Method and apparatus for backing up and restoring cross-virtual machine application

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10067692-B2
Application number	US-201414893250-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 11, 2014
Priority date	May 31, 2013
Publication date	Sep 4, 2018
Grant date	Sep 4, 2018

Abstract

The present invention discloses a method and apparatus. The method comprises: a method for backing up an application, the application running across multiple virtual machines, the method comprising: in response to a need of backing up the application, executing a first set of scripts that are used for, prior to the backup, coordinating the multiple virtual machines to enter into a preparation state; in response to the first set of scripts being executed completely, triggering a backup operation of at least one backup agent that manages the multiple virtual machines, the backup operation comprising the backup agent locating data related to the application on the respective virtual machines managed thereby; in response to completion of the backup operation, executing a second set of scripts that are used for restoring running of the multiple virtual machines. By virtue of the method and apparatus in the embodiments of the present invention, backup and restore for a cross-virtual-machine application may be performed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for backing up at least a first application and a second application, the at least first and second applications running across multiple virtual machines including a first virtual machine and a second virtual machine, the method comprising:
in response to a need of backing up the at least first and second applications, executing a first set of scripts including a first script and a second script to:
prior to the backup, coordinate the first and second virtual machines to enter into a preparation state;
distribute the first script to the first virtual machine; and distribute the second script to the second virtual machine, wherein the first script and the second script are related to a first type of the first application located in the first virtual machine and a second type of the second application located in the second virtual machine, respectively, and wherein the first script is different from the second script, and the first type is different from the second type, one of the first and second scripts executing operations of completing a request being currently processed in a corresponding one of the first and second applications, stopping the corresponding one of the first and second applications, and setting the corresponding one of the first and second applications to accept a read request and not to accept a write request;

in response to each of the first script and the second script being executed completely, triggering a backup operation of at least one backup agent located in each first and second virtual machines that manages, respectively, the first and second virtual machines, the backup operation comprising the backup agent locating data related to the first and second applications on the respective first and second virtual machines as managed thereby and performing backup, wherein the backup operation performed by each backup agent comprises performing a snapshot operation on the data related to the first and second applications; and
in response to completion of the backup operation, executing a second set of scripts, the second set of scripts being for restoring running of the first and second virtual machines.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein:
the backup agent is located at a physical node and manages at least one of the first and second virtual machines in the physical node.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein:
the backup agent is located in at least one of the first and second virtual machines and manages the at least one of the first and second virtual machines where the backup agent is located.

4. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
when deploying the first and second applications, creating the first and second virtual machines where the first and second applications are located based on a basic image including the backup agent, such that the backup agent is located in at least one of the first and second virtual machines and manages the at least one of the first and second virtual machines where the backup agent is located.

5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein the basic image further comprises a file system management software that supports a snapshot function.

6. An apparatus for backing up at least a first application and a second application, the at least first and second applications running across multiple virtual machines including a first virtual machine and a second virtual machine, the apparatus comprising:
a memory;
a computer including one or more processors in communication with said memory and configured to run a method to:
in response to a need of backing up the first and second applications, execute a first set of scripts including a first script and a second script to:
prior to the backup, coordinate the first and second virtual machines to enter into a preparation state; distribute the first script to the first virtual machine; and
distribute the second script to the second virtual machine, wherein the first script and the second script are related to a first type of the first application located in the first virtual machine and a second type of the second application located in the second virtual machine, respectively, wherein the first script is different from the second script, and the first type is different from the second type, one of the first and second scripts executing operation of completing a request being currently processed in a corresponding one of the first and second applications, stopping the corresponding one of the first and second applications, and setting the corresponding one of the first and second applications to accept a read request and not to accept a write request;

in response to each of the first script and the second script being executed completely, trigger a backup operation of at least one backup agent located in each first and second virtual machines that manages, respectively, the first and second virtual machines, the backup operation comprising the backup agent locating data related to the first and second applications on the respective first and second virtual machines as managed thereby and performing backup, wherein the backup operation performed by each backup agent comprises performing a snapshot operation on the data related to the first and second applications; and
in response to completion of the backup operation, execute a second set of scripts, the second set of scripts being for restoring running of the first and second virtual machines.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the backup agent is located at a physical node and manages at least one of the first and second virtual machines in the physical node.

8. The apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the backup agent is located in at least one of the first and second virtual machines and manages the at least one of the first and second virtual machines where the backup agent is located.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein said one or more processors are further configured to:
when deploying the first and second applications, create the first and second virtual machines where the first and second applications are located based on a basic image including the backup agent, such that the backup agent is located in the at least one of the first and second virtual machines and manages the at least one of the first and second virtual machines where the backup agent is located.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the basic image further comprises a file system management software that supports a snapshot function.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Liu Xiao Xi
• Wang Yuan
• Xu Jing Min
• Zhang Jian Ming

Classifications

• G06F11/1435 Primary

  using file system or storage system metadata · CPC title

• G06F2201/815

  Virtual · CPC title

• G06F3/0683

  Plurality of storage devices · CPC title

• G06F9/45558

  Hypervisor-specific management and integration aspects · CPC title

• G06F2009/45562

  Creating, deleting, cloning virtual machine instances · CPC title