Snapshot-based virtual machine transfer across hypervisors

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12288089-B2
Application number	US-202217707352-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 29, 2022
Priority date	Mar 29, 2022
Publication date	Apr 29, 2025
Grant date	Apr 29, 2025

Abstract

A method for transferring virtual machines across hypervisors is described. According to the method, a data management system may interface with a first hypervisor platform and a second hypervisor platform. The data management system may obtain a snapshot of a first virtual machine executing on the first hypervisor platform. The snapshot may include data and metadata associated with the first virtual machine in a first format that is supported by the first hypervisor platform. The data management system may extract the data and the metadata from the snapshot of the first virtual machine and convert the data and the metadata from the first format to a second format that is supported by the second hypervisor platform. The data management system may transfer the data and the metadata in the second format to a second virtual machine executing on the second hypervisor platform.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
obtaining, by a data management system configured to interface with a first hypervisor platform and a second hypervisor platform, a snapshot of a first virtual machine executing on the first hypervisor platform, wherein the snapshot comprises data and metadata associated with the first virtual machine in a first format that is supported by the first hypervisor platform;
storing the snapshot in a storage location of the data management system after obtaining the snapshot;
extracting, by the data management system, the data and the metadata from the snapshot of the first virtual machine stored in the storage location of the data management system;
converting, by the data management system, the data and the metadata from the first format to a second format that is supported by the second hypervisor platform; and
transferring, by the data management system, the data and the metadata in the second format from the storage location of the data management system to a second virtual machine executing on the second hypervisor platform.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining to transfer the data and the metadata to the second virtual machine executing on the second hypervisor platform; and
instructing the second hypervisor platform to generate the second virtual machine based at least in part on the determination to transfer the data and the metadata, wherein transferring the data and the metadata comprises:
exporting the data and the metadata from the data management system to the second virtual machine executing on the second hypervisor platform.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining to transfer the data and the metadata to the second virtual machine executing on the second hypervisor platform; and
instructing the second hypervisor platform to generate the second virtual machine based at least in part on the determination to transfer the data and the metadata, wherein transferring the data and the metadata comprises:
mounting the data and the metadata to the second virtual machine executing on the second hypervisor platform, wherein the data and the metadata remain stored at the data management system and are accessible to the second virtual machine while mounted to the second virtual machine.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:
restoring the data and the metadata to the second virtual machine executing on the second hypervisor platform within a threshold time period, wherein the threshold time period starts when the data and the metadata are mounted to the second virtual machine, and wherein the data and the metadata are sent to the second virtual machine based at least in part on restoring the data and the metadata to the second virtual machine.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein transferring the data and the metadata comprises:
mounting the data and the metadata to the second virtual machine executing on the second hypervisor platform, wherein the second virtual machine has a second configuration that is the same as a first configuration of the first virtual machine executing on the first hypervisor platform.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the data and the metadata mounted to the second virtual machine replace previous data and metadata associated with the second virtual machine executing on the second hypervisor platform.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining, by the data management system based at least in part on the metadata included in the snapshot, a first virtual machine configuration of the first virtual machine executing on the first hypervisor platform.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
instructing the second hypervisor platform to generate the second virtual machine in accordance with a second virtual machine configuration that is based at least in part on the first virtual machine configuration of the first virtual machine.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving a request to migrate the first virtual machine from the first hypervisor platform to the second hypervisor platform, wherein transferring the data and the metadata to the second virtual machine executing on the second hypervisor platform is based at least in part on the request.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
detecting a condition of the first hypervisor platform, wherein transferring the data and the metadata to the second virtual machine executing on the second hypervisor platform is based at least in part on detecting the condition.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the condition comprises a storage capacity of the first hypervisor platform being less than a threshold capacity, the first hypervisor platform being subject to a ransomware attack, a disaster recovery condition of the first hypervisor platform, or any combination thereof.

12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving a request to recover the first virtual machine; and
recovering, based at least in part on the request, the first virtual machine from the second hypervisor platform using the data and the metadata transferred to the second virtual machine executing on the second hypervisor platform.

13. An apparatus, comprising:
one or more processors;
one or more memories coupled with the one or more processors; and
instructions stored in the one or more memories and executable by the one or more processors to cause the apparatus to:
obtain, by a data management system configured to interface with a first hypervisor platform and a second hypervisor platform, a snapshot of a first virtual machine executing on the first hypervisor platform, wherein the snapshot comprises data and metadata associated with the first virtual machine in a first format that is supported by the first hypervisor platform;
store the snapshot in a storage location of the data management system after obtaining the snapshot;
extract, by the data management system, the data and the metadata from the snapshot of the first virtual machine stored in the storage location of the data management system;
convert, by the data management system, the data and the metadata from the first format to a second format that is supported by the second hypervisor platform; and
transfer, by the data management system, the data and the metadata in the second format from the storage location of the data management system to a second virtual machine executing on the second hypervisor platform.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the instructions are further executable by the one or more processors to cause the apparatus to:
determine to transfer the data and the metadata to the second virtual machine executing on the second hypervisor platform; and
instruct the second hypervisor platform to generate the second virtual machine based at least in part on the determination to transfer the data and the metadata, wherein, to transfer the data and the metadata, the instructions are executable by the one or more processors to cause the apparatus to:
export the data and the metadata from the data management system to the second virtual machine executing on the second hypervisor platform.

15. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the instructions are further executable by the one or more processors to cause the apparatus to:
determine to transfer the data and the metadata to the second virtual machine executing on the second hypervisor platform; and
instruct the second hypervisor platform to generate the second virtual machine based at least in part on the determination to transfer the data and the metadata, wherein, to tr

Assignees

• Rubrik Inc

Inventors

• Lu Feng
• Narasandra Manjunatha Rao Karthik
• Su Disheng
• Ding Li

Classifications

• G06F16/258

  Data format conversion from or to a database · CPC title

• G06F16/256 Primary

  in federated or virtual databases · CPC title

• G06F2009/4557

  Distribution of virtual machine instances; Migration and load balancing · CPC title

• G06F9/45558 Primary

  Hypervisor-specific management and integration aspects · CPC title