Efficiently restoring execution of a backed up virtual machine based on coordination with virtual-machine-file-relocation operations

• US 9,928,001 B2
• Filed: 06/23/2016
• Issued: 03/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CommVault Systems Incorporated
• Original Assignee: CommVault Systems Incorporated
• Inventors: Dornemann, Henry Wallace, Pawar, Rahul S., Kumarasamy, Paramasivam, Kilaru, Satish Chandra, Venkatesha, Ananda
• Primary Examiner(s): Dao, Thuy
• Assistant Examiner(s): Franco, Christopher
• Application Number:
  US15/191,365
• Publication Number:
  US 20160306586A1
• Time in Patent Office: 642 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1446 Point-in-time backing up or restoration of persistent data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1448 Management of the data involved in backup or backup restore
• 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 11/1464 for networked environments
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1469 Backup restoration techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2094 Redundant storage or storage space G06F11/2056 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2009/45562 Creating, deleting, cloning virtual machine instances
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2009/4557 Distribution of virtual machine instances; Migration and load balancing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/805 Real-time
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/815 Virtual
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0605 by facilitating the interaction with a user or administrator
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0617 in relation to availability
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0647 Migration mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0649 Lifecycle management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0664 at device level, e.g. emulation of a storage device or system
• 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 9/45533 Hypervisors; Virtual machine monitors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/45537 Provision of facilities of other operating environments, e.g. WINE I/O emulation G06F13/105
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/45558 Hypervisor-specific management and integration aspects

Abstract

Systems and methods enable a virtual machine, including applications executing thereon, to quickly start executing and servicing users based on pre-staged data blocks supplied from a backup copy in secondary storage. Substantially concurrently with the ongoing execution of the virtual machine, a virtual-machine-file-relocation operation moves data blocks from backup to a primary storage destination that becomes the virtual machine'"'"'s primary data store after relocation completes. An enhanced data agent, operating in conjunction with an enhanced media agent in a storage management system, coordinates restoring the virtual machine and launching the relocation operation. The enhanced media agent pre-stages certain backed up data blocks based on predictive analysis pertaining to the virtual machine'"'"'s operational profile. The enhanced media agent also pre-stages backed up data blocks for the relocation operation, based on the operation'"'"'s relocation scheme. The media agent tracks read requests and maintains the contents of an associated read cache.

Claims

1. A method executed by software instructions in one or more hardware processors for restoring execution of a virtual machine on a host computing device in a storage management system, based on coordination with a virtual-machine-file-relocation operation, the method comprising:

prior to execution of the virtual machine by the host computing, device, which comprises at least one hardware processor,

determining, by a media agent component of the storage management system, based on a profile of the virtual machine, a first set of data blocks to be copied from a backup copy of data associated with the virtual machine,

wherein the media agent executes on a secondary storage computing device comprising at least hardware processor,

wherein the backup copy comprises at least one of a configuration file and a virtual disk associated with the virtual machine, and

wherein the backup copy is stored on a secondary storage device in communication with the secondary storage computing device;

copying the first set of data blocks, by the media agent, from the backup copy to an associated read-cache on the secondary storage computing device;

launching execution of the virtual machine on the host computing device, based on the first set of data blocks,

wherein the media agent serves the first set of data blocks from the read-cache; and

copying a second set of data blocks, by the media agent, from the backup copy to the read-cache,

wherein the second set of data blocks is based on a relocation sequence of the virtual-machine-file-relocation operation, and

wherein the virtual-machine-file-relocation operation comprises a logical transfer, according to the relocation sequence, of the backup copy to a primary storage device that is in communication with the host computing device.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

serving to the virtual machine a read request for a data block, by the media agent, wherein the serving of the read request comprises;

(i) if the requested data block is not found in the associated read-cache, copying, by the media agent, the requested data block from the backup copy to the associated read-cache, and

(ii) transmitting, by the media agent, the requested data block from the associated read-cache; and

wherein while the virtual machine executes on the host computing device prior to the virtual-machine-file-relocation operation, the media agent serves the read request at a higher priority than the copying of the second set of data blocks from the backup copy to the associated read-cache.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the read request is directed at a shared file system, which is configured as a recovery point for the virtual machine and as a source of data for the virtual-machine-file-relocation operation.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

while the virtual machine and the virtual-machine-file-relocation operation execute on the host computing device, copying a third set of data blocks, by the media agent, from the backup copy to the associated read-cache,

wherein the third set of data blocks is based on the relocation sequence of the virtual-machine-file-relocation operation, and

wherein the media agent serves the read request at substantially the same priority as the copying of the third set of data blocks.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

after the virtual-machine-file-relocation operation has completed, and while the virtual machine executes on the host computing device, de-associating, by the media agent the secondary storage device from the virtual machine.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

after the virtual-machine-file-relocation operation has completed, using the primary storage device, by the virtual machine, as a primary data store for the virtual machine.

