Abstract: Various systems and methods can be used to perform backup to tape. For example, one method involves detecting an amount of storage in a tape drive that is available for concurrent access. The method then compares the size of a plurality of backup images to the amount of storage prior to initiating an archive operation. The method then involves adding information identifying a backup image to a list of backup images to be included in an archive operation and performing the archive operation, which involves writing the backup images to tape drive.

Abstract: Various systems and methods cache extent information for use in off-host backups. One method involves detecting that a first set of one or more blocks of client data has not been relocated subsequent to a prior off-host backup operation while also detecting that a second set of one or more blocks of the client data has been relocated subsequent to the prior off-host backup operation. In response to detecting that the first set has not been relocated, the method provides a media server with a previously calculated set of mapping information for the first set instead of recalculating that mapping information. In contrast, in response to detecting that the second set has been relocated subsequent to the prior off-host backup, the method recalculates mapping information for the second set. The media server is provided with the recalculated mapping information instead of previously calculated mapping information for the second set.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a backup application is disclosed which is configured to detect that one or more incremental virtual disk files are provided in a virtual machine image. The backup application may invoke a merge function in the virtual machine monitor, and may merge the incremental virtual disk files into the base virtual disk file. Redundant data is thus eliminated, and may reduce the amount of archive media needed to store the backed-up virtual machine image.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a backup application is disclosed which is configured to detect that one or more incremental virtual disk files are provided in a virtual machine image. The backup application may invoke a merge function in the virtual machine monitor, and may merge the incremental virtual disk files into the base virtual disk file. Redundant data is thus eliminated, and may reduce the amount of archive media needed to store the backed-up virtual machine image.