# US 12,181,980 B1 · Scheduling and prioritizing upgrades in a data cluster > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,181,980 B1 - Document ID: US12181980B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 18/451,219 - Filed: 2023-08-17 - Granted: 2024-12-31 - Earliest claimed: 2023-08-17 - Assignees: Dell Products L.P. - Applicants: Dell Products L.P. - Inventors: Sharath Talkad Srinivasan; Prakash Appayya Acharya; Mohammed Abdul Samad - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12181980B1 ## CPC - G06F 11/1464: {for networked environments} - G06F 9/45558: {Hypervisor-specific management and integration aspects} - H04L 67/34: {involving the movement of software or configuration parameters (network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416)} - G06F 2009/45595: {Network integration; Enabling network access in virtual machine instances} - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) ## Abstract Techniques described herein relate to a method for managing upgrades of backup agents in a data cluster. The method may include identifying, by a data protection manager, a backup agent upgrade event associated with a backup agent type of backup agent types and a data cluster that includes production hosts that execute virtual machines (VMs); in response to identifying the backup agent upgrade event: obtaining production host information associated with the production hosts; obtaining protection policy information associated with the production hosts; generating an upgrade schedule specifying a portion of production hosts associated with backup agent upgrades of backup agents of the backup agent type using the production host information and the protection policy information; and initiating performance of backup agent upgrades on the portion of production hosts based on the upgrade schedule. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for managing upgrades of backup agents in a data cluster, comprising: identifying, by a data protection manager, a backup agent upgrade event associated with a backup agent type of backup agent types and a data cluster comprising a plurality of production hosts, wherein the plurality of production hosts comprise virtual machines (VMs); in response to identifying the backup agent upgrade event: obtaining production host information associated with the plurality of production hosts; obtaining protection policy information associated with the plurality of production hosts; generating an upgrade schedule specifying a portion of production hosts of the plurality of production hosts associated with backup agent upgrades of backup agents of the backup agent type using the production host information and the protection policy information by: filtering a list of production hosts of the plurality of production hosts to include production hosts that exceed a VM asset threshold associated with the backup agent type; filtering the list to include production hosts that exceed a VM asset size threshold associated with the backup agent type; filtering the list to exclude production hosts that exceed a VM asset backup copy limit; and filtering the list to exclude production hosts that are not available; and initiating performance of backup agent upgrades on the portion of the plurality of production hosts based on the upgrade schedule. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the production host information specifies: a status of each production host; VMs associated with each production host; VM assets associated with each VM; a number of backup copies associated with each VM asset of the VM assets; and a size of each VM asset. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the protection policy information specifies: backup agent types associated with each VM asset of the VM assets; and a backup schedule associated with each VM asset of the VM assets. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the backup agent types comprise: a first backup agent type that performs a first type of VM backup; and a second backup agent type that performs a second type of VM backup. ### Claim 5 A method for managing upgrades of backup agents in a data cluster, comprising: identifying, by a data protection manager, a backup agent upgrade event associated with a backup agent type of backup agent types and a data cluster comprising a plurality of production hosts, wherein the plurality of production hosts comprise virtual machines (VMs); in response to identifying the backup agent upgrade event: obtaining production host information associated with the plurality of production hosts; obtaining protection policy information associated with the plurality of production hosts; generating an upgrade schedule specifying a portion of production hosts of the plurality of production hosts associated with backup agent upgrades of backup agents of the backup agent type using the production host information and the protection policy information by: filtering a list of production hosts of the plurality of production hosts to include production hosts that exceed a VM asset threshold associated with the backup agent type; filtering the list to include production hosts that exceed a VM asset size threshold associated with the backup agent type; and initiating performance of backup agent upgrades on the portion of the plurality of production hosts based on the upgrade schedule. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein generating an upgrade schedule specifying eligible production hosts associated with backup agent upgrades using the production host information and the protection policy information further comprises: prior to filtering the list of production hosts of the plurality of production hosts to include production hosts that exceed a VM asset threshold associated with the backup agent type: identifying the list of production hosts of the plurality of production hosts that include backup agents associated with the backup agent type; and after filtering the list to include production hosts that exceed a VM asset size threshold associated with the backup agent type: filtering the list to exclude production hosts that exceed a VM asset backup copy limit; and filtering the list to exclude production hosts that are not available. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein the production host information specifies: a status of each production host; VMs associated with each production host; VM assets associated with each VM; a number of backup copies associated with each VM asset of the VM assets; and a size of each VM asset. ### Claim 8 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein the protection policy information specifies: backup agent types associated with each VM asset of the VM assets; and a backup schedule associated with each VM asset of the VM assets. ### Claim 9 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein the backup agent types comprise: a first backup agent type; and a second backup agent type. ### Claim 10 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein the VM asset threshold specifies a proportion of a total of VM assets of a production host that are backed up using backup agents of the backup agent type. ### Claim 11 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein the VM asset size threshold specifies a proportion of a total VM asset size on a production host that are that are backed up using backup agents of the backup agent type. ### Claim 12 A method for managing upgrades of backup agents in a data cluster, comprising: identifying, by a data protection manager, a backup agent upgrade event associated with a backup agent type of backup agent types and a data cluster comprising a plurality of production hosts, wherein the plurality of production hosts comprise virtual machines (VMs); in response to identifying the backup agent upgrade event: obtaining production host information associated with the plurality of production hosts; obtaining protection policy information associated with the plurality of production hosts; generating an upgrade schedule specifying a portion of production hosts of the plurality of production hosts associated with backup agent upgrades of backup agents of the backup agent type using the production host information and the protection policy information; and initiating performance of backup agent upgrades on the portion of the plurality of production hosts based on the upgrade schedule. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein generating an upgrade schedule specifying eligible production hosts associated with backup agent upgrades using the production host information and the protection policy information comprises: identifying a list of production hosts of the plurality of production hosts associated with the backup agent type using the production host information; filtering the list to include production hosts that include VM assets protected using backup agents associated with the backup agent type; filtering the list to include production hosts that exceed a VM asset threshold associated with the backup agent type; filtering the list to include production hosts that exceed a VM asset size threshold associated with the backup agent type; filtering the list to exclude production hosts that exceed a VM asset backup copy limit; and filtering the list to exclude production hosts that are not available. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the VM asset threshold specifies a proportion of a total of VM assets of a production host that are backed up using backup agents of the backup agent type. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the VM asset size threshold specifies a proportion of a total VM asset size on a production host that are that are backed up using backup agents of the backup agent type. ### Claim 16 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein the production host information specifies: a status of each production host; VMs associated with each production host; VM assets associated with each VM; a number of backup copies associated with each VM asset of the VM assets; and a size of each VM asset. ### Claim 17 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein the protection policy information specifies: backup agent types associated with each VM asset of the VM assets; and a backup schedule associated with each VM asset of the VM assets. ### Claim 18 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein the backup agent types comprise: a first backup agent type; and a second backup agent type. ### Claim 19 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein the upgrade schedule is prioritized based on a number of backup copies associated with each production host. ### Claim 20 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein the backup agent upgrade event comprises one selected from a group consisting of at least: an upgrade of the data protection manager; obtaining a request from a user; identifying a change in status of a production host of the plurality of production hosts; identifying a change in the protection policy information associated with a production host of the plurality of production hosts.