METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR REPLICATED DATA TEST FAILOVER

• US 20150324260A1
• Filed: 05/06/2015
• Published: 11/12/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Actifio, Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: MUTALIK, Madhav, PALAPARTHI, Srikanth
• Granted Patent: US 9,792,187 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1451 by selection of backup contents
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1469 Backup restoration techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1484 involving virtual machines
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/202 where processing functionality is redundant redundant communication control functionality G06F11/2005, redundant storage control functionality G06F11/2089
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/203 using migration
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2009/45562 Creating, deleting, cloning virtual machine instances
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2009/45575 Starting, stopping, suspending or resuming virtual machine instances
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2009/45591 Monitoring or debugging support
• 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 2201/84 Using snapshots, i.e. a logical point-in-time copy of the data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/45558 Hypervisor-specific management and integration aspects

Abstract

Systems and methods for facilitating test failover on a remote virtual machine without creating a full copy of the remote virtual machine. A snapshot is created of a remote virtual machine disk, the remote virtual machine disk protecting a source virtual machine disk. An instant, thin provisioned virtual machine is created from the snapshot, and the instant, thin provisioned virtual machine is powered on based on a received instruction to power on the instant, thin provisioned virtual machine thereby creating a running instance of a virtual machine, thereby facilitating test failover on the remote virtual machine without creating a full copy of the remote virtual machine.

Claims

1. A computerized method of facilitating test failover on a remote virtual machine without creating a full copy of the remote virtual machine, the method comprising:

transmitting an instruction, by a computing device, to a remote hypervisor to create a snapshot of a remote virtual machine disk, the remote virtual machine disk protecting a source virtual machine disk, wherein protecting the source virtual machine disk comprises;

receiving, by the computing device, data indicative of a full backup of a source virtual machine disk, the source virtual machine disk including data corresponding to the source virtual machine and an associated source virtual machine metadata; and

creating from the full backup, by the computing device, the remote virtual machine and a remote virtual machine disk including data from the source virtual machine;

transmitting a second instruction, by the computing device, to the remote hypervisor to create an instant, thin provisioned virtual machine from the snapshot, wherein creating the instant, thin provisioned virtual machine from the snapshot further comprises creating a copy-on-write reference virtual disk from the snapshot, the copy-on-write reference virtual disk including a reference to the remote virtual machine disk; and

transmitting a third instruction, by the computing device, to the remote hypervisor to power on the instant, thin provisioned virtual machine based on a received instruction to power on the instant, thin provisioned virtual machine thereby creating a running instance of a virtual machine,

thereby facilitating test failover on the remote virtual machine without creating a full copy of the remote virtual machine.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein protecting the source virtual machine disk further comprises updating, by the computing device, the remote virtual machine disk during a subsequent backup with deduplicated data, the deduplicated data associated with data corresponding to the source virtual machine disk at a first point time that is different than data corresponding to a the source virtual machine disk at a prior point in time.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the snapshot comprises a copy of a state of the remote virtual machine disk at a time corresponding to a prior successful replication.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising transmitting an instruction, by the computing device, to the remote hypervisor to store modifications made to the remote virtual machine after creating the snapshot to delta files such that the newer modification do not affect the contents of the remote virtual machine disks.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the delta files include references to the remote virtual machine disks.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting an instruction, by the computing device, to the remote hypervisor to catalog, by the computing device, an instant, thin provisioned virtual machine image corresponding to the instant, thin provisioned virtual machine when the instant, thin provisioned virtual machine is powered on such that the user or the computing device can identify the instant, thin provisioned virtual machine image.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising receiving an instruction, by the computing device, to delete data associated with the instant, thin provisioned virtual machine, wherein deleting the data associated with the instant, thin provisioned virtual machine comprises identifying the instant, thin provisioned virtual machine image corresponding to the instant, thin provisioned virtual machine data.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein creating the instant, thin provisioned virtual machine comprises creating instant, thin provisioned virtual machine using an application programming interface.

