Database-aware snapshotting

A system comprising:

• one or more memories;
• one or more processor devices coupled to the one or more memories to:
• determine that a container specification comprises a keyword that corresponds to a command to initiate a database container, the database container configured to provide database services to other containers;
• in response to determining that the container specification includes the keyword that corresponds to the command to initiate the database container, modify the container specification to generate a new container specification that includes a command to initiate a first snapshot sidecar container, wherein the new container specification comprises a parameter that defines an attribute of a runtime environment of the first snapshot sidecar container;
• initiate the first snapshot sidecar container in association with the database container;
• determine that a first snapshot of a database having a plurality of shards should be taken, each shard having a corresponding snapshot sidecar container of a plurality of snapshot sidecar containers, wherein the first snapshot sidecar container comprises one of the plurality of snapshot sidecar containers;
• send a snapshot request to each of the plurality of snapshot sidecar containers;
• receive, from each of at least a portion of the plurality of snapshot sidecar containers, a snapshot request response based on whether a current resource utilization rate of the database container with which the snapshot sidecar container is associated is below a predetermined threshold;
• determine, based on the snapshot request response received from each of at least a portion of the plurality of snapshot sidecar containers, a consensus state among the plurality of snapshot sidecar containers that at least a majority of the snapshot sidecar containers indicate that the first snapshot should be taken;
• direct, based on the consensus state, each snapshot sidecar container to halt activity on a corresponding shard;
• direct a snapshot controller to take the first snapshot of the database, the first snapshot generating a shard volume snapshot for each shard of the plurality of shards;
• and
• subsequent to the snapshot controller taking the first snapshot of the database, inform each snapshot sidecar container to allow activity on the corresponding shard.

A computer program product stored on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium and including instructions configured to cause one or more processor devices to:

• determine that a container specification comprises a keyword that corresponds to a command to initiate a database container, the database container configured to provide database services to other containers;
• in response to determining that the container specification includes the keyword that corresponds to the command to initiate the database container, modify the container specification to generate a new container specification that includes a command to initiate a first snapshot sidecar container, wherein the new container specification comprises a parameter that defines an attribute of a runtime environment of the first snapshot sidecar container;
• initiate the first snapshot sidecar container in association with the database container;
• determine that a first snapshot of a database having a plurality of shards should be taken, each shard having a corresponding snapshot sidecar container of a plurality of snapshot sidecar containers, wherein the first snapshot sidecar container comprises one of the plurality of snapshot sidecar containers;
• send a snapshot request to each of the plurality of snapshot sidecar containers;
• receive, from each of at least a portion of the plurality of snapshot sidecar containers, a snapshot request response based on whether a current resource utilization rate of the database container with which the snapshot sidecar container is associated is below a predetermined threshold;
• determine, based on the snapshot request response received from each of at least a portion of the plurality of snapshot sidecar containers, a consensus state among the plurality of snapshot sidecar containers that at least a majority of the snapshot sidecar containers indicate that the first snapshot should be taken;
• direct, based on the consensus state, each snapshot sidecar container to halt activity on a corresponding shard;
• direct a snapshot controller to take the first snapshot of the database, the first snapshot generating a shard volume snapshot for each shard of the plurality of shards;
• and
• subsequent to the snapshot controller taking the first snapshot of the database, inform each snapshot sidecar container to allow activity on the corresponding shard.