Efficient data management improvements, such as docking limited-feature data management modules to a full-featured data management system

• US 9,588,972 B2
• Filed: 08/03/2015
• Issued: 03/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CommVault Systems Incorporated
• Original Assignee: CommVault Systems Incorporated
• Inventors: Dwarampudi, Bheemesh R., Kottomtharayil, Rajiv, Pawar, Rahul S., Gokhale, Parag
• Primary Examiner(s): Mamillapalli, Pavan
• Application Number:
  US14/816,815
• Publication Number:
  US 20150339302A1
• Time in Patent Office: 582 Days
• Field of Search: 707/667, 707/665
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1448 Management of the data involved in backup or backup restore
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1464 for networked environments
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/113 Details of archiving lifecycle management in storage systems G06F3/0649; backup systems G06F11/1446
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/188 Virtual file systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2291 User-Defined Types; Storage management thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9038 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/955 using information identifiers, e.g. uniform resource locators [URL]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2009/45583 Memory management, e.g. access or allocation
• 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 3/0619 in relation to data integrity, e.g. data losses, bit errors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/065 Replication mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0665 at area level, e.g. provisioning of virtual or logical volumes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/067 Distributed or networked storage systems, e.g. storage area networks [SAN], network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/442 Shutdown
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/445 Program loading or initiating bootstrapping G06F9/4401; security arrangements for program loading or initiating G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/455 Emulation; Interpretation; Software simulation, e.g. virtualisation or emulation of application or operating system execution engines
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/45558 Hypervisor-specific management and integration aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226

Abstract

Software, firmware, and systems are described herein that permit an organization to dock previously-utilized, limited-feature data management modules with a full-featured data management system. By docking limited-feature data management modules to a full-featured data management system, metadata and data from the various limited-feature data management modules can be integrated and utilized more efficiently and effectively. Moreover, additional data management features can be provided to users after a more seamless transition.

Claims

1. At least one computer-readable medium, excluding transitory signals, which when executed by at least one data processor, performs a method for detecting and archiving idle virtual machines running on at least one computing device having primary data storage, to thereby reclaim computing resources, the method comprising:

automatically determining that a virtual machine has been idle for at least a first period of time,

wherein the virtual machine is stored on the primary data storage, and

wherein the virtual machine is associated with at least one virtual machine data object;

in response to the determining that a virtual machine has been unused for at least a first period of time, freeing up the computing resources associated with the virtual machine;

after at least a second period of time, copying the at least one virtual machine data object to a secondary storage device,

wherein copying the at least one virtual machine data object to the secondary storage device includes replacing the at least one virtual machine data object in the primary data storage with a stub referring to a secondary copy of the at least one virtual machine data object on the secondary storage device.

2. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying, via a graphical user interface, an indication that the virtual machine has been archived;

detecting a selection of the virtual machine;

providing a menu of options to a user via the graphical user interface, wherein the options include an option to restore the virtual machine;

detecting a selection of the option to restore the virtual machine;

restoring the at least one virtual machine data object; and

starting the virtual machine.

3. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, the method further comprising:

providing an indication that the virtual machine has been archived;

detecting a selection of the virtual machine;

providing an option to restore the virtual machine;

detecting a selection of the option; and

restoring the at least one virtual machine data object.

4. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein determining that the virtual machine has been unused for at least the first period of time includes determining that application-level processes of the virtual machine have been unused for at least the first period of time.

5. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, further comprising applying archive rules to determine virtual machine data objects to copy to the secondary storage device, wherein the rules are based on any combination of:

data object type, data object age, data object size, percentage of disk quota, or remaining storage.

6. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, further comprising applying rules to determine virtual machine data objects to copy to the secondary storage device, wherein the rules include that for at least one virtual machine that has been idle for the first period of time, freeing up the computing resources associated with the at least one virtual machine and immediately copying to the secondary storage device a virtual machine data objects for the at least one virtual machine.

7. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, further comprising applying rules to determine virtual machine data objects to copy to the secondary storage device, wherein the rules include that for at least one virtual machine that has been idle for the first period of time, never freeing up the computing resources associated with the at least one virtual machine.

8. A system for detecting and archiving unused virtual machines, the system comprising:

a processor;

a memory;

a component that automatically—

detects an unused virtual machine from among multiple virtual machines,

determines that the one detected virtual machine has been unused for a first period of time,

determines that the one detected virtual machine has at least one virtual machine data object associated with the virtual machine, and

freeing up the computing resources associated with the detected virtual machine; and

a component that archives the at least one virtual machine data object associated with the virtual machine by copying the virtual machine data object to a secondary storage device,

wherein archiving includes replacing the virtual machine data object in a primary location with a link referring to a secondary copy of the virtual machine data object on the secondary storage device.

9. The system of claim 8, further comprising:

a component that replaces an icon normally associated with the detected virtual machine and the associated virtual machine data object with a new icon corresponding to an archived virtual machine,

wherein the new icon provides a visual indication that the virtual machine has been archived;

a component that detects that a user selects the new icon;

a component that provides an option to restore and restart the virtual machine;

a component that detects a selection of the option; and

a component that restores the archived virtual machine data object and restarts the virtual machine.

10. The system of claim 8 wherein the virtual machine data object is stored in the memory, further comprising:

deleting, by the component that archives the at least one virtual machine data object associated with the virtual machine, the virtual machine data object when the at least one virtual machine data object is not accessed for more than another period of time.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the component that automatically determines that the virtual machine has been unused for at least the first period of time includes determining that application-level processes of the virtual machine have been unused for at least the first period of time.

12. The system of claim 8, further comprising a rule component to apply archive rules to determine virtual machine data objects to copy to the secondary storage device, wherein the rules are based on any combination of:

data object type, data object age, data object size, percentage of disk quota, or remaining storage.

13. The system of claim 8, further comprising a rule component to apply rules to determine virtual machine data objects to copy to the secondary storage device, wherein the rules include that for at least one virtual machine that has been idle for the first period of time, freeing up the computing resources associated with the at least one virtual machine and immediately copying to the secondary storage device a virtual machine data objects for the at least one virtual machine.

14. The system of claim 8, further comprising a rule component to apply rules to determine virtual machine data objects to copy to the secondary storage device, wherein the rules include that for at least one virtual machine that has been idle for the first period of time, never freeing up the computing resources associated with the at least one virtual machine.

15. A method for detecting and archiving idle virtual machines running on at least one computing device having primary data storage, the method comprising:

automatically determining that at least one virtual machine has been idle for at least a first period of time,

wherein the least one virtual machine is one of multiple virtual machines running on the at least one computing device,

wherein the least one virtual machine is stored on the primary data storage, and

wherein the least one virtual machine is associated with at least one virtual machine file;

in response to the determining that the least one virtual machine has been idle for at least a first period of time,

then freeing up computing resources associated with the least one virtual machine; and

after the computing resources associated with least one virtual machine have been freed up for at least a second period of time,

then copying the at least one virtual machine file to secondary storage, and

replacing the virtual machine file in the primary storage with a link referring to a secondary copy of the virtual machine file at the secondary storage.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

displaying, via a graphical user interface, an indication that the virtual machine has been archived;

detecting a selection of the virtual machine;

providing a menu of options to a user via the graphical user interface, wherein the options include an option to restore the virtual machine;

detecting a selection of the option to restore the virtual machine;

restoring the at least one virtual machine file; and

starting the virtual machine.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

providing an indication that the virtual machine has been archived;

detecting a selection of the virtual machine;

providing an option to restore the virtual machine;

detecting a selection of the option; and

,

restoring the at least one virtual machine file.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein determining that the virtual machine has been idle for at least the first period of time includes determining that application-level processes of the virtual machine have been idle for at least the first period of time.