Backup of virtual machines using cloned virtual machines
First Claim
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1. A method for creating a backup of a first virtual machine running on a first host computer in a network of host computers, comprising:
- generating a second virtual machine running on a second host computer in the network of host computers, the second virtual machine being a copy of the first virtual machine, said generating comprising;
generating the second virtual machine in a suspended state on the second host computer;
transferring a copy of memory and non-memory state information associated with the first virtual machine to the second virtual machine, said transferring comprising;
while the first virtual machine is running,transferring a complete copy of the memory state information to the second virtual machine, anditeratively identifying items of the memory state information that were modified after copies of the items were transferred to the second virtual machine and retransferring copies of the identified items to the second virtual machine until the number of identified items falls below a predetermined threshold;
placing the first virtual machine in a suspended state;
while the first virtual machine is in the suspended state,transferring a copy of the non-memory state information to the second virtual machine; and
retransferring to the second virtual machine copies of any remaining identified items of memory state information that were modified after copies of the items were transferred to the second virtual machine; and
placing the first virtual machine back in a running state;
creating a virtual disk for the second virtual machine, said creating the virtual disk for the second virtual machine comprising obtaining a copy of a virtual disk associated with the first virtual machine; and
placing the second virtual machine in a running state;
obtaining a snapshot of the virtual disk associated with the second virtual machine; and
creating a first backup based on at least the snapshot of the virtual disk associated with the second virtual machine.
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Abstract
A system and method for creating a backup of a virtual machine running on a host computer is described herein. The system and method operate by creating a copy or “clone” of a virtual machine running on a first host computer on a second host machine connected thereto. After generation of the clone, a backup of the virtual hard disk of the clone can be obtained in a manner that does not consume any resources of the first host machine. The backup of the virtual hard disk of the clone can then be used as the backup of the original virtual machine.
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Citations
18 Claims
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1. A method for creating a backup of a first virtual machine running on a first host computer in a network of host computers, comprising:
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generating a second virtual machine running on a second host computer in the network of host computers, the second virtual machine being a copy of the first virtual machine, said generating comprising; generating the second virtual machine in a suspended state on the second host computer; transferring a copy of memory and non-memory state information associated with the first virtual machine to the second virtual machine, said transferring comprising; while the first virtual machine is running, transferring a complete copy of the memory state information to the second virtual machine, and iteratively identifying items of the memory state information that were modified after copies of the items were transferred to the second virtual machine and retransferring copies of the identified items to the second virtual machine until the number of identified items falls below a predetermined threshold; placing the first virtual machine in a suspended state; while the first virtual machine is in the suspended state, transferring a copy of the non-memory state information to the second virtual machine; and retransferring to the second virtual machine copies of any remaining identified items of memory state information that were modified after copies of the items were transferred to the second virtual machine; and placing the first virtual machine back in a running state; creating a virtual disk for the second virtual machine, said creating the virtual disk for the second virtual machine comprising obtaining a copy of a virtual disk associated with the first virtual machine; and placing the second virtual machine in a running state; obtaining a snapshot of the virtual disk associated with the second virtual machine; and creating a first backup based on at least the snapshot of the virtual disk associated with the second virtual machine. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A system, comprising:
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a first host computer comprising a first virtualization layer, a first virtual machine executing on the first virtualization layer, first cloning logic within the first virtualization layer, and first backup logic; a second host computer connected to the first host computer, the second host computer comprising a second virtualization layer, second cloning logic within the second virtualization layer, and second backup logic; the first and second cloning logic being configured to generate a second virtual machine on the second host computer responsive to the initiation of a backup process by the first and/or second backup logic, the second virtual machine being a copy of the first virtual machine, the first and second cloning logic being configured to generate the second virtual machine running on the second host computer by; generating the second virtual machine in a suspended state on the second host computer; transferring a copy of memory and non-memory state information associated with the first virtual machine to the second virtual machine, the first and second cloning logic being configured to transfer the copy of the memory and non-memory state information associated with the first virtual machine to the second virtual machine by; while the first virtual machine is running, transferring a complete copy of the memory state information to the second virtual machine; and iteratively identifying items of the memory state information that were modified after copies of the items were transferred to the second virtual machine and retransferring copies of the identified items to the second virtual machine until the number of identified items falls below a predetermined threshold; placing the first virtual machine in a suspended state; while the first virtual machine is in the suspended state, transferring a copy of the non-memory state information to the second virtual machine; and retransferring to the second virtual machine copies of any remaining identified items of memory state information that were modified after copies of the items were transferred to the second virtual machine; and placing the first virtual machine back in a running state; creating a virtual disk for the second virtual machine, said creating the virtual disk for the second virtual machine comprising obtaining a copy of a virtual disk associated with the first virtual machine; and placing the second virtual machine in a running state; the second backup logic being configured to obtain a snapshot of the virtual disk associated with the second virtual machine and to create a first backup based on at least the snapshot of the virtual disk associated with the second virtual machine. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method for creating a backup of a first virtual machine running on a first host computer in a network of host computers, comprising:
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generating a second virtual machine running on a second host computer in the network of host computers, the second virtual machine being a copy of the first virtual machine; obtaining a snapshot of a virtual disk associated with the second virtual machine; generating a third virtual machine running on the second host computer, the third virtual machine being a copy of the first virtual machine; obtaining a snapshot of a virtual disk associated with the third virtual machine; and creating an incremental backup based on at least the snapshot of the virtual disk associated with the second virtual machine and the snapshot of the virtual disk associated with the third virtual machine. - View Dependent Claims (16)
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17. A method for creating a backup of a first virtual machine running on a first host computer in a network of host computers, comprising:
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generating a second virtual machine running on a second host computer in the network of host computers, the second virtual machine being a copy of the first virtual machine; obtaining a snapshot of a virtual disk associated with the second virtual machine; creating a first backup based on at least the snapshot of the virtual disk associated with the second virtual machine; generating a third virtual machine running on a host computer in the network of host computers, the third virtual machine being a copy of the first virtual machine at a point in time after the a virtual disk associated with the first virtual machine was copied to create the virtual disk associated with the second virtual machine; obtaining a snapshot of a virtual disk associated with the third virtual machine; and creating a second backup based on at least the snapshot of the virtual disk associated with the third virtual machine. - View Dependent Claims (18)
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Specification