Storage systems and methods

• US 8,397,039 B2
• Filed: 02/12/2010
• Issued: 03/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Veritas Technologies, LLC (Whitehouse Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Symantec Corporation (NortonLifeLock Inc.)
• Inventors: Dhakras, Nilesh, Gokhale, Aditya
• Primary Examiner(s): CHOE, YONG J
• Application Number:
  US12/705,448
• Publication Number:
  US 20110202734A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,124 Days
• Field of Search: 711/162, 711/E12.001, 711/E12.103, 718/1
• US Class Current: 711/162
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1451 by selection of backup contents
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1456 Hardware arrangements for backup
• 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 9/45533 Hypervisors; Virtual machine monitors

Abstract

Systems and methods for backup test restore are presented. In one embodiment a backup restore test method includes performing a backup process; performing a test restore virtual environment creation process, the test restore virtual environment including a plurality of virtual machines; and performing a test of the backup on the test restore virtual environment. The backup process can include backing up information associated with an application; identifying prerequisites associated with running the application; and backing up information associated with the prerequisites. The test restore virtual environment creation process can include gathering information identifying the prerequisites associated with the application; creating the plurality of virtual machines, wherein the plurality of virtual machines includes virtual machines corresponding to physical machines the application and perquisites run on; and bringing up the plurality of virtual machines utilizing the information from the backup process.

Claims

1. A backup restore test method comprising:

performing a backup process;

performing a test restore virtual environment creation process including;

gathering information identifying prerequisites associated with the application;

creating a plurality of virtual machines included in the test restore virtual environment, wherein the plurality of virtual machines includes virtual machines corresponding to physical machines that the application and perquisites run on;

bringing up the plurality of virtual machines utilizing the information from the backup process; and

performing a test of a backup on the test restore virtual environment.

2. The backup restore test method of claim 1 wherein the backup process includes:

backing up information associated with an application;

identifying prerequisites associated with running the application; and

backing up information associated with the prerequisites.

3. The backup restore test method of claim 1 wherein bringing up the plurality of virtual machines includes coordinating availability of the plurality of the virtual machines and services there on.

4. The memory restore test method of claim 1 wherein the backup process includes collecting application specific configuration information.

5. The backup restore test method of claim 4 further comprising using the application specific configuration information to link backups of different machines associated with the prerequisites.

6. The backup restore test method of claim 1 wherein the test restore virtual environment creation process includes identifying machines associated with running application specific tests.

7. A computer readable storage medium having stored thereon, computer-executable instructions that when executed by a computing device cause the computing device to perform a backup restore test method comprising:

performing a backup process;

performing a test restore virtual environment creation process including;

gathering information identifying prerequisites associated with the application;

creating a plurality of virtual machines included in the test restore virtual environment, wherein the plurality of virtual machines includes virtual machines corresponding to physical machines that the application and perquisites run on;

bringing up the plurality of virtual machines utilizing the information from the backup process; and

performing a test of a backup on the test restore virtual environment.

8. A computer readable storage medium of claim 7 wherein the backup process includes:

backing up information associated with an application;

identifying prerequisites associated with running the application; and

backing up information associated with the prerequisites.

9. A computer readable storage medium of claim 8 wherein bringing up the plurality of virtual machines includes coordinating availability of the plurality of the virtual machines and services there on.

10. A computer readable storage medium of claim 7 wherein the backup process includes collecting application specific configuration information.

11. A computer readable storage medium of claim 10 further comprising using the application specific configuration information to link backups of different machines associated with the prerequisites.

12. A computer readable storage medium of claim 7 wherein the test restore virtual environment creation process includes identifying machines associated with running application specific tests.

13. A system, comprising:

a computer system having a processor coupled to a computer readable storage media and executing computer readable code which causes the computer system to perform a backup test restore method comprising;

performing a backup process;

performing a test restore virtual environment creation process including;

gathering information identifying prerequisites associated with the application;

creating a plurality of virtual machines included in the test restore virtual environment, wherein the plurality of virtual machines includes virtual machines corresponding to physical machines that the application and perquisites run on;

bringing up the plurality of virtual machines utilizing the information from the backup process; and

performing a test of a backup on the test restore virtual environment.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the backup process includes:

backing up information associated with an application;

identifying prerequisites associated with running the application; and

backing up information associated with the prerequisites.

15. The system of claim 13 wherein bringing up the plurality of virtual machines includes coordinating availability of the plurality of virtual machines and services there on.

16. The system of claim 13 wherein the backup process includes collecting application specific configuration information.

17. The system of claim 16 further comprising using the application specific configuration information to link backups of different machines associated with the prerequisites.