METHODS, APPARATUSES AND COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCTS FOR SUPPORTING AND PERFORMING DATA REPLICATION OF VIRTUAL MACHINE

• US 20200133502A1
• Filed: 09/27/2019
• Published: 04/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Emc IP Holding Company LLC (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Emc IP Holding Company LLC (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Yang, Lifeng, Gao, Jian, Xu, Xinlei
• Granted Patent: US 11,199,989 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/168 Details of user interfaces specifically adapted to file systems, e.g. browsing and visualisation, 2d or 3d GUIs query results presentation G06F16/156
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/178 Techniques for file synchronisation in file systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/184 implemented as replicated file system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/188 Virtual file systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/248 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0613 in relation to throughput
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0619 in relation to data integrity, e.g. data losses, bit errors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/065 Replication mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0664 at device level, e.g. emulation of a storage device or system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/067 Distributed or networked storage systems, e.g. storage area networks [SAN], network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0673 Single storage device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0689 Disk arrays, e.g. RAID, JBOD

Abstract

Techniques support and perform data replication of a virtual machine. Changed data tracking is performed on a storage unit associated with the virtual machine in a storage system, to obtain changed data related information related to the virtual machine, wherein the changed data related information indicates a range and a type of data change related to the virtual machine; from the changed data related information, changed data related information related to the virtual machine within a specified range is obtained in response to receiving an obtainment request of the storage system for changed data related information within the specified range; and the changed data related information within the specified range is sent to the storage system. Accordingly, changed data related information can be provided to a storage system, such that the storage system can implement an optimized data replication operation based on the changed data related information.

Claims

1. A method of supporting data replication of a virtual machine, comprising:

performing, for a storage unit associated with the virtual machine in a storage system, changed data tracking to obtain changed data related information related to the virtual machine, wherein the changed data related information indicates a range and a type of data change related to the virtual machine;

obtaining, from the changed data related information, changed data related information related to the virtual machine within a specified range, in response to receiving an obtainment request of the storage system for the changed data related information within the specified range; and

sending, to the storage system, the changed data related information within the specified range.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a query request for a storage unit supporting a changed data tracking function from the storage system;

in response to the query request, querying information on a storage unit supporting the changed data tracking function in the storage system; and

sending a response to the query request to the storage system, the response containing queried information on the storage unit.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

receiving a changed data tracking function enabling request for a storage unit associated with the virtual machine from the storage system; and

in response to the changed data tracking function enabling request, enabling the changed data tracking function for the storage unit associated with the virtual machine.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of receiving the obtained request and sending changed data related information within the specified range is performed based on an extended application program interface of a data protection framework of a virtual machine server.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein at least one of receiving the query request and sending the response is performed based on an extended application program interface of a data protection framework of a virtual machine server.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein receiving the changed data tracking function enabling request is performed based on an extended application program interface of a data protection framework of a virtual machine server.

7. A method of performing data replication of a virtual machine, comprising:

in response to receiving a data replication request for the virtual machine, sending, to a virtual machine server, an obtainment request for changed data related information related to the virtual machine within a specified range;

receiving changed data related information related to the virtual machine within the specified range from the virtual machine server, wherein the changed data related information within the specified range indicates a range and a type of data change related to the virtual machine within the specified range;

obtaining a range and a type of data change indicated in the changed data related information within the specified range, and obtaining changed data corresponding to the range of the data change from a storage unit associated with the virtual machine; and

sending information containing the range and the type of the data change and the changed data as obtained to a replication destination storage unit associated with the storage unit.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

forming, based on the changed data related information within the specified range, metadata information related to data replication and storing it into a repository.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

sending, to the virtual machine server, a query request for a storage unit supporting a changed data tracking function; and

receiving a response to the query request from the virtual machine server, the response containing information on a storage unit supporting changed data tracking.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

sending, to the virtual machine server, a changed data tracking function enabling request for the storage unit associated with the virtual machine.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein at least one of sending the obtained request and receiving the changed data related information within the specified range is performed based on an extended application program interface of a data protection framework of a virtual machine server.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein at least one of sending the query request and receiving the response is performed based on an extended application program interface of a data protection framework of a virtual machine server.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein sending the changed data tracking function enabling request is performed based on an extended application program interface of a data protection framework of a virtual machine server.

