Backup management system and backup management method

• US 9,864,660 B2
• Filed: 11/07/2014
• Issued: 01/09/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Naganuma, Yuki, Taguchi, Yuichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Donabed, Ninos
• Application Number:
  US14/535,711
• Publication Number:
  US 20150134717A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,159 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1464 for networked environments
• 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: H04L 67/1001 for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal

Abstract

The backup management system includes a storage device that retains a location management table that stores therein at least one of position specifying information uniquely specifying a location provided by a computer resource in each cloud service and an area specifying information specifying a predetermined area including the location provided without uniquely specifying the location provided, and a processing device configured to perform a process of receiving a designation related to a computer resource as a backup target and a backup requirement, from a user of the cloud service, and a process of specifying as a backup destination a computer resource that has a position relation with the computer resource as the backup target satisfying the backup requirement, based on a designation from the user and at least one of the position specifying information and the area specifying information.

Claims

1. A backup management system connected over a network to a plurality of cloud services with a plurality of virtual storage resources provided by a plurality of physical resources located in a plurality of data centers, the backup management system comprising:

a processor;

a storage device, connected to the processor, that stores a location management table including at least one of position specifying information specifying a plurality of respective locations of the data centers providing the physical resources in each of the cloud services and area specifying information specifying a plurality of respective predetermined areas of the data centers providing the physical resources in each of the cloud services without specifying the locations thereof; and

a memory, connected to the processor, which stores instructions that, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to;

receive a backup request designating a first virtual resource among the virtual resources of a first cloud service among the cloud services as a backup target and one or more backup requirements thereof,

execute a process for extracting one or more of the cloud services as one or more backup destination candidates based on position relationships of the data centers to the first cloud service designated by the backup request,

execute a process for setting a priority order of the backup destination candidates based on the backup requirements designated by the backup request,

receive a backup execution instruction designating a second cloud service from the priority order of the backup destination candidates, and

execute a backup of the first virtual resource from the first cloud service to the physical resources of the second cloud service designated by the backup execution instruction,

wherein the process for extracting the one or more of the cloud services as the one or more backup destination candidates is based on the position relationships of the data centers to the first cloud service designated by the backup request which exceed a distance threshold value.

2. The backup management system according to claim 1, wherein the priority order is set according to a plurality of costs associated with backing up the first virtual resource from the first cloud service to the physical resources of each of the backup destination candidates.

3. The backup management system according to claim 1, wherein

the storage device further stores a cost information table storing therein information on a plurality of costs including usage costs incurred for a usage of each of the cloud services and a plurality of communication costs when transferring data the each of the cloud services, and

wherein the priority order is set according to the costs associated with backing up the first virtual resource from the first cloud service to the physical resources of each of the backup destination candidates.

4. The backup management system according to claim 3, wherein the backup request designates that the priority order be set according to the costs as one of the backup requirements.

5. The backup management system according to claim 1, wherein the priority order is set according to a plurality of times associated with backing up the first virtual resource from the first cloud service to the physical resources of each of the backup destination candidates.

6. The backup management system according to claim 5, wherein the storage device further stores a communication quality information table storing therein quality information on a plurality of communication mediums used for data communication between the cloud services, and

wherein the priority order is set according to the times associated with backing up the first virtual resource from the first cloud service to the physical resources of each of the backup destination candidates using the communication mediums of the communication quality information table.

7. The backup management system according to claim 6, wherein the backup request designates that the priority order be set according to the times as one of the backup requirements.

8. The backup management system according to claim 1, wherein the backup requirements designate a target location of the backup destination candidates and exclude any of the cloud services which are located in the same one of the data centers as the first cloud service.

9. A backup management method for a backup management system connected over a network to a plurality of cloud services with a plurality of virtual storage resources provided by a plurality of physical resources located in a plurality of data centers, the backup management method comprising:

storing a location management table including at least one of position specifying information specifying a plurality of respective locations of the data centers providing the physical resources in each of the cloud services and area specifying information specifying a plurality of respective predetermined areas of the data centers providing the physical resources in each of the cloud services without specifying the locations thereof;

receive a backup request designating a first virtual resource among the virtual resources of a first cloud service among the cloud services as a backup target and one or more backup requirements thereof,

execute a process for extracting one or more of the cloud services as one or more backup destination candidates based on position relationships of the data centers to the first cloud service designated by the backup request,

execute a process for setting a priority order of the backup destination candidates based on the backup requirements designated by the backup request,

receive a backup execution instruction designating a second cloud service from the priority order of the backup destination candidates, and

execute a backup of the first virtual resource from the first cloud service to the physical resources of the second cloud service designated by the backup execution instruction,

wherein the process for extracting the one or more of the cloud services as the one or more backup destination candidates is based on the position relationships of the data centers to the first cloud service designated by the backup request which exceed a distance threshold value.