Cataloging system for image-based backup

• US 9,569,446 B1
• Filed: 06/08/2011
• Issued: 02/14/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Quest Software, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Dell Software, Inc. (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Feathergill, David Allen, Hrycko, Matthew S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Khanh
• Application Number:
  US13/156,199
• Time in Patent Office: 2,078 Days
• Field of Search: 707/640, 707/651, 707/654
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/128 Details of file system snapshots on the file-level, e.g. snapshot creation, administration, deletion use of snapshots for error detection or correction G06F11/14, G06F11/16
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/188 Virtual file systems

Abstract

Examples of systems and methods for cataloging image-based backups are disclosed. In certain implementations, these systems and methods can obtain information about file system structure from a volume undergoing image-based backup. The systems and methods can generate a catalog of the file system structure that can be stored with the backup image. The systems and methods can generate a searchable index of the catalog so that users can search for files within the backup image without being required to manually mount the backup image containing the searched-for file. As a result, in certain embodiments, users advantageously can more quickly locate and restore files from image-based backups.

Claims

1. A system for backing up a virtual machine disk file in a virtual computing environment, the system comprising:

a computer system comprising computer hardware, the computer system comprising a data store, the computer system programmed to implement a cataloging module, a backup module, and a restore module, wherein;

the cataloging module is configured to, for each virtual machine disk file of a plurality of virtual machine disk files;

access the virtual machine disk file comprising a file system of a guest operating system of a virtual machine to obtain metadata about the file system, the metadata comprising information about a logical structure of the file system;

analyze the metadata to determine a logical hierarchy of a set of files in the file system;

analyze the metadata to determine one or more attributes of the set of files in the file system;

generate a catalog comprising information about the logical hierarchy and the one or more attributes of the set of files in the file system, the catalog comprising a computer-enabled searchable index of at least one of a plurality of image-based backups, wherein the computer-enabled searchable index performs automated file searches within the plurality of image-based backups without manually mounting a backup image containing a searched-for file;

wherein each image-based backup of the plurality of image-based backups is associated with a unique catalog; and

store the catalog outside the virtual machine;

the backup module is configured to, for each virtual machine disk file of the plurality of virtual machine disk files;

backup the virtual machine disk file to a backup image stored on the data store; and

the restore module is configured to;

enable a user to search the catalogs for a desired file from a virtual machine image-based backup from outside the virtual machines and without specifying which virtual machine image includes the desired file; and

wherein the computer system is programmed to concurrently and asynchronously execute the cataloging module in a first thread and the backup module in a second thread different from the first thread, wherein the cataloging module is configured to determine the logical hierarchy of the at least some files in the file system in a first pass through the metadata and to determine the one or more attributes of the at least some files in the file system in a second pass through the metadata; and

wherein the first thread and the second thread are executed by a backup server outside the virtual machine associated with the virtual machine disk file.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the set of files includes at least one file and at least one directory of the file system.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein a first processor is programmed to execute the cataloging module and the backup module, and a second processor is programmed to execute the virtual machine, the first processor different from the second processor.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the cataloging module is configured to store the catalog in the data store.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer system is programmed to execute the cataloging module and the backup module outside the virtual machine.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the metadata comprises a master file table (MFT).

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the virtual machine disk file comprises a snapshot of a base virtual machine disk file, the snapshot comprising a point-in-time copy of the base file.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the backup module is further configured to establish a savepoint, the savepoint comprising the backup image and the catalog.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the set of files includes all the files and directories of the file system.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the catalog or the computer-enabled searchable index includes path information for the set of files in the file system.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the restore module is configured to:

receive a search inquiry for a file that may be included in a backup image, the backup image associated with a catalog;

generate a searchable index from the catalog associated with the backup image;

search the searchable index of the catalog associated with the backup image to determine matches to the search inquiry; and

output information relating to the matches to the search inquiry.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the restore module is further configured to:

receive a selection of a match to the search inquiry;

mount the backup image associated with the selection of the match to the search inquiry; and

restore the selection from the mounted backup image to a target.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the computer system is programmed to implement a database module, and to generate the computer-enabled searchable index from the catalog associated with the backup image:

the restore module is configured to import the catalog into the database module; and

the database module is configured to generate the computer-enabled searchable index.

