Abstract: Recovery points can be used for replicating a virtual machine and reverting the virtual machine to a different state. A filter driver can monitor and capture input/output commands between a virtual machine and a virtual machine disk. The captured input/output commands can be used to create a recovery point. The recovery point can be associated with a bitmap that may be used to identify data blocks that have been modified between two versions of the virtual machine. Using this bitmap, a virtual machine may be reverted or restored to a different state by replacing modified data blocks and without replacing the entire virtual machine disk.

Abstract: A streamlined approach analyzes block-level backups of VM virtual disks and creates both coarse and fine indexes of backed up VM data files in the block-level backups. The indexes (collectively the “content index”) enable granular searching by filename, by file attributes (metadata), and/or by file contents, and further enable granular live browsing of backed up VM files. Thus, by using the illustrative data storage management system, ordinary block-level backups of virtual disks are “opened to view” through indexing. Any block-level copies can be indexed according to the illustrative embodiments, including file system block-level copies. The indexing occurs offline in an illustrative data storage management system, after VM virtual disks are backed up into block-level backup copies, and therefore the indexing does not cut into the source VM's performance. The disclosed approach is widely applicable to VMs executing in cloud computing environments and/or in non-cloud data centers.

Abstract: Software, firmware, and systems are described herein that migrate functionality of a source physical computing device to a destination virtual machine. A non-production copy of data associated with a source physical computing device is created. A configuration of the source physical computing device is determined. A configuration for a destination virtual machine is determined based at least in part on the configuration of the source physical computing device. The destination virtual machine is provided access to data and metadata associated with the source physical computing device using the non-production copy of data associated with the source physical computing device.

Abstract: An illustrative approach accelerates live browse operations for block-level backup copies in a data storage management system. A cache storage area is maintained for locally storing and serving key data blocks, thus relying less on retrieving data on demand from backup copies. Live browse operations are used for populating the cache storage area for speedier retrieval during subsequent live browsing and/or file indexing of the same backup copy, and vice versa. The key data blocks cached while file indexing and/or live browsing an earlier backup copy help to pre-fetch corresponding data blocks of later backup copies, thus producing a beneficial learning cycle. The approach is especially beneficial for cloud and tape backup media, and is available for a variety of data sources and backup copies, including block-level backup copies of virtual machines (VMs) and block-level backup copies of file systems, including UNIX-based and Windows-based operating systems and corresponding file systems.

Abstract: Data protection resources are automatically scaled to the needs of data source(s) in an application orchestrator computing environment, such as a cluster in a Kubernetes deployment. The approach is adaptable to data sources in production clusters or application suites that are not application orchestrator deployments, such as a cloud-based database-as-a-service (DBaaS). A data storage management system protects cluster-based data with an elastic number of data protection resources (e.g., data agents, media agents), which are deployed on demand. The number of data protection resources deployed for a particular job are appropriate to the workload(s) at present and depend on a variety of scaling factors. In some embodiments, data protection resources are deployed within the same cluster as the data sources.

Abstract: A “backup services container” comprises “backup toolkits,” which include scripts for accessing containerized applications plus enabling utilities/environments for executing the scripts. The backup services container is added to Kubernetes pods comprising containerized applications without changing other pod containers. For maximum value and advantage, the backup services container is “over-equipped” with toolkits. The backup services container selects and applies a suitable backup toolkit to a containerized application to ready it for a pending backup. Interoperability with a proprietary data storage management system provides features that are not possible with third-party backup systems. Some embodiments include one or more components of the proprietary data storage management within the illustrative backup services container. Some embodiments include one or more components of the proprietary data storage management system in a backup services pod configured in a Kubernetes node.

Abstract: Recovery points can be used for replicating a virtual machine and reverting the virtual machine to a different state. A filter driver can monitor and capture input/output commands between a virtual machine and a virtual machine disk. The captured input/output commands can be used to create a recovery point. The recovery point can be associated with a bitmap that may be used to identify data blocks that have been modified between two versions of the virtual machine. Using this bitmap, a virtual machine may be reverted or restored to a different state by replacing modified data blocks and without replacing the entire virtual machine disk.