14. A method of performing data replication of a virtual machine, further comprising:

receiving information containing a range and a type of data change and changed data, the data change being associated with a replication source storage unit of the virtual machine; and

replicating, based on the data change type, the changed data to a data portion corresponding to the change range.

15. An apparatus for supporting data replication of a virtual machine, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory coupled to the processor, the memory having instructions stored therein, the instructions when performed by the processor causing the apparatus to perform acts of;

performing, for a storage unit associated with the virtual machine in a storage system, changed data tracking to obtain changed data related information related to the virtual machine, wherein the changed data related information indicates a range and a type of data change related to the virtual machine;

obtaining, from the changed data related information, changed data related information related to the virtual machine within a specified range, in response to receiving an obtainment request of the storage system for the changed data related information within the specified range; and

sending, to the storage system, the changed data related information within the specified range.

16. An apparatus for performing data replication of a virtual machine, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory coupled to the processor, the memory having instructions stored therein, the instructions when performed by the processor causing the apparatus to perform acts of;

in response to receiving a data replication request for the virtual machine, sending, to a virtual machine server, an obtainment request for changed data related information related to the virtual machine within a specified range;

receiving changed data related information related to the virtual machine within the specified range from the virtual machine server, wherein the changed data related information within the specified range indicates a range and a type of data change related to the virtual machine within the specified range;

obtaining a range and a type of data change indicated in the changed data related information within the specified range, and obtaining changed data corresponding to the range of the data change from a storage unit associated with the virtual machine; and

sending information containing the range and the type of the data change and the changed data as obtained to a replication destination storage unit associated with the storage unit.

17. An apparatus for performing data replication of a virtual machine, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory coupled to the processor, the memory having instructions stored therein, the instructions when performed by the processor causing the apparatus to perform acts of;

receiving information containing a range and a type of data change and changed data, the data change being associated with a replication source storage unit of the virtual machine; and

replicating, based on the data change type, the changed data to a data portion corresponding to the change range.

18. A computer program product having a non-transitory computer readable medium which stores a set of instructions to support data replication of a virtual machine;

the set of instructions, when carried out by computerized circuitry, causing the computerized circuitry to perform a method of;

performing, for a storage unit associated with the virtual machine in a storage system, changed data tracking to obtain changed data related information related to the virtual machine, wherein the changed data related information indicates a range and a type of data change related to the virtual machine;

obtaining, from the changed data related information, changed data related information related to the virtual machine within a specified range, in response to receiving an obtainment request of the storage system for the changed data related information within the specified range; and

sending, to the storage system, the changed data related information within the specified range.

19. A computer program product having a non-transitory computer readable medium which stores a set of instructions to perform data replication of a virtual machine;

the set of instructions, when carried out by computerized circuitry, causing the computerized circuitry to perform a method of;

in response to receiving a data replication request for the virtual machine, sending, to a virtual machine server, an obtainment request for changed data related information related to the virtual machine within a specified range;

receiving changed data related information related to the virtual machine within the specified range from the virtual machine server, wherein the changed data related information within the specified range indicates a range and a type of data change related to the virtual machine within the specified range;

obtaining a range and a type of data change indicated in the changed data related information within the specified range, and obtaining changed data corresponding to the range of the data change from a storage unit associated with the virtual machine; and

sending information containing the range and the type of the data change and the changed data as obtained to a replication destination storage unit associated with the storage unit.

20. A computer program product having a non-transitory computer readable medium which stores a set of instructions to perform data replication of a virtual machine;

the set of instructions, when carried out by computerized circuitry, causing the computerized circuitry to perform a method of;

receiving information containing a range and a type of data change and changed data, the data change being associated with a replication source storage unit of the virtual machine; and

replicating, based on the data change type, the changed data to a data portion corresponding to the change range.