SYSTEMS AND METHODS TO IDENTIFY UNCHARACTERIZED AND UNPROTECTED VIRTUAL MACHINES

• US 20140181044A1
• 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, Dornemann, Henry Wallace, Deshpande, Sumer Dilip
• Application Number:
  US13/930,599
• Publication Number:
  US 20140181044A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/654
• 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

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 identifies and categorizes unprotected virtual machines. The system further identifies those unprotected virtual machines that remain uncategorized and notifies a system administrator of the unprotected virtual machines. The system further applies a default backup policy to the uncategorized and unprotected virtual machines to provide protected virtual machines.

Claims

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

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

for one or more categories where each category is associated with criteria and a backup policy, automatically determining with one or more computer processors whether backup characteristics of each virtual machine not associated with a backup policy meet the criteria associated with any category;

for each virtual machine, automatically identifying the virtual machine as unprotected when its backup characteristics do not meet the criteria associated with any category; and

providing a notification of the unprotected virtual machines.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising comparing a list of virtual machines in the data management system with a list of the 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.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising comparing the backup characteristics of each virtual machine not associated with a backup policy to the criteria associated with each category.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein when there is a match between the backup characteristics and the criteria, the virtual machine is assigned the associated backup policy.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the one or more categories comprise auto-discovery rules.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the one or more categories comprise one or more of a cluster category, a data center category, a datastore category, a server category, a guest host name category, an operating system category, a resource pool category, and a virtualization application category.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the notification is provided to a system administrator through a graphical user interface.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising storing an indication of the unprotected virtual machines.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the indication is stored in a database associated with an information manager.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein data from unprotected virtual machines is not backed up by the data management system.

11. A system to identify 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 a virtual machines not associated with a backup policy in an information management cell;

for one or more categories where each category is associated with criteria and a backup policy, automatically determine whether backup characteristics of each virtual machine not associated with a backup policy meet the criteria associated with any category;

for each virtual machine, automatically identify the virtual machine as unprotected when its backup characteristics do not meet the criteria associated with any category; and

provide a notification of the unprotected virtual machines.

12. 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 the 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.

13. The system of claim 11 wherein the computer-readable instructions are further configured to compare the backup characteristics of each virtual machine not associated with a backup policy to the criteria associated with each category.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein when there is a match between the backup characteristics and the criteria, the virtual machine is assigned the associated backup policy.

15. The system of claim 11 wherein the one or more categories comprise auto-discovery rules.

16. The system of claim 11 wherein the one or more categories comprise one or more of a cluster category, a data center category, a datastore category, a server category, a guest host name category, an operating system category, a resource pool category, and a virtualization application category.

17. The system of claim 11 wherein the notification is provided to a system administrator through a graphical user interface.

18. The system of claim 11 wherein the computer-executable instructions are further configured to store an indication of the unprotected virtual machines.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the indication is stored in a database associated with an information manager.

20. The system of claim 11 data from unprotected virtual machines is not backed up by the data management system.