US 8,819,369 B1 · Restoring a virtual machine

Abstract

One or more techniques and/or systems are provided for restoring an original virtual machine from a snapshot according to a current virtual machine layout different than an original virtual machine layout, where the original virtual machine layout is specified within the snapshot. That is, a snapshot of an original virtual machine stored within one or more original datastores according to an original virtual machine layout may be created. Over time, as changes occur to the virtual machine, the original virtual machine may be stored as a current virtual machine according to a current virtual machine layout. To effect the restoration, a cloned datastore comprising replicas of the original datastores may be created from the snapshot, and a cloned virtual machine and one or more cloned virtual machine disks (from the cloned datastore) may be migrated to one or more current datastores according to the current virtual machine layout.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method for restoring an original virtual machine from a snapshot according to a current virtual machine layout different than an original virtual machine layout of the original virtual machine, comprising:

capturing a current virtual machine layout of a current virtual machine, the current virtual machine stored within one or more current datastores;
comparing the current virtual machine layout with an original virtual machine layout, specified within a snapshot, of an original virtual machine, the original virtual machine stored within one or more original datastores when the snapshot was created;
and
responsive to the current virtual machine layout being different than the original virtual machine layout:
removing one or more current virtual machine storage devices of the current virtual machine;
creating a cloned datastore from the snapshot, the cloned datastore comprising a cloned virtual machine and one or more cloned virtual machine storage devices, the cloned virtual machine and the one or more cloned virtual machine storage devices corresponding to the original virtual machine;
migrating the cloned virtual machine within the cloned datastore to the one or more current datastores according to the current virtual machine layout;
and
migrating the one or more cloned virtual machine storage devices within the cloned datastore to the one or more current datastores according to the current virtual machine layout.

6 more elements

A system for restoring an original virtual machine from a snapshot according to a current virtual machine layout different than an original virtual machine layout of the original virtual machine, comprising:

a layout comparison component configured to:
capture a current virtual machine layout of a current virtual machine, the current virtual machine stored within one or more current datastores;
and
compare the current virtual machine layout with an original virtual machine layout, specified within a snapshot, of an original virtual machine, the original virtual machine stored within one or more original datastores when the snapshot was created;
and
a virtual machine restore component configured to:
responsive to the current virtual machine layout being different than the original virtual machine layout:
remove one or more current virtual machine storage devices of the current virtual machine;
create a cloned datastore from the snapshot, the cloned datastore comprising a cloned virtual machine and one or more cloned virtual machine storage devices, the cloned virtual machine and the one or more cloned virtual machine storage devices corresponding to the original virtual machine;
migrate the cloned virtual machine within the cloned datastore to the one or more current datastores according to the current virtual machine layout;
and
migrate the one or more cloned virtual machine storage devices within the cloned datastore to the one or more current datastores according to the current virtual machine layout.

9 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Restoring a virtual machine

Life of this patent

Restoring a virtual machine

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20