Heartbeat monitoring of virtual machines for initiating failover operations in a data storage management system, using ping monitoring of target virtual machines

A method for triggering failover for virtual machines, the method comprising:

• receiving, by a first data agent configured as a master monitor node in a data storage management system, a first notice that a first virtual machine is confirmed failed,
• wherein the first data agent is in communication with a storage manager that manages storage operations in the data storage management system,
• wherein the first data agent executes on one of (i) a nonvirtualized computing device comprising one or more processors and computer memory, and (ii) a second virtual machine executing on a computing device comprising one or more processors and computer memory and executing a hypervisor, and
• wherein the master monitor node comprises an instance of a distributed file system;
• wherein the first notice is based on the master monitor node detecting a change in the distributed file system indicating that the first virtual machine is confirmed failed,
• wherein the change in the distributed file system is made by a second data agent configured as a worker monitor node in the data storage management system,
• wherein the worker monitor mode performs heartbeat monitoring of the first virtual machine, and
• wherein the second data agent executes on one of (i) a nonvirtualized computing device comprising one or more processors and computer memory, and (ii) a fourth virtual machine executing on a computing device comprising one or more processors and computer memory and executing a hypervisor;
• by the master monitor node, based on the first notice, checking whether other virtual machines are also confirmed failed;
• by the master monitor node, notifying the storage manager to call failover for the first virtual machine and for any of the other virtual machines that are also confirmed failed based on the checking;
• and
• by the storage manager, managing a failover operation for the first virtual machine, wherein the failover operation activates a third virtual machine to operate in place of the failed first virtual machine.

A method for assigning virtual machines to be monitored by heartbeat monitor nodes in a data storage management system, the method comprising:

• configuring a master heartbeat monitor node in the data storage management system, wherein the master heartbeat monitor node comprises a data agent in communication with a storage manager,
• wherein the data agent executes on one of (i) a nonvirtualized computing device comprising one or more processors and computer memory, and (ii) a second virtual machine executing on a computing device comprising one or more processors and computer memory and executing a hypervisor,
• wherein the storage manager executes on one of (i) a nonvirtualized computing device comprising one or more processors and computer memory, and (ii) a third virtual machine executing on a computing device comprising one or more processors and computer memory and executing a hypervisor, and
• wherein the storage manager manages storage operations in the data storage management system;
• by the master heartbeat monitor node, obtaining from the storage manager a first list of first virtual machines that are targeted for heartbeat monitoring by one or more heartbeat monitor nodes;
• by the master heartbeat monitor node, using distribution rules to assign each first virtual machine to one of a plurality of worker heartbeat monitor nodes, resulting in a worker-to-virtual-machine mapping;
• and
• by each of the plurality of worker heartbeat monitor nodes, performing heartbeat monitoring of one or more target virtual machines assigned thereto by the master heartbeat monitor node.