7. A method executed by software instructions in one or more hardware processors for restoring execution of a virtual machine on a host computing device, based on coordination with a virtual-machine-file-relocation operation, the method comprising:

copying, by a media agent, a first set of data blocks from a backup copy of data associated with the virtual machine to a read-cache associated with the media agent,

wherein the media agent executes on a first computing device that comprises one or more hardware processors and corresponding computer memory, and which is distinct from the host computing device;

wherein the backup copy is stored on a secondary storage device and comprises at least one of a configuration file and a virtual disk associated with the virtual machine, and

wherein the first set of data blocks is based on a profile of the virtual machine;

copying, by the media agent, a second set of data blocks from the backup copy to the read-cache,

wherein the virtual-machine-file-relocation operation comprises a logical transfer, according to a relocation sequence, of the backup copy from the secondary storage device to a primary storage device, and

wherein the second set of data blocks is based on the relocation sequence;

serving, by the media agent, a read request for a data block issued by the virtual machine which executes on the host computing device,

wherein the host computing, device comprises one or more hardware processors and corresponding computer memory, and

wherein the serving of the read request comprises;

(i) if the requested data block is not found in the read-cache, copying, by the media agent, the requested data block from the backup copy to the read-cache, and

(ii) transmitting, by the media agent, the requested data block from the read-cache; and

wherein the copying of the second set of data blocks from the backup copy to the read-cache occurs at a lower priority than the serving of the read request while the virtual machine executes on the host computing device prior to the virtual-machine-file-relocation operation.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

while the virtual machine and the virtual-machine-file-relocation operation execute on the host computing device, copying, by the media agent, a third set of data blocks from the backup copy to the read-cache at the same priority as the serving of the read request,

wherein the third set of data blocks is based on the relocation sequence of the virtual-machine-file-relocation operation.

9. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

after the virtual-machine-file-relocation operation has completed, and the virtual machine executes on the host computing device;

(a) de-associating, by the media agent, the secondary storage device from the virtual machine, and (b) using the primary storage device, by the virtual machine, as a primary data store.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the read request is directed at a shared file system, which is configured as a recovery point for the virtual machine and as a source of data for the virtual-machine-file-relocation operation.

11. A system for restoring execution of a virtual machine, based on coordination with a virtual-machine-file-relocation operation, the system comprising:

a first computing device,

which comprises at least one processor and corresponding computer memory, and which is configured to execute the virtual machine and which is further configured to also execute the virtual-machine-file-relocation operation,

wherein the virtual-machine-file-relocation operation comprises a logical transfer, based on a relocation sequence, of a backup copy of data associated with the virtual machine to a primary storage device in communication with the first computing device, and

wherein the backup copy comprises at least one of a configuration file and a virtual disk associated with the virtual machine;

a second computing device in communication with the first computing device,

wherein the second computing device comprises at least one processor and corresponding computer memory, a read-cache, and a shared file system that is mounted to the first computing device,

wherein the shared file system is configured as a recovery point for the virtual machine and as a source of data for the virtual-machine-file-relocation operation, and

wherein the second computing device executes a media agent;

a secondary storage device in communication with the second computing device, wherein the secondary storage device comprises the backup copy of data associated with the virtual machine;

wherein the media agent is configured to;

copy from the backup copy to the read-cache a first set of data blocks, based on a profile of the virtual machine that pertains to launch of execution of the virtual machine on the first computing device,

copy from the backup copy to the read-cache a second set of data blocks, based on the relocation sequence of the virtual-machine-file-relocation operation, and

serve a read request for a data block issued by the virtual machine by;

(i) copying the requested data block from the backup copy to the read-cache if the requested data block is not found in the read-cache, and (ii) transmitting the requested data block from the read-cache in response to the read request.

12. The system of claim 11 further comprising:

a third computing device in communication with the second computing device,

wherein the third computing device comprises at east one processor and corresponding computer memory, and which executes a data agent; and

wherein the profile of the virtual machine s received by the media agent from the data agent.

13. The system of claim 11 wherein the second computing device also executes a data agent;

and

wherein the profile of the virtual machine s received by the media agent from the data agent.

14. The system of claim 11 wherein the media agent is further configured to:

when the virtual machine and the virtual-machine-file-relocation operation execute on the first computing device,

copy a third set of data blocks from the backup copy to the read-cache, at the same priority as the serve of the read request,

wherein the third set of data blocks is based on the relocation sequence of the virtual-machine-file-relocation operation.

15. The system of claim 11 wherein the media agent is further configured to:

if a plurality of read requests comprises a sequence of data blocks according to the relocation sequence of the virtual-machine-file-relocation operation, purge the sequence of data blocks from the read-cache after the plurality of read requests have been served.

16. The system of claim 11 wherein the media agent is further configured to:

after launch of execution of the virtual machine and prior to launch of the virtual-machine-file-relocation operation,

copy the second set of data blocks from the backup copy to the read-cache at a lower priority than the serve of the read request.

17. The system of claim 11 wherein the media agent is further configured to:

after the virtual-machine-file-relocation operation has completed, and concurrently with execution of the virtual machine on the first computing device,

de-associate the secondary storage device from the virtual machine.

18. The system of claim 11 wherein the media agent is further configured to:

after the virtual-machine-file-relocation operation has completed, and during execution of the virtual machine on the first computing device,

(a) de-associate the secondary storage device from the virtual machine, and

(b) instruct the virtual machine to use the primary storage device as a primary data store.

19. The system of claim 11 wherein the coordination with the virtual-machine-file-relocation operation comprises the media agent being further configured to:

after launch of execution of the virtual machine and prior to the launch of the virtual-machine-file-relocation operation,

copy the second set data blocks from the backup copy to the read-cache at a lower priority than the serve of the read request.