Abstract: An in-guest agent receives a command to conduct a backup of a virtual machine (VM) having a copy service. A discovery is initiated of disk types attached to the VM. Based on the discovery, at least first and second disks are identified. The first disk is identified as a virtual machine disk (VMDK) and the second disk is identified as a raw device mapping (RDM) disk. After the identification, a request is issued to the copy service to prepare the applications for a snapshot operation. A first request for a snapshot of the VMDK disk is issued over a socket communication channel. A second request for a snapshot of the RDM disk is issued over a TCP network to a controller of a storage array responsible for presenting the second disk to the VM. Responses to the first and second requests are managed to conduct the backup.

Abstract: Described is a system that leverages object storage provided access controls to secure backup data stored on a third-party cloud-based object storage. More particularly, the system may implement a mechanism that ensures that a backup system acts as a gateway for accessing the backup data stored on the object storage. For example, the system may prevent object storage administrative accounts that are authorized to access data directly on the storage from maliciously or inadvertently jeopardizing the integrity of the backup data. Moreover, the backup system may encrypt the backup data to prevent such administrative accounts from performing various backup related operations such as data recovery. Accordingly, to perform backup operations and decrypt the backup data, an account must be authorized by the backup system acting as an exclusive gateway to the backup data stored on a third-party storage.

Abstract: Techniques described herein relate to a method for performing data protection services for limited access cloud data. The method includes identifying, by a data manager, a protection policy assignment event; in response to identifying the protection policy assignment event: identifying subscriptions associated with cloud resources; identifying services associated with each subscriptions; assigning protection policy types to the subscriptions based on the associated services; and initiating performance of data protection services based on the protection policy assignments associated with each subscription.

Abstract: A command is received by a data protection agent to conduct an application-consistent backup of an application. The agent and application are installed as guests in a virtual machine (VM) provided by a hypervisor of a host. The VM is connected to a virtual machine guest network. The hypervisor is connected to an infrastructure network, separate from the virtual machine guest network. A socket communication channel is established between the agent and a snapshot data mover running on the host and outside the VM. A request for a snapshot is issued over the socket communication channel to the snapshot data mover. The snapshot request is passed to a virtual machine manager connected to the infrastructure network.

Abstract: A method for managing data protection includes obtaining, by a backup server, a restoration request for a virtual machine (VM) that includes an active directory (AD) application, and wherein the AD application comprises a set of AD objects and a directory service for managing the set of AD objects, parsing a VM backup corresponding to the VM, stored in a backup storage system, to identify an AD application backup of the AD application using metadata stored in an index and search microservice of the backup server, mounting, using an AD recovery microservice, backups of the set of AD objects of the AD application backup to the production environment, and providing browse and restoration services to the production environment based on the mounting of the AD objects and using the AD recovery microservice.

Abstract: A system enables selection of application hosts which meet update requirements, then downloads an update for instances of an application agent corresponding to selected application hosts. The system puts selected application hosts in maintenance mode, which prevents selected application hosts from beginning execution of any operations, until updating selected application hosts is completed. The system creates backup copy of configuration files used to configure instances of application agent. The system initiates update sessions which install update in instances of application agent corresponding to selected application hosts. If update sessions failed to install update in any of instances of application agent in cluster of application hosts, then system restores configuration files which were used to configure instances of application agents.

Abstract: Updating application hosts in a cluster are described. A system enables a selection of an application host which meet update requirements, and then determines whether the selected application host is in a cluster of application hosts. If the selected application host is in a cluster, then the system determines whether each application host in the cluster is selected for updating. If each application host in the cluster is not selected for updating, then the system enables the selection of all application hosts in the cluster for updating. If each application host in the cluster is selected for updating, then the system initiates update sessions which install updates in components of the cluster. If at least some of the application hosts in the cluster are not updated, then the system rolls back all updated application hosts in the cluster to previous conditions of the updated application hosts.

Abstract: A method for managing data protection includes initiating, by a backup server, discovery for a new virtual machine (VM) in a production environment, performing, using an active directory listener (AD), listening on active directory (AD) applications in the production environment, wherein the new VM executes one of the AD applications, and wherein the one of the AD applications comprises a set of AD objects and a directory service for managing the set of AD objects, storing, based on the listening, monitored changes to obtain stored changes in the AD applications, generating a change report based on the stored changes, and using the change report to perform an incremental backup of the new VM and store a VM backup of the new VM and an AD application backup of the one of the AD applications in a backup storage system.

Abstract: Techniques described herein relate to a method for performing data protection services for limited access cloud data. The method includes obtaining, by a data manager, an initial cloud service provider (CSP) proxy generation request from a user; in response to obtaining the initial (CSP) proxy generation request: creating an authentication account in a CSP directory based on the initial CSP proxy generation request; instantiating a CSP proxy in an on-premises CSP using authentication information associated with the authentication account; storing the authentication information; and associating the user with the authentication information and the CSP proxy, wherein after the associating the CSP proxy can access limited access cloud data and cloud resources of the on-premises CSP.

Abstract: A method for managing data protection includes initiating, by a backup server, identifying an active directory (AD) application on the VM, wherein the AD application comprises a set of AD objects and a directory service for managing the set of AD objects, in response to identifying the AD application, installing a new AD listener in the production environment, performing listening on the AD application in the production environment to detect changes to the set of AD objects, monitoring, by the backup server, generating a VM backup of the VM and an AD application backup of the AD application, and storing the VM backup and the AD application backup in a backup storage system, based on the VM backup generation, and based on the listening, performing a backup schedule analysis on the backup schedule, and based on the backup schedule analysis, performing a backup schedule modification on the backup schedule.

