Abstract: In some embodiments, a process for restoring a version of a virtual machine using a data storage system comprises identifying a particular version of a virtual machine to be restored, determining a base image from which the particular version may be derived, determining a set of incremental files for generating the particular version, generating a file associated with the particular version using the base image and the set of incremental files, and outputting at least a portion of the file.

Abstract: In some embodiments, a process for restoring a version of a virtual machine using a data storage system comprises identifying a particular version of a virtual machine to be restored, determining a base image from which the particular version may be derived, determining a set of incremental files for generating the particular version, generating a file associated with the particular version using the base image and the set of incremental files, and outputting at least a portion of the file.

Abstract: Some embodiments may include a process for determining a type of snapshot to be stored using a data storage system. An example the process comprises identifying a snapshot chain for a first virtual machine, determining whether the snapshot chain includes a dependent base file, determining a maximum incremental chain length for the snapshot chain based on whether the snapshot chain includes a dependent base file, or based on an age of the backed up versions within the snapshot chain, determining whether a new snapshot chain should be created based on the maximum incremental chain length, and determining a type of snapshot to be stored for the first virtual machine based on the maximum incremental chain length.

Abstract: In one approach, filesets to be backed up are divided into partitions and snapshots are pulled for each partition. In one architecture, a data management and storage (DMS) cluster includes a plurality of peer DMS nodes and a distributed data store implemented across the peer DMS nodes. One of the peer DMS nodes receives fileset metadata for the fileset and defines a plurality of partitions for the fileset based on the fileset metadata. The peer DMS nodes operate autonomously to execute jobs to pull snapshots for each of the partitions and to store the snapshots of the partitions in the distributed data store.

Abstract: A data management and storage (DMS) cluster of peer DMS nodes manages data of a compute infrastructure by generating snapshots of partitions of a fileset of the compute infrastructure and providing a passthrough for storing the snapshots in a data storage separate from the DMS cluster, such as a cloud computing system. In one approach, the DMS nodes determine partitions of a fileset using fileset metadata, generates snapshots of the partitions, and stores the snapshots in the data storage. Each DMS node may include a local storage which is used to facilitate creation of a snapshot of a partition. The snapshot may be removed from the local storage after being sent to the data storage. Rather than storing the snapshot, the DMS cluster stores fileset metadata that is referenced to retrieve the snapshot from the data storage. The snapshot is deployed to retrieve a file stored in the partition.

Abstract: In one approach, filesets to be backed up are divided into partitions and snapshots are pulled for each partition. In one architecture, a data management and storage (DMS) cluster includes a plurality of peer DMS nodes and a distributed data store implemented across the peer DMS nodes. One of the peer DMS nodes receives fileset metadata for the fileset and defines a plurality of partitions for the fileset based on the fileset metadata. The peer DMS nodes operate autonomously to execute jobs to pull snapshots for each of the partitions and to store the snapshots of the partitions in the distributed data store.

Abstract: In some embodiments, a process for restoring a version of a virtual machine using a data storage system comprises identifying a particular version of a virtual machine to be restored, determining a base image from which the particular version may be derived, determining a set of incremental files for generating the particular version, generating a file associated with the particular version using the base image and the set of incremental files, and outputting at least a portion of the file.

Abstract: Methods and systems for backing up and restoring files that have multiple hard links using master file references and index node-based mappings are described. In some cases, file fetching and restoration may be performed by a storage appliance using master file references in which a master file is identified for each multi-link file that is backed-up on the storage appliance and then referenced by one or more hard links to the multi-link file. In other cases, file fetching and restoration may be performed by a storage appliance using index node-based mappings for multi-link files that provide mappings between index node identifiers (e.g., inode numbers) for the multi-link files on a primary system and hard link paths for storing the file contents of the multi-link files on a storage appliance used for backing up the primary system.

Abstract: Methods and systems for backing up and restoring files that have multiple hard links using master file references and index node-based mappings are described. In some cases, file fetching and restoration may be performed by a storage appliance using master file references in which a master file is identified for each multi-link file that is backed-up on the storage appliance and then referenced by one or more hard links to the multi-link file. In other cases, file fetching and restoration may be performed by a storage appliance using index node-based mappings for multi-link files that provide mappings between index node identifiers (e.g., inode numbers) for the multi-link files on a primary system and hard link paths for storing the file contents of the multi-link files on a storage appliance used for backing up the primary system.

