Database migration between computing platforms using virtual backups

A computing system, comprising:

• a processor connected to memory;
• and
• a migration module associated with a zero data loss recovery appliance stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium and configured with instructions that when executed by the processor cause the processor to:
• maintain, by a zero data loss recovery appliance, one or more virtual full backups of a database hosted by a first platform located on a first remote computing device, wherein each of the one or more virtual full backups comprises metadata referencing i) data blocks of an incremental backup of the database corresponding to changes to the database since a last prior backup of the database, ii) data blocks of all previous incremental backups of the database that occurred prior to the incremental backup of the database, and iii) data blocks of a full backup of the database;
• receive, by the recovery appliance, a migration command to migrate the database from the first platform to a second platform located on a second remote computing device;
• evaluate, by the recovery appliance, the one or more virtual full backups to identify a target virtual full backup of the database to use for migration to the second platform based upon the target virtual full backup being a latest virtual full backup of data of the database to be migrated, wherein the latest virtual full backup of data is determined using a timestamp that corresponds to a point in time in which the virtual full backup was created and a creation time of the incremental backup from which the virtual full backup was created;
• and
• perform, by the recovery appliance, a migration operation to migrate the database from the first platform to the second platform using the target virtual full backup to create a migrated database on the second platform, the migration operation comprising:
• parsing, by the recovery appliance, the metadata of the target virtual full backup to identify and then migrate the data blocks of the full backup of the database, the data blocks of the incremental backup of the database, and the data blocks of the previous incremental backups of the database into the migrated database;
• and
• removing, by the recovery appliance, the database from the first platform.

A computer-implemented method, the computer-implemented method involving a computing device associated with a zero data loss recovery appliance, wherein the computing device comprises a processor, and the computer-implemented method comprising:

• maintaining, by a zero data loss recovery appliance, one or more virtual full backups of a database hosted by a first platform located on a first remote computing device, wherein each of the one or more virtual full backups comprises metadata referencing i) data blocks of an incremental backup of the database corresponding to changes to the database since a last prior backup of the database, ii) data blocks of all previous incremental backups of the database that occurred prior to the incremental backup of the database, and iii) data blocks of a full backup of the database;
• receiving, by the recovery appliance, a migration command to migrate the database from the first platform to a second platform located on a second remote computing device;
• evaluating, by the recovery appliance, the one or more virtual full backups to identify a target virtual full backup of the database to use for migration to the second platform based upon the target virtual full backup being a latest virtual full backup of data of the database to be migrated, wherein the latest virtual full backup of data is determined using a timestamp that corresponds to a point in time in which the virtual full backup was created and a creation time of the incremental backup from which the virtual full backup was created;
• and
• performing, by the recovery appliance, a migration operation to migrate the database from the first platform to the second platform using the target virtual full backup to create a migrated database on the second platform, the migration operation comprising:
• parsing, by the recovery appliance, the metadata of the target virtual full backup of the database to identify and then migrate the data blocks of the full backup of the database, the data blocks of the incremental backup of the database, and the data blocks of the previous incremental backups of the database into the migrated database;
• and
• removing, by the recovery appliance, the database from the first platform.