US 12,730,723 B2Granted

Selective processing of file system objects for image level backups

AssigneeVeeam Software AG

InventorsRatmir Timashev, Anton Gostev

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Abstract

Systems, methods, and computer program products are provided for reducing the size of image level backups. An example method receives backup parameters identifying a physical or Virtual Machine (VM) to backup and at least one file system object to include in the backup. The method connects to production storage corresponding to the selected physical or virtual machine and obtains access to data stored in disk corresponding to the selected file system object(s). The method fetches file allocation table (FAT) blocks from the disk and parses contents of the FAT blocks to determine if the disk blocks correspond to the selected file system object(s). The method creates a backup disk image FAT comprising blocks corresponding to the selected file system object(s). The method creates a reconstructed disk image FAT blocks corresponding to the backup FAT and disk image data blocks belonging to the selected file system object(s) and all other disk image data blocks are saved as zero blocks. A reconstructed disc image is compressed and stored in a backup file on backup storage, or replicated (copied) to another storage intact.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A system for selective processing of file system objects for an image level backup, comprising:

a backup engine in communication with a production virtual disk storage, wherein the production virtual disk storage comprises one or more virtual disk images and a file allocation table (FAT), and wherein the backup engine comprises:
a receiving module configured to receive backup parameters for the image level backup, wherein the backup parameters include a selection of a virtual machine to backup and a selection of a plurality of file system objects including a first file system object to include in and a second file system object to exclude from the image level backup, wherein the plurality of file system objects are associated with one or more applications associated with the virtual machine;
and
a connection module configured to connect to a virtual disk image of the one or more virtual disk images corresponding to the selected virtual machine, wherein the connection module is further configured to obtain data from the virtual disk image corresponding to the first file system object;
a FAT processing module configured to:
identify a set of pre-configured exclusion files, wherein the set of pre-configured exclusion files comprises at least one virtual memory file that is automatically excluded based on one or more pre-configuration settings of the backup engine, specifying exclusion of virtual memory files from the image level backup;
fetch a selected set of data blocks from the virtual disk image using the FAT, wherein the selected set of data blocks correspond to the first file system object, and wherein the FAT provides a location of the selected set of data blocks;
prevent fetching, from the virtual disk image, a set of data blocks corresponding to the second file system object and the set of pre-configured exclusion files;
generate empty content corresponding to the set of data blocks corresponding to the second file system object and the set of pre-configured exclusion files;
and
create a backup FAT from the selected set of data blocks and the empty content;
and
a block processing module configured to save the backup FAT to a reconstructed disk image in the backup engine.

10 more elements

A method for object-selective processing of file system objects for an image level backup, comprising:

receiving, by a backup engine in communication with a production virtual disk storage, backup parameters for the image level backup, wherein the backup parameters include a selection of a virtual machine to backup and a selection of a plurality of file system objects including a first file system object to include in and a second file system object to exclude from the image level backup, wherein the plurality of file system objects are associated with one or more applications associated with the virtual machine, and wherein the production virtual disk storage further comprises one or more virtual disk images and a file allocation table (FAT);
connecting, by the backup engine, to a virtual disk image of one or more virtual disk images corresponding to the selected virtual machine;
obtaining data from the virtual disk image corresponding to the first file system object;
identifying a set of pre-configured exclusion files, wherein the set of pre-configured exclusion files comprises at least one virtual memory file that is automatically excluded based on one or more pre-configuration settings of the backup engine, specifying exclusion of virtual memory files from the image level backup;
fetching, by a FAT processing module in communication with the backup engine, a selected set of data blocks from the virtual disk image using the FAT, wherein the selected set of data blocks correspond to the first file system object, and wherein the FAT provides a location of the selected set of data blocks;
preventing, by the FAT processing module, fetching, from the virtual disk image, a set of data blocks corresponding to the second file system object and the set of pre-configured exclusion files;
generating, by the FAT processing module, empty content corresponding to the set of data blocks corresponding to the second file system object and the set of pre-configured exclusion files;
creating a backup FAT from the selected set of data blocks and the empty content;
and
saving the backup FAT to a reconstructed disk image in the backup engine.

7 more elements

A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon, wherein the instructions when executed by one or more processors of a backup engine in communication with a production virtual disk storage, cause the one or more processors to perform operations, the operations comprising:

receiving backup parameters for an image level backup, wherein the backup parameters include a selection of a virtual machine to backup and a selection of a plurality of file system objects including a first file system object to include in and a second file system object to exclude from the image level backup, wherein the plurality of file system objects are associated with one or more applications associated with the virtual machine, and wherein the production virtual disk storage further comprises one or more virtual disk images and a file allocation table (FAT);
connecting to a virtual disk image of one or more virtual disk images corresponding to the selected virtual machine, wherein the one or more virtual disk images are stored in the production virtual disk storage;
obtaining data from the virtual disk image corresponding to the first file system object;
identifying a set of pre-configured exclusion files, wherein the set of pre-configured exclusion files comprises at least one virtual memory file that is automatically excluded based on one or more pre-configuration settings of the backup engine, specifying exclusion of virtual memory files from the image level backup;
fetching a selected set of data blocks from the virtual disk image using the FAT, wherein the selected set of data blocks correspond to the first file system object, and wherein the FAT provides a location of the selected set of data blocks;
preventing fetching, from the virtual disk image, a set of data blocks corresponding to the second file system object and the set of pre-configured exclusion files;
generating empty content corresponding to the set of blocks corresponding to the second file system object and the set of pre-configured exclusion files;
creating a backup FAT from the selected set of data blocks and the empty content;
and
saving the backup FAT to a reconstructed disk image in the backup engine.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 18/242,808Filed 6 Sep 2023 · continuation
Priority: 14 Jun 2010
Published: US 2024/0211353 A127 Jun 2024
Granted: 8 Sep 2026
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification6 codes

G06F 11/1451
Management of the data involved in backup or backup restore: by selection of backup contents
G06F 11/1464
Management of the backup or restore process: for networked environments
G06F 16/148
Details of searching files based on file metadata: file search processing
G06F 16/1844
Implemented as replicated file system: management specifically adapted to replicated file systems

Family

Application61/354,529Us provisional application · filed 14 Jun 2010
Application13/159,229Parent of this continuation · filed 13 Jun 2011
Application15/359,128Parent of this continuation · filed 22 Nov 2016
US 9,507,670 B2Parent of this continuation · filed 29 Nov 2016
Application16/197,644Parent of this continuation · filed 21 Nov 2018
Application17/380,523Parent of this continuation · filed 20 Jul 2021
US 11,068,349 B2Parent of this continuation · filed 20 Jul 2021
US 2024/0211353 A1Pre-grant publication · published 27 Jun 2024
US 11,789,823 B2Parent of this continuation
US 2011/0307657 A1Published application
US 2017/0075766 A1Published application
US 2019/0332489 A1Published application
US 2022/0156155 A1Published application
US 12,730,723 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.