtual machine.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein an information manager queries each virtual machine not associated with a backup policy.

17. The system of claim 11 wherein the backup characteristics are retrieved from a database associated with virtual machine management software.

18. The system of claim 11 wherein the backup characteristics comprise one or more of a type of client, a processor platform, an operating system, a type of software, a version of software, a user, a location of the user, a department assigned to the virtual machine, a name of the virtual machine, a guest domain name system (DNS) hostname, a guest operating system, and a location of one or more of a folder, a resource pool, a datacenter, and a virtual machine datastore.

19. The system of claim 11 wherein the computer-readable instructions are further configured to automatically assign the applied backup policy to the virtual device and store the assignment.

20. The system of claim 11 wherein the categories comprise categories of auto-discovery rules.