Abstract: In some embodiments, a process for restoring a version of a virtual machine using a data storage system comprises identifying a particular version of a virtual machine to be restored, determining a base image from which the particular version may be derived, determining a set of incremental files for generating the particular version, generating a file associated with the particular version using the base image and the set of incremental files, and outputting at least a portion of the file.

Abstract: In some embodiments, there is provided a method for operating a data management system. The method comprising certain operations including determining a schedule for backing up a first virtual machine, configuring a job scheduler to implement the schedule for backing up the first virtual machine, initiating a snapshot process for acquiring a snapshot of the first virtual machine, determining a type of snapshot to be stored, and determining whether a full image of the first virtual machine is required to be stored in order to store the snapshot of the first virtual machine.

Abstract: In some embodiments, a process for restoring a version of a virtual machine using a data storage system comprises identifying a particular version of a virtual machine to be restored, determining a base image from which the particular version may be derived, determining a set of incremental files for generating the particular version, generating a file associated with the particular version using the base image and the set of incremental files, and outputting at least a portion of the file.

Abstract: Methods and systems for backing up and restoring different point in time versions of a virtual machine, a real machine, an application, a database, or a set of electronic files using a plurality of independently managed snapshot chains are described. The different point in time versions of the data being backed-up may be stored using two or more snapshot chains corresponding with two or more data partitions of the data being backed-up. Over time, additional full image snapshots may be acquired from an external server or generated locally by a storage appliance to limit the snapshot chain lengths and to limit the aggregate block chain lengths for the snapshot chains. Acquisition and generation of the additional full image snapshots may be staggered across different data partitions to limit computational and storage costs per snapshot.

Abstract: In some embodiments, a process for restoring a version of a virtual machine using a data storage system comprises identifying a particular version of a virtual machine to be restored, determining a base image from which the particular version may be derived, determining a set of incremental files for generating the particular version, generating a file associated with the particular version using the base image and the set of incremental files, and outputting at least a portion of the file.

Abstract: In one approach, data blocks or files that have a history of change are tagged for automatic transfer to backup on the assumption that they have changed since the last backup. Other data blocks and files are first tested for change, for example by comparing digital fingerprints of the current data versus the previously backed up data, before transferring to backup.

Abstract: In some embodiments, there is provided a method for operating a data management system. The method comprising certain operations including determining a schedule for backing up a first virtual machine, configuring a job scheduler to implement the schedule for backing up the first virtual machine, initiating a snapshot process for acquiring a snapshot of the first virtual machine, determining a type of snapshot to be stored, and determining whether a full image of the first virtual machine is required to be stored in order to store the snapshot of the first virtual machine.

Abstract: Some embodiments may include a process for determining a type of snapshot to be stored using a data storage system. An example the process comprises identifying a snapshot chain for a first virtual machine, determining whether the snapshot chain includes a dependent base file, determining a maximum incremental chain length for the snapshot chain based on whether the snapshot chain includes a dependent base file, or based on an age of the backed up versions within the snapshot chain, determining whether a new snapshot chain should be created based on the maximum incremental chain length, and determining a type of snapshot to be stored for the first virtual machine based on the maximum incremental chain length.

Abstract: In one approach, data blocks or files that have a history of change are tagged for automatic transfer to backup on the assumption that they have changed since the last backup. Other data blocks and files are first tested for change, for example by comparing digital fingerprints of the current data versus the previously backed up data, before transferring to backup.

Abstract: Methods and systems for backing up and restoring files that have multiple hard links using master file references and index node-based mappings are described. In some cases, file fetching and restoration may be performed by a storage appliance using master file references in which a master file is identified for each multi-link file that is backed-up on the storage appliance and then referenced by one or more hard links to the multi-link file. In other cases, file fetching and restoration may be performed by a storage appliance using index node-based mappings for multi-link files that provide mappings between index node identifiers (e.g., inode numbers) for the multi-link files on a primary system and hard link paths for storing the file contents of the multi-link files on a storage appliance used for backing up the primary system.

Abstract: Methods and systems for backing up and restoring different point in time versions of a virtual machine, a real machine, an application, a database, or a set of electronic files using a plurality of independently managed snapshot chains are described. The different point in time versions of the data being backed-up may be stored using two or more snapshot chains corresponding with two or more data partitions of the data being backed-up. Over time, additional full image snapshots may be acquired from an external server or generated locally by a storage appliance to limit the snapshot chain lengths and to limit the aggregate block chain lengths for the snapshot chains. Acquisition and generation of the additional full image snapshots may be staggered across different data partitions to limit computational and storage costs per snapshot.