System and method for managing backup operations of virtual machines

• US 9,535,907 B1
• Filed: 02/26/2010
• Issued: 01/03/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Veritas Technologies, LLC (Whitehouse Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Veritas Technologies, LLC (Whitehouse Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Stringham, Russell R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gebresenbet, Dinku
• Application Number:
  US12/713,626
• Time in Patent Office: 2,503 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/14 Error detection or correction of the data by redundancy in operation G06F11/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1435 using file system or storage system metadata
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1446 Point-in-time backing up or restoration of persistent data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1451 by selection of backup contents
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1458 Management of the backup or restore process
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3006 where the computing system is distributed, e.g. networked systems, clusters, multiprocessor systems multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46; allocation of resources G06F9/50
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3409 for performance assessment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2308 Concurrency control transaction processing G06F9/466
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/815 Virtual
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/84 Using snapshots, i.e. a logical point-in-time copy of the data

Abstract

A method, system, and computer-readable storage medium for managing backup operations of virtual machines are provided. According to one embodiment, a backup application initiates a snapshot of a storage volume, which stores a collection of virtual hard disk drives. A collection of virtual machines access the collection of virtual hard disk drives. The backup application accesses a collection of lists of changes to data. The collection of lists and the data are stored in the collection of virtual hard disk drives. A first list among the collection of lists is generated by a first virtual machine. The changes to data are made by the collection of virtual machines. The backup application generates an incremental backup of the first virtual hard disk drive by copying data from the snapshot in response to the first list identifying that the data changed subsequent to the generation of the prior backup.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

initiating a snapshot of a storage volume, wherein

a plurality of virtual machines access a plurality of virtual hard disk drives, and

the plurality of virtual hard disk drives is stored on the storage volume;

accessing at least a first list of a plurality of lists of a plurality of changes to data, wherein

the data is stored in the plurality of virtual hard disk drives,

a first virtual machine of the plurality of virtual machines comprises a first change tracker,

the first list among the plurality of lists is generated by the first change tracker,

the first change tracker tracks first changes to the data made by the first virtual machine,

the first list comprises the first changes,

the plurality of changes to the data comprises the first changes, the first virtual machine accesses a first virtual hard disk drive among the plurality of virtual hard disk drives,

the plurality of changes to the data is made by the plurality of virtual machines, and

the plurality of changes to the data is made subsequent to generation of a prior backup;

generating an incremental backup of the first virtual hard disk drive, wherein

the generating comprises copying first data from the snapshot in response to the first list identifying that the data changed subsequent to the generating the prior backup, wherein

the data is changed by the first virtual machine; and

the initiating, the accessing, and the generating are performed by a computing device implementing a backup application.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein

the plurality of lists of the plurality of changes to data is generated by a plurality of change trackers,

the plurality of change trackers comprise the first change tracker,

change trackers of the plurality of change trackers are implemented by respective virtual machines of the plurality of virtual machines.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

communicating at least the first list to the backup application, wherein

the communicating is performed by a communication module implemented by the first virtual machine.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein

a plurality of nodes implements the plurality of virtual machines, and

the plurality of lists is stored by the plurality of virtual hard disk drives.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the plurality of nodes comprises:

a coordinator node; and

at least one non-coordinator node.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

reading, using the backup application, the first list from the first virtual hard disk drive.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein

the storage volume is a clustered shared volume.

8. A system comprising:

at least one processor;

a computer-readable storage medium coupled to the at least one processor; and

computer code, encoded in the computer-readable storage medium and configured to cause the at least one processor to;

initiate a snapshot of a storage volume, wherein

a plurality of virtual machines access a plurality of virtual hard disk drives, and

the plurality of virtual hard disk drives is stored on the storage volume,

access at least a first list of a plurality of lists of a plurality of changes to data, wherein

the data is stored in the plurality of virtual hard disk drives,

a first virtual machine of the plurality of virtual machines comprises a first change tracker,

the first list among the plurality of lists is generated by the first change tracker,

the first change tracker tracks first changes to the data made by the first virtual machine,

the first list comprises the first changes,

the plurality of changes to the data comprises the first changes,

the first virtual machine accesses a first virtual hard disk drive among the plurality of virtual hard disk drives,

the plurality of changes to the data is made by the plurality of virtual machines, and

the plurality of changes to the data is made subsequent to generation of a prior backup, and

generate an incremental backup of the first virtual hard disk drive, wherein

the computer code to generate comprises computer code to copy first data from the snapshot in response to the first list identifying that the data changed subsequent to the generation of the prior backup, wherein

the data is changed by the first virtual machine.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein

the plurality of lists of the plurality of changes to data is generated by a plurality of change trackers,

the plurality of change trackers comprise the first change tracker,

change trackers of the plurality of change trackers are implemented by respective virtual machines of the plurality of virtual machines.

10. The system of claim 8, further comprising computer code, encoded on the computer-readable storage medium, further configured to:

communicate at least the first list to a backup application.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein

a plurality of nodes implements the plurality of virtual machines, and

the plurality of lists is stored by the plurality of virtual hard disk drives.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the plurality of nodes comprises:

a coordinator node; and

at least one non-coordinator node.

13. The system of claim 8, further comprising

computer code, encoded on the computer-readable storage medium, further configured to:

read, using a backup application, the first list from the first virtual hard disk drive.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein

the storage volume is a clustered shared volume.

15. A computer program product, comprising:

a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium encoding a plurality of instructions executable to;

initiate a snapshot of a storage volume, wherein

a plurality of virtual machines access a plurality of virtual hard disk drives, and

the plurality of virtual hard disk drives is stored on the storage volume;

access at least a first list of a plurality of lists of a plurality of changes to data, wherein

the data is stored in the plurality of virtual hard disk drives,

a first virtual machine of the plurality of virtual machines comprises a first change tracker,

the first list among the plurality of lists is generated by the first change tracker,

the first change tracker tracks first changes to the data made by the first virtual machine,

the first list comprises the first changes,

the plurality of changes to the data comprises the first changes,

the first virtual machine accesses a first virtual hard disk drive among the plurality of virtual hard disk drives,

the plurality of changes to the data is made by the plurality of virtual machines, and

the plurality of changes to the data is made subsequent to generation of a prior backup; and

generate an incremental backup of the first virtual hard disk drive, wherein

the plurality of instructions executable to generate comprises computer code to copy first data from the snapshot in response to the first list identifying that the data changed subsequent to the generation of the prior backup, wherein

the data is changed by the first virtual machine.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein

the plurality of lists of the plurality of changes to data is generated by a plurality of change trackers,

the plurality of change trackers comprise the first change tracker,

change trackers of the plurality of change trackers are implemented by respective virtual machines of the plurality of virtual machines.

17. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the plurality of instructions are further executable to:

communicate at least the first list to a backup application.

18. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein

a plurality of nodes implements the plurality of virtual machines, and

the plurality of lists is stored by the plurality of virtual hard disk drives.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the plurality of nodes comprises:

a coordinator node; and

at least one non-coordinator node.

20. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the plurality of instructions are further executable to:

read, using a backup application, the first list from the first virtual hard disk drive.