Abstract: An illustrative file indexing approach enhances what was previously possible with hypervisor-free live browsing of virtual machine (VM) block-level backup copies. Capabilities are described for indexing files discovered in VM block-level backup copies, including file content. The illustrative file indexing functionality activates a live-browse session to discover files present within VM block-level backup copies and indexes file names and directory structures as created by an original source VM, resulting in an illustrative file index. The illustrative file indexing functionality optionally indexes file contents within VM block-level backup copies, resulting in an illustrative content index. The file index and content index are retained in persistent data structure(s) stored apart from the VM block-level backup copies. The indexes are searchable without mounting or live-browsing the VM block-level backup copies. In some embodiments the file index and the content index are consolidated.

Abstract: During a data protection operation, a data storage system can collect computing attributes associated with hosting of an application generating data being backed up and may also obtain information relating to physical characteristics of the computing device hosting the application and the data. At the time of migration to a cloud, the system can use the collected attributes and/or information to provision cloud resources. For instance, the cloud storage system may accept provisioning requests, and may provide several templates which each specify a cloud resource that can be provisioned upon request, such as a cloud computing resource. The system can compare the collected attributes with the attributes of the available templates to determine the best match. Then, the system can issue a provisioning request to the cloud provider according to the best-matched template. After provisioning the resources, the system can restore backup data of the application to the cloud storage system to migrate the data.

Abstract: Illustrative systems and methods enable a virtual machine (“VM”) to be powered up at any hypervisor regardless of hypervisor type, based on live-mounting VM data that was originally backed up into a hypervisor-independent format by a block-level backup operation. Afterwards, the backed up VM executes anywhere anytime without needing to find a hypervisor that is the same as or compatible with the original source VM's hypervisor. The backed up VM payload data is rendered portable to any virtualized platform. Thus, a VM can be powered up at one or more test stations, data center or cloud recovery environments, and/or backup appliances, without the prior-art limitations of finding a same/compatible hypervisor for accessing and using backed up VM data. An illustrative media agent maintains cache storage that acts as a way station for data blocks retrieved from an original backup copy, and stores data blocks written by the live-mounted VM.

Abstract: An illustrative file indexing approach enhances what was previously possible with hypervisor-free live browsing of virtual machine (VM) block-level backup copies. Capabilities are described for indexing files discovered in VM block-level backup copies, including file content. The illustrative file indexing functionality activates a live-browse session to discover files present within VM block-level backup copies and indexes file names and directory structures as created by an original source VM, resulting in an illustrative file index. The illustrative file indexing functionality optionally indexes file contents within VM block-level backup copies, resulting in an illustrative content index. The file index and content index are retained in persistent data structure(s) stored apart from the VM block-level backup copies. The indexes are searchable without mounting or live-browsing the VM block-level backup copies. In some embodiments the file index and the content index are consolidated.

Abstract: Hypervisor-independent block-level live browse is used for directly accessing backed up virtual machine (VM) data. Hypervisor-free file-level recovery (block-level pseudo-mount) from backed up VMs also is disclosed. Backed up virtual machine (“VM”) data can be browsed without needing or using a hypervisor. Individual backed up VM files can be requested and restored to anywhere without a hypervisor and without the need to restore the rest of the backed up virtual disk. Hypervisor-agnostic VM backups can be browsed and recovered without a hypervisor and from anywhere, and individual backed up VM files can be restored to anywhere, e.g., to a different VM platform, to a non-VM environment, without restoring an entire virtual disk, and without a recovery data agent at the destination.

Abstract: Certain embodiments described herein relate to an improved information management system that can perform platform-agnostic containerized application data protection. In one embodiment, the information management system receives a user's credentials to a container orchestrator along with an indication of whether or not to deploy a backup pod. Using the user credentials, the information management system accesses the container orchestrator, and if the user has requested deployment of a backup pod on the user's cluster, the information management system may do so using a backup pod specification and allow the backup pod to perform data protection operations, using a platform-agnostic interface (e.g., container storage interface), for application data accessible by the user applications on the user's pod on the user's cluster. Alternatively, if the user has not requested deployment of a backup pod, the information management system may perform data protection operations using provider-specific interface.

