Usage of snapshots prepared by a different host

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9104634-B2
Application number	US-201213690638-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 30, 2012
Priority date	Nov 30, 2012
Publication date	Aug 11, 2015
Grant date	Aug 11, 2015

Abstract

A system and method are disclosed for preparing and using snapshots in a virtualized environment. In accordance with one example, a first computer system prepares, in an area of a storage device, a snapshot of a virtual disk of a virtual machine that is hosted by a second computer system. The first computer system then provides to the second computer system a reference to the prepared snapshot.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
creating in an area of a storage device, by a first processor, a snapshot of a virtual disk of a virtual machine that is hosted by a second processor; and
providing to the second processor, by the first processor, a reference to the created snapshot.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising allocating the area of the storage device.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising initializing the area of the storage device.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the area of the storage device is initialized with a header of the snapshot.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the providing of the reference to the second processor enables the second processor to use the created snapshot.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the virtual machine writes data from the virtual disk to a first volume, and wherein the area of the storage device belongs to a second volume.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the virtual machine is stored in a first volume, and wherein the area of the storage device belongs to a second volume.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the virtual machine is stored on a different storage device than the snapshot.

9. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium, having instructions stored therein, which when executed, cause a first processor to:
run, by the first processor, a virtual machine; and
use, by the first processor, a snapshot of a virtual disk of the virtual machine that is created by a second processor.

10. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 9 , wherein the first processor is further to receive a reference to the snapshot from the second processor.

11. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 9 , wherein the first processor and the second processor belong to a cluster.

12. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 9 , wherein the snapshot is created in a first volume, and wherein the virtual machine writes data from the virtual disk to a second volume.

13. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 12 , wherein the first volume resides on a first storage device and the second volume resides on a second storage device.

14. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 9 , wherein the snapshot is created in a first volume, and wherein the virtual machine is stored in a second volume.

15. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 14 , wherein the first volume resides on a first storage device and the second volume resides on a second storage device.

16. An apparatus comprising:
a first processor to host a virtual machine; and
a second processor to:
create, in an area of a storage device, a snapshot of a virtual disk of the virtual machine, and
provide to the first processor a reference to the created snapshot.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the first processor is further to use the created snapshot after being provided with the reference.

18. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the first processor and the second processor belong to a cluster.

19. The apparatus of claim 16 further comprising the storage device.

20. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the virtual machine to write data from the virtual disk to a first volume, and wherein the area of the storage device belongs to a second volume.

Assignees

• Simoncelli Federico
• Red Hat Israel Ltd

Inventors

• Simoncelli Federico

Classifications

• G06F9/45558 Primary

  Hypervisor-specific management and integration aspects · CPC title

• G06F11/1456

  Hardware arrangements for backup · CPC title

• G06F12/16 Primary

  Protection against loss of memory contents {(contains no material, see G06F11/00)} · CPC title

• G06F11/2074

  Asynchronous techniques · CPC title

• G06F9/5077

  Logical partitioning of resources; Management or configuration of virtualized resources (specific details on emulation or internal functioning of virtual machines G06F9/455) · CPC title