Optimized backup of clusters with multiple proxy servers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018373599-A1
Application number	US-201816103529-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 14, 2018
Priority date	Mar 28, 2014
Publication date	Dec 27, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

Systems and methods for backing up and restoring virtual machines in a cluster environment. Proxy nodes in the cluster are configured with agents. The agents are configured to perform backup operations and restore operations for virtual machines operating in the cluster. During a backup operation or during a restore operation, a load associated with the backup/restore operation is distributed across at least some of the proxy nodes. The proxy nodes can backup/restore virtual machines on any of the nodes in the cluster.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method for backing up virtual machines in a computing environment where the virtual machines are instantiated on one or more nodes in a cluster that includes proxy nodes, the method comprising:
identifying, by a processor, virtual machines to be backed up by proxy nodes that are configured to backup the virtual machines; identifying, by the processor, cluster shared volumes associated with the virtual machines to be backed up; taking, by the processor, a snapshot of the identified cluster shared volumes; determining, by the processor, a backup load associated with backing up the virtual machines; balancing, by the processor, the backup load across the proxy nodes; performing, by the processor, a backup operation through the proxy nodes.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising assigning, by the processor, ownership of the identified cluster shared volumes to the proxy nodes such that physical disks associated with the identified cluster shared volumes are accessible to the proxy nodes.

3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising balancing the backup load by assigning the cluster shared volumes to at least some of the proxy nodes such that the total amount of data is balanced among the proxy nodes without requiring each of the proxy nodes to backup the same amount of data.

4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising balancing the backup load by migrating agents to nodes that own the cluster shared volumes.

5 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising balancing the backup load by creating additional proxy nodes such that an overall load of each proxy load is reduced.

6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising balancing the backup load by accounting for existing configurations, wherein existing configurations include proxy nodes that already have ownership of one or more of the cluster shared volumes.

Assignees

• Emc Ip Holding Co Llc

Inventors

• Boda Koteswara R
• Das Abhishek
• Buchman Matthew D

Classifications

• G06F11/1438

  Restarting or rejuvenating · CPC title

• G06F9/45533

  Hypervisors; Virtual machine monitors · CPC title

• G06F11/1484

  involving virtual machines · CPC title

• G06F11/1458 Primary

  Management of the backup or restore process · CPC title

• G06F2201/815

  Virtual · CPC title