14. A method of backing up a virtual machine disk file in a virtual computing environment, the method comprising:

under control of a computer system comprising one or more physical computing devices, for each virtual machine disk file of a plurality of virtual machine disk files;

accessing metadata of the virtual machine disk file, the virtual machine disk file comprising a file system of a guest operating system of a virtual machine executing on a host server, the metadata comprising information about a logical structure of the file system;

analyzing the metadata to determine a logical hierarchy of a set of files in the file system and one or more attributes of the set of files in the file system;

filtering the metadata based on at least one filter criterion to determine the set of files in the file system;

generating a catalog comprising information about the logical hierarchy and the one or more attributes of the set of files in the file system, the catalog comprising a computer-enabled searchable index of at least one of a plurality of image-based backups, wherein the computer-enabled searchable index performs automated file searches within the plurality of image-based backups without manually mounting a backup image containing a searched-for file;

wherein each image-based backup of the plurality of image-based backups is associated with a unique catalog;

storing the catalog in a persistent storage outside the virtual machine;

backing up the virtual machine disk file to a backup image;

the computer system enabling a user to search the catalogs for a desired file from a virtual machine image-based backup from outside the virtual machines and without specifying which virtual machine image includes the desired file;

wherein the computer system is programmed to concurrently and asynchronously execute a first thread and a second thread;

wherein the first thread comprises a cataloging thread that is configured to determine the logical hierarchy of the at least some files in the file system in a first pass through the metadata and to determine the one or more attributes of the at least some files in the file system in a second pass through the metadata;

wherein the second thread comprises the backing up; and

wherein the first thread and the second thread are executed by a backup server outside the virtual machine associated with the virtual machine disk file.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein backing up the virtual machine disk file comprises storing the backup image in the persistent storage.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein analyzing the metadata comprises reading the metadata a plurality of times.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

wherein the virtual machine disk file comprises a snapshot of a base virtual machine disk file, the snapshot comprising a point-in-time copy of the base virtual machine disk file; and

establishing a savepoint, the savepoint comprising the backup image and the catalog.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

searching the computer-enabled searchable index to find a match to a user inquiry for a file that may be stored in the backup image; and

if a match is found, restoring the file from the backup image to a target destination.

19. A computer-readable storage medium comprising computer-executable instructions configured to implement a method of backing up a virtual machine image, the method comprising:

for each virtual machine image of a plurality of virtual machine images;

accessing metadata of the virtual machine image, the virtual machine image comprising a file system of a guest operating system of a virtual machine, the metadata comprising information about a logical structure of the file system;

analyzing the metadata to determine a logical hierarchy of a set of files in the file system and one or more attributes of the set of files in the file system;

filtering the metadata based on at least one filter criterion to determine the set of files in the file system;

generating a catalog comprising information about the logical hierarchy and the one or more attributes of the set of files in the file system, the catalog comprising a computer-enabled searchable index of at least one of a plurality of image-based backups, wherein the computer-enabled searchable index performs automated file searches within the plurality of image-based backups without manually mounting a backup image containing a searched-for file;

wherein each image-based backup of the plurality of image-based backups is associated with a unique catalog;

storing the catalog in a persistent storage;

backing up the virtual machine image to a backup image;

enabling a user to search the catalogs for a desired file from a virtual machine image-based backup from outside the virtual machines and without specifying which virtual machine image includes the desired file;

wherein the computer-executable instructions launch a first thread and a second thread that execute concurrently and asynchronously;

wherein the first thread comprises a cataloging thread that is configured to determine the logical hierarchy of the at least some files in the file system in a first pass through the metadata and to determine the one or more attributes of the at least some files in the file system in a second pass through the metadata;

wherein the second thread comprises the backing up; and

wherein the first thread and the second thread are executed by a backup server outside the virtual machine associated with a virtual machine disk file.