Automatic selection of network path connecting backup clients to a pool of multiple backup storage appliances

A system comprising:

• a processor;
• and memory configured to store one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to carry out the steps of:
• storing, by a namespace redirection service, information mapping storage units to a pool of data protection appliances on which the storage units reside, the stored information comprising a plurality of Internet Protocol (IP) addresses through which each data protection appliance can be reached;
• receiving, at the namespace redirection service from a client, a connection request comprising an identification of a particular storage unit which the client seeks to access for a first data protection job, the particular storage unit comprising a logical grouping of backup data of the client;
• authenticating, by the namespace redirection service, the request;
• after authenticating the request, looking up the particular storage unit in the stored information to identify a particular data protection appliance on which the particular storage unit currently resides, the particular data protection appliance now being a first particular data protection appliance;
• load balancing an initial connection by the client to the first particular data protection appliance on which the particular storage unit currently resides by returning, to the client from the namespace redirection service, a list comprising multiple IP addresses through which the first particular data protection appliance can be reached according to the stored information, wherein the client upon receipt of the list randomly selects an IP address from the list to attempt the initial connection to the first particular data protection appliance,
• wherein each IP address in the list to be selected by the client comprises a network ID having a value of “192”;
• tracking, the by namespace redirection service, a location of the particular storage unit including the data protection appliance at which the particular storage unit resides;
• receiving, at the namespace redirection service from the client, a request to access the particular storage unit for a second data protection job;
• determining that the particular storage unit now resides on a second particular data protection appliance, different from the first particular data protection appliance;
• and
• redirecting the client to the second particular data protection appliance for the second data protection job involving the particular storage unit.

A computer program product, comprising a non-transitory computer-readable medium having a computer-readable program code embodied therein, the computer-readable program code adapted to be executed by one or more processors to implement a method comprising:

• receiving a request from a client to create a particular storage unit at an appliance pool, the appliance pool comprising a plurality of data protection appliances, and the request specifying the appliance pool, but not a particular data protection appliance;
• selecting the particular data protection appliance on which to create the particular storage unit and creating the particular storage unit on the particular data protection appliance;
• storing, by a namespace redirection service, information mapping storage units to the pool of data protection appliances on which the storage units reside, the stored information including an identification of the particular data protection appliance on which the particular storage unit current resides, and comprising a plurality of Internet Protocol (IP) addresses through which each data protection appliance can be reached;
• receiving, at the namespace redirection service from the client, a remote procedure call (RPC) requesting access to the particular storage unit for a first data protection job, the request comprising an identification of the particular storage unit which the client seeks to access for the first data protection job, but not the particular data protection appliance on which the particular storage unit currently resides, the particular storage unit comprising a logical grouping of backup data of the client;
• authenticating, by the namespace redirection service, the request;
• after authenticating the request, looking up the particular storage unit in the stored information to identify the particular data protection appliance on which the particular storage unit currently resides, the particular data protection appliance now being a first particular data protection appliance;
• load balancing an initial connection by the client to the first particular data protection appliance on which the particular storage unit currently resides by returning, to the client from the namespace redirection service, a list comprising multiple IP addresses through which the first particular data protection appliance can be reached according to the stored information, wherein the client upon receipt of the list randomly selects an IP address from the list to attempt the initial connection to the first particular data protection appliance,
• wherein each IP address in the list to be selected by the client comprises a network ID having a value of “192”, and
• wherein a further load balancing is performed after the initial connection by the client to the first particular data protection appliance is successful, the further load balancing comprising the client disconnecting from the initial connection to the first particular data protection appliance made using the IP address selected by the client, and reconnecting to the first particular data protection appliance using an IP address provided by the first particular data protection appliance;
• tracking, by the namespace redirection service, a location of the particular storage unit including the data protection appliance at which the particular storage unit resides;
• receiving, at the namespace redirection service from the client, a request to access the particular storage unit for a second data protection job;
• determining that the particular storage unit now resides on a second particular data protection appliance, different from the first particular data protection appliance;
• and
• redirecting the client to the second particular data protection appliance for the second data protection job involving the particular storage unit.