9. The method of claim 1 further used for disaster recovery.

10. A computing system for facilitating test failover on a remote virtual machine without creating a full copy of the remote virtual machine, the method comprising:

a processor; and

a memory coupled to the processor and including computer-readable instructions, that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to;

transmit an instruction to a remote hypervisor to create a snapshot of a remote virtual machine disk, the remote virtual machine disk protecting a source virtual machine disk, wherein protecting the source virtual machine disk further causes the processor to;

receive data indicative of a full backup of a source virtual machine disk, the source virtual machine disk including data corresponding to the source virtual machine and an associated source virtual machine metadata; and

create from the full backup the remote virtual machine and a remote virtual machine disk including data from the source virtual machine;

transmit a second instruction to the remote hypervisor to create an instant, thin provisioned virtual machine from the snapshot, wherein creating the instant, thin provisioned virtual machine from the snapshot further comprises creating a copy-on-write reference virtual disk from the snapshot, the copy-on-write reference virtual disk including a reference to the remote virtual machine disk; and

transmit a third instruction to the remote hypervisor to power on the instant, thin provisioned virtual machine based on a received instruction to power on the instant, thin provisioned virtual machine thereby creating a running instance of a virtual machine,

thereby facilitating test failover on the remote virtual machine without creating a full copy of the remote virtual machine.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein protecting the source virtual machine disk further causes the processor to update the remote virtual machine disk during a subsequent backup with deduplicated data, the deduplicated data associated with data corresponding to the source virtual machine disk at a first point time that is different than data corresponding to a the source virtual machine disk at a prior point in time.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the snapshot comprises a copy of a state of the remote virtual machine disk at a time corresponding to a prior successful replication.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the processor is further caused to transmit an instruction, to the remote hypervisor to store modifications made to the remote virtual machine after creating the snapshot to delta files such that the newer modification do not affect the contents of the remote virtual machine disks.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the delta files include references to the remote virtual machine disks.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the processor is further caused to transmit an instruction, to the remote hypervisor to catalog an instant, thin provisioned virtual machine image corresponding to the instant, thin provisioned virtual machine when the instant, thin provisioned virtual machine is powered on such that the user or the computing device can identify the instant, thin provisioned virtual machine image.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the processor is further caused to receive an instruction, to delete data associated with the instant, thin provisioned virtual machine, wherein deleting the data associated with the instant, thin provisioned virtual machine comprises identifying the instant, thin provisioned virtual machine image corresponding to the instant, thin provisioned virtual machine data.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein creating the instant, thin provisioned virtual machine further causes the processor to create an instant, thin provisioned virtual machine using an application programming interface.

18. The system of claim 10 further used for disaster recovery.

19. A non-transitory computer readable medium having executable instructions operable to cause an apparatus to:

transmit an instruction to a remote hypervisor to create a snapshot of a remote virtual machine disk, the remote virtual machine disk protecting a source virtual machine disk, wherein protecting the source virtual machine disk further causes the apparatus to;

receive data indicative of a full backup of a source virtual machine disk, the source virtual machine disk including data corresponding to the source virtual machine and an associated source virtual machine metadata; and

create from the full backup the remote virtual machine and a remote virtual machine disk including data from the source virtual machine;

transmit a second instruction to the remote hypervisor to create an instant, thin provisioned virtual machine from the snapshot, wherein creating the instant, thin provisioned virtual machine from the snapshot further comprises creating a copy-on-write reference virtual disk from the snapshot, the copy-on-write reference virtual disk including a reference to the remote virtual machine disk; and

transmit a third instruction to the remote hypervisor to power on the instant, thin provisioned virtual machine based on a received instruction to power on the instant, thin provisioned virtual machine thereby creating a running instance of a virtual machine, thereby facilitating test failover on the remote virtual machine without creating a full copy of the remote virtual machine.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 19, wherein the apparatus is further caused to transmit an instruction, to the remote hypervisor to catalog an instant, thin provisioned virtual machine image corresponding to the instant, thin provisioned virtual machine when the instant, thin provisioned virtual machine is powered on such that the user or the computing device can identify the instant, thin provisioned virtual machine image.