Systems and methods for data management in a virtual computing environment

• US 8,429,649 B1
• Filed: 09/24/2009
• Issued: 04/23/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Quest Software, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Quest Software, Inc.
• Inventors: Feathergill, David Allen, Kherson, Dimitry
• Primary Examiner(s): Puente, Emerson
• Assistant Examiner(s): KIM, DONG U
• Application Number:
  US12/566,231
• Time in Patent Office: 1,307 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 718/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/45558 Hypervisor-specific management and integration aspects

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed for performing operations on a host system with one or more virtual machines without persistently storing an agent or daemon thereon. In certain examples, a management server is configured to inject dependencies, such as binary data, over a network to the host system for performing a requested operation. For instance, systems and methods can establish a secure shell (SSH) port forwarding connection through which dependencies stored on the management server are injected into a service console of the host system. The injected dependencies can then be executed and/or used to perform the requested operation, such as a backup or compression operation on virtual machine data. Once the requested operation has completed, the injected binaries are preferably removed from the host system so as to conserve system resources.

Claims

1. A method for performing one or more operations on virtual machine data, the method comprising:

receiving with a management server a request to perform a backup operation on data of one or more virtual machines hosted by a host virtual machine server that is configured to host one or more virtual machines associated with a hypervisor layer, the host virtual machine server having a service console associated therewith that administers the one or more virtual machines, the host virtual machine server being remote to the management server, the management server and the host virtual machine server comprising computer hardware;

identifying a plurality of dependencies comprising binary code associated with the requested backup operation of the data on the one or more virtual machines;

searching the host virtual machine server to identify a first group of dependencies comprising one or more of the plurality of dependencies that are available on the host virtual machine server, and a second group of dependencies comprising one or more of the plurality of dependencies that are not available on the host virtual machine server;

for the second group of dependencies that are not available on the host virtual machine server, injecting the second group of dependencies over a port forwarding connection from the management server to the service console of the host virtual machine server;

echoing a script file from the management server to the host virtual machine server prior to said injecting the second group of dependencies over the port forwarding connection from the management server to the service console of the host virtual machine server, the script file being configured to bind to a local port of the host virtual machine server to receive the injected second group of dependencies;

executing using the service console to execute in the hypervisor layer of the host virtual machine server the first and second groups of dependencies to perform the requested backup operation on the virtual machine data, such that said executing is performed without installing an agent or a daemon in the service console of the host virtual machine server; and

following said executing, retaining the first group of dependencies at the host virtual machine server and removing the injected second group of dependencies from the service console of the host server.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the port forwarding connection comprises a secure shell (SSH) connection.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the script file is configured to write the injected second group of dependencies to a designated path on the host server.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the injected second group of dependencies comprises a plurality of executable files.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the at least one of the injected second group of dependencies comprises at least one of the plurality of executable files.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the injected second group of dependencies comprises at least a plurality of data files.

7. The method of claim 1, comprising establishing a shell connection with the host virtual machine server via the management server.

8. A system for performing one or more operations in a virtual computing environment, the system comprising:

a management server in network communication with a remote server hosting at least one virtual machine, the management server and the host remote server comprising computer hardware, wherein the remote server is configured to host the at least one virtual machine with a hypervisor layer, the remote server having a service console associated therewith that administers the one or more virtual machines, the management server further comprising;

a library comprising a plurality of dependencies, the plurality of dependencies comprising at least one binary file, and

an injection module configured to identify select ones of the plurality of dependencies that are associated with performing a backup operation on at least one of virtual machine data and the hypervisor layer, the injection module being further configured to;

initiate a communication session between the management server and the remote server,

search the remote server to identify a first group of dependencies comprising one or more of the plurality of dependencies that are available on the remote server, and a second group of dependencies comprising one or more of the plurality of dependencies that are not available on the remote server;

for the second group of dependencies that are not available on the remote server, inject the second group dependencies over a network connection to the service console of the remote server,

echo a script file from the management server to the remote server prior to the injection of the second group of dependencies over the network connection to the remote server, the script file configured to bind to a port of the remote server to receive the injected second group of dependencies,

issue a first command to the service console to execute on the remote server the first group of dependencies and the injected second group of dependencies to perform the backup operation, wherein said execution of the injected second group of dependencies is performed without installing an agent or a daemon on the remote server, and

issue a second command to terminate the session; and

retain the first group of dependencies at the remote server and remove from the remote server the injected second group of dependencies such that none of the injected second group of dependencies remains on the remote server following said termination of the session.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the infected second group of dependencies comprise a plurality of binary files.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the network connection comprises a secure shell (SSH) connection.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the management server further comprises a shell interface configured to receive user commands associated with initiation of the session.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the backup operation backs up at least a portion of the virtual machine data.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the backup operation comprises a compression operation on the virtual machine data.