Dynamic proxy server assignment for virtual machine backup

• US 8,782,008 B1
• Filed: 03/30/2012
• Issued: 07/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Emc IP Holding Company LLC (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: EMC Corporation (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Xing, Jian, Hsu, Windsor W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Casanova, Jorge A
• Application Number:
  US13/436,636
• Time in Patent Office: 837 Days
• Field of Search: 707/654, 707/660, 718/105
• US Class Current: 707/660
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1448 Management of the data involved in backup or backup restore
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1453 using de-duplication of the data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1461 Backup scheduling policy
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1464 for networked environments
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/27 Replication, distribution or synchronisation of data between databases or within a distributed database system; Distributed database system architectures therefor
• 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 9/45558 Hypervisor-specific management and integration aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1001 for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54

Abstract

A computer-implemented proxy server local to a backup target system performs a backup method for a system supporting a plurality of virtual machines. The backup method includes receiving an initialization of a connection over a network from a backup server identifying the system to backup to the backup target system, establishing a communication connection over the network with the system to backup including identifying an interface for accessing data of the system to backup, receiving an image of the system to backup from the backup server, retrieving a data set corresponding to the image from the system to backup over the network, and writing the data set to a local file in the backup target system.

Claims

1. A method for selecting a location of a proxy server in a network to assist in a transfer of data from a system to a backup target storage system where the system and backup target storage system are connected to the network, the method comprising:

initiating a backup process to transfer a data set from the system to the backup target storage system to be assisted by the proxy;

determining whether a physical proxy server is available in the network;

analyzing configuration data and usage data for the system and the backup target system to determine resources and load for the system and the backup target system;

selecting a location in the network for the proxy server to be instantiated from one of the system, the physical proxy server and the backup target storage system based on detected availability of the physical proxy server and the analysis; and

instantiating the proxy server at the selected location to effect a transfer of the data from the system to the backup target storage system by the proxy server.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting the location further comprises:

selecting the system to execute a virtual proxy server in response to detecting an absence of a physical proxy server in the network and either low resource availability from the backup target system or heavy relative load at the backup target system.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting the location further comprises:

selecting the backup target system to execute a local proxy server in response to detecting an absence of a physical proxy server in the network and either low resource availability from the system or heavy relative load at the system.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting the location further comprises:

selecting the physical proxy server to execute the proxy server in response to detecting that the physical proxy server is available in the network and detecting low resource availability or heavy load from the system and backup target system.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

querying the backup target system to obtain current load and resource availability information.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

querying the system to obtain current load and resource availability information.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

querying the physical proxy server to determine resource availability information.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the proxy server performs deduplication or compression, further comprising:

selecting the system for instantiating a virtual proxy, in response to determining that the network between the system and the backup target system has a heavy load.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored therein, which when executed cause a computer to perform a set of operation for selecting a location of a proxy server in a network to assist in a transfer of data from a system to a backup target storage system where the system and backup target storage system are connected to the network, the operations comprising:

initiating a backup process to transfer a data set from the system to the backup target storage system to be assisted by the proxy;

determining whether a physical proxy server is available in the network;

analyzing configuration data and usage data for the system and the backup target system to determine resources and load for the system and the backup target system;

selecting a location in the network for the proxy server to be instantiated from one of the system, the physical proxy server and the backup target storage system based on detected availability of the physical proxy server and the analysis; and

instantiating the proxy server at the selected location to effect a transfer of the data from the system to the backup target storage system by the proxy server.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein selecting the location further comprises:

selecting the system to execute a virtual proxy server in response to detecting an absence of a physical proxy server in the network and either low resource availability from the backup target system or heavy relative load at the backup target system.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein selecting the location further comprises:

selecting the backup target system to execute a local proxy server in response to detecting an absence of a physical proxy server in the network and either low resource availability from the system or heavy relative load at the system.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9,

wherein selecting the location further comprises:

selecting the physical proxy server to execute the proxy server in response to detecting that the physical proxy server is available in the network and detecting low resource availability or heavy load from the system and backup target system.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, having further instructions stored therein, which when executed cause the computer to perform further operations comprising:

querying the backup target system to obtain current load and resource availability information.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, having further instructions stored therein, which when executed cause the computer to perform further operations comprising:

querying the system to obtain current load and resource availability information.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, having further instructions stored therein, which when executed cause the computer to perform further operations comprising:

querying the physical proxy server to determine resource availability information.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the proxy server performs deduplication or compression, further comprising:

selecting the system for instantiating a virtual proxy, in response to determining that the network between the system and the backup target system has a heavy load.