Abstract: A method for managing data protection includes initiating, by a backup server, identifying an active directory (AD) application on the VM, wherein the AD application comprises a set of AD objects and a directory service for managing the set of AD objects, in response to identifying the AD application, installing a new AD listener in the production environment, performing listening on the AD application in the production environment to detect changes to the set of AD objects, monitoring, by the backup server, generating a VM backup of the VM and an AD application backup of the AD application, and storing the VM backup and the AD application backup in a backup storage system, based on the VM backup generation, and based on the listening, performing a backup schedule analysis on the backup schedule, and based on the backup schedule analysis, performing a backup schedule modification on the backup schedule.

Abstract: System selects application hosts which meet update requirements, then downloads update for instances of application agent corresponding to selected application hosts. System puts selected application hosts in maintenance mode, which prevents selected application hosts from beginning execution of any operations, until updating selected application hosts is completed. System creates backup copy of state of instances of application agent. System generates installation instructions that, when executed by update sessions to install update, enable roll back from updated instances of application agent to state of instances of application agent recorded in backup copy. System initiates update sessions which install update in instances of application agent corresponding to selected application hosts.

Abstract: System enables selection of application hosts which meet update requirements, then downloads update for instances of application agent corresponding to selected application hosts. System puts selected application hosts in maintenance mode, which prevents selected application hosts from beginning execution of any operations, until updating selected application hosts is completed. System creates copy of instructions, which when executed, installs update in instance of application agent in one of application hosts, and reports on update process to server which communicates with application hosts. System launches worker process from copy of instructions. System initiates update sessions which install update in instances of application agent corresponding to selected application hosts.

Abstract: Techniques described herein relate to a method for performing data protection services for limited access cloud data. The method includes identifying, by a cloud service provider (CSP) proxy, a protection policy event associated with an incremental approximation backup of an object; in response to identifying the protection policy event: obtaining previous object metadata associated with the object; obtaining object data from on-premises cloud resources associated with the object; generating slices of the object data; generating current checksums and current object metadata associated with each slice; selecting a first slice of the slices; making a first determination that a first current checksum of the current checksums and a first previous checksum associated with the first slice do not match; in response to the first determination: storing the first slice in a backup storage; and updating a first portion of the current object metadata associated with the first slice.

Abstract: Described is a system for cloud-based processing of backup data for storage onto various types of object storage systems. A specialized cloud-based component (e.g. proxy server) may act as an intermediary when backing up data from a client system to an object storage. For example, the cloud-based component may be provided as part of backup service that operates in conjunction with a client system. Accordingly, the system may allow different clients of a backup service to efficiently and seamlessly interact with the different third-party object storage providers via a single cloud-based component. To provide such object-storage-agnostic functionality, the cloud-based component may include a function library that includes object-storage-specific functions. For example, the cloud-based component may invoke a specific set of operations that interact with a storage API provided by a particular object storage provider.

Abstract: Agent lifecycle management for backup and restore applications is described. A system enables selection of application hosts, each of which meets installation requirements for installing instances of application agents from a backup and restore application, then downloads, in parallel, the instances of the application agent to the corresponding selected application hosts. The system installs, in parallel, the instances of the application agent in the corresponding selected application hosts, then registers, in parallel, the instances of the application agent with the backup and restore application. The system subsequently initiates sessions which download and install, in parallel, an update in instances of the application agent in in corresponding application hosts. The system unregisters at least one of the instances of the application agent, in at least one application host, from the backup and restore application.

Abstract: A data protection agent is installed within a virtual machine (VM). A request to perform a backup is received. The request includes identifications of virtual machine disks (VMDKs) associated with the virtual machine. Communications are exchanged with a disk manager of a guest operating system of the VM to generate a map that maps the VMDKs to volumes attached to the VM. Communications are exchanged with an application in the VM to be protected to identify which of the volumes contain application databases associated with the application. A copy service is instructed to prepare the application for backup. A request is issued to a snapshot data mover for a snapshot of the application. The snapshot request includes identifications of a subset of the VMDKs mapped to corresponding volumes that contain the application databases. VMDKs mapped to corresponding volumes not containing the application databases are excluded from the snapshot request.

Abstract: Automatically updating agents from backup and restore applications is described. A system enables selection of application hosts which meet update requirements, then downloads an update for instances of an application agent corresponding to selected application hosts. The system puts selected application hosts in maintenance mode, which prevents selected application hosts from beginning execution of any operations, until updating selected application hosts is completed. The system initiates update sessions which install update in instances of application agent corresponding to selected application hosts. If update sessions did not fail to install update in any of instances of application agent in cluster of application hosts, then the system stores the updated instances of the application agents in a non-volatile storage.

Abstract: Communications are exchanged with a copy service of a host to identify writers associated with the copy service. The identification includes a type of a writer as being a system or application writer. Writers identified as system writers are added to a list of writers that should participate in a backup operation. For writers identified as application writers, components of an application writer are iterated through to determine whether a component of the application writer has a name or logical path that includes a name of a system service. When any component has the name or logical path that includes the name of the system service, the application writer is promoted to be of type system writer by adding the application writer to the list of writers that should participate in the backup operation. Components of each writer listed in the list of writers are backed up.

Abstract: A registry writer is instructed via a copy service on a host to prepare for generation of a snapshot. The registry writer is responsible for saving system hive files to disk before the snapshot is generated. A reporting of the system hive files is received from the registry writer. Communications are exchanged with an API exposed by an operating system of the host to identify user hive files. The system hive files reported by the registry writer and the user hive files identified using the API exposed by the operating system are backed up from the snapshot to secondary storage.