Abstract: The disclosed systems and methods enable an application to start operating and servicing users soon after and during the course of its backup data being restored, no matter how long the restore may take. This is referred to as “instant application recovery” in view of the fact that the application may be put back in service soon after the restore operation begins. Any primary data generated by the application during “instant application recovery” is not only retained, but is efficiently updated into restored data. An enhanced data agent and an associated pseudo-storage-device driver, which execute on the same client computing device as the application, enable the application to operate substantially concurrently with a full restore of backed up data.

Abstract: A data storage management system incorporates image recognition and classification features. The illustrative system generates thumbnail images to represent images detected in secondary copies. Subsequent image recognition and classification operations are based on the thumbnail images without need to access the secondary copies from which the thumbnails were derived. The system indexes thumbnail images and respective relationships to each other and to the source secondary copies. Metadata from the source secondary copies is extracted and preserved with the thumbnails. Thumbnail images, metadata, and related index data (collectively “thumbnail data”) are stored locally in an illustrative content index server, or in an enhanced storage manager, thus improving performance without interfering with ongoing storage management operations. Features are disclosed for searching within the system and performing storage management operations based on image criteria. Access to/from other systems is also possible, e.g.

Abstract: Container images may be generated from a backup system that includes a backup of one or more applications from a computing system of an entity. During a backup process, an application can be identified and its storage location in a secondary storage can be tracked or saved in a backup index. Configuration information and data or files created by user interaction with the application can be backed up and the location of the backed up data or files may be stored in the backup index along with the location of the configuration information. Using the backup index, a container image can be created that includes a selected application, its configuration information, and data, if any, created by the application. The container image can be generated from the backup stored in the secondary storage.

Abstract: Illustrative systems and methods enable a virtual machine (“VM”) to be powered up at any hypervisor regardless of hypervisor type, based on live-mounting VM data that was originally backed up into a hypervisor-independent format by a block-level backup operation. Afterwards, the backed up VM executes anywhere anytime without needing to find a hypervisor that is the same as or compatible with the original source VM's hypervisor. The backed up VM payload data is rendered portable to any virtualized platform. Thus, a VM can be powered up at one or more test stations, data center or cloud recovery environments, and/or backup appliances, without the prior-art limitations of finding a same/compatible hypervisor for accessing and using backed up VM data. An illustrative media agent maintains cache storage that acts as a way station for data blocks retrieved from an original backup copy, and stores data blocks written by the live-mounted VM.

Abstract: A system according to certain aspects improves the process of performing snapshot replication operations (e.g., maintaining a mirror copy of primary data at a secondary location by generating snapshots of the primary data). The system can collect and maintain cumulative block-level changes to the primary data after each sub-interval of a plurality of sub-intervals between the snapshots. When a snapshot is generated, any changes to the primary data not reflected in the cumulative block-level changes are identified based on the snapshot and transmitted to the secondary location along with the cumulative block-level changes. By the time the snapshot is generated, some or all of the changes to the primary data associated with the given snapshot have already been included in the cumulative block-level changes, thereby reducing the time and computing resources spent to identify and collect the changes for transmission to the secondary location.

Abstract: Software, firmware, and systems are described herein that migrate functionality of a source physical computing device to a destination physical computing device. A non-production copy of data associated with a source physical computing device is created. A configuration of the source physical computing device is determined. A configuration for a destination physical computing device is determined based at least in part on the configuration of the source physical computing device. The destination physical computing device is provided access to data and metadata associated with the source physical computing device using the non-production copy of data associated with the source physical computing device.

Abstract: A method and system for communicating with IoT devices to gather information related to device failure or error(s) is disclosed. The system makes a copy of at least a portion of the device's non-volatile memory and/or receives IoT device data (e.g., sensor data and/or log files etc.) from an IoT device that recently failed. The system determines which log files and/or sensor data, for example, the IoT device created before and/or after a failure. After gathering this information, the system stores the information in a database, sends it to the IoT device manufacturer, for further analysis and diagnostics to troubleshoot the failure and send a fix or software update to the IoT device.