Abstract: Methods and systems for a networked storage environment are provided. One method includes using a storage service level (SSL) object and a protection service level (PSL) object for storing a plurality of configurable attributes by a processor. A combination of the configurable attributes define service level classes (SLCs) in a networked storage system using a plurality of resources. The SSL object and the PSL object use a same schema and naming convention for defining the plurality of configurable attributes regardless of configuration attribute type and resource type. The method also includes obtaining by the processor, attributes defining a second SLC for a storage volume assigned to a first SLC; and updating by the processor, a quality of service (QOS) policy for the storage volume for using a resource that meets attributes of the second SLC. The storage volume is assigned the resource to process requests for data.

Abstract: Methods and systems for a networked storage environment are provided. One method includes using a storage service level (SSL) object and a protection service level (PSL) object for storing a plurality of configurable attributes by a processor. A combination of the configurable attributes define service level classes (SLCs) in a networked storage system using a plurality of resources. The SSL object and the PSL object use a same schema and naming convention for defining the plurality of configurable attributes regardless of configuration attribute type and resource type. The method also includes obtaining by the processor, attributes defining a second SLC for a storage volume assigned to a first SLC; and updating by the processor, a quality of service (QOS) policy for the storage volume for using a resource that meets attributes of the second SLC. The storage volume is assigned the resource to process requests for data.

Abstract: Methods and systems for a networked storage environment are provided. One method includes storing a plurality of configurable attributes at a data structure by a processor, where a combination of the configurable attributes is used to define a custom service level class (SLC) in a networked storage environments using a plurality of resources for storing data; receiving a request by the processor to create the custom SLC based of a set of configurable attributes; identifying a resource of the networked storage environment that meets the requirements defined by the attributes of the custom SLC; and configuring the resource for meeting the requirements of the custom SLC.

Abstract: Methods and systems for a networked storage environment are provided. One method includes storing a plurality of configurable attributes at a data structure by a processor, where a combination of the configurable attributes is used to define a custom service level class (SLC) in a networked storage environments using a plurality of resources for storing data; receiving a request by the processor to create the custom SLC based of a set of configurable attributes; identifying a resource of the networked storage environment that meets the requirements defined by the attributes of the custom SLC; and configuring the resource for meeting the requirements of the custom SLC.

Abstract: Methods and systems for a networked storage environment are provided. One method includes storing a plurality of configurable attributes at a data structure by a processor, where a combination of the configurable attributes is used to define a custom service level class (SLC) in a networked storage environments using a plurality of resources for storing data; receiving a request by the processor to create the custom SLC based of a set of configurable attributes; identifying a resource of the networked storage environment that meets the requirements defined by the attributes of the custom SLC; and configuring the resource for meeting the requirements of the custom SLC.

Abstract: Methods and systems for replicating a virtual machine and its associated data containers are provided. The virtual machine is placed in an inactive state and a replication directory is generated for cloning each data container from an active directory to the replication directory. The clone of each data container references a physical location where data associated with each data container is stored; and thereafter, the virtual machine is placed in an active state after the cloning is completed.

Abstract: Exemplary embodiments provide various techniques for identifying a virtual application for backup in a cloud computing system. A cloud service layer of the cloud computing system is queried for a listing of virtual applications. In response to the querying, an attribute associated with the virtual application is received from the cloud service layer. The attribute associated with the virtual application is then transformed into an attribute associated with a hypervisor-managed virtual machine, and this transformation of the attribute exposes the hypervisor-managed virtual machine associated with the virtual application such that the hypervisor-managed virtual machine is identifiable for backup. As a result, the virtual application can be backed up based on the attribute of the hypervisor-managed virtual machine.

Abstract: Exemplary embodiments provide various techniques for providing backup functionalities in a cloud computing system. In one exemplary method, a workflow that defines a set of actions associated with a backup functionality in a cloud computing system is accessed. A plug-in module that is configured to perform at least one of the set of actions associated with the backup functionality is identified from a number of plug-in modules. This identified plug-in module is then called to execute the action defined in the workflow.

Abstract: While current solutions for cloning virtual machines can involve copying and duplicating files associated to a virtual machine (VM), systems and techniques can be devised to create thin clones of a VM using the VM's associated storage system to copy and deduplicate storage for the VMs. One can create a base VM in a directory of a storage container attached to a hypervisor, and then map the storage container to a volume on a storage system. One can clone the base VM using a snapshot of respective files associated to the base VM, which can comprise creating metadata that identified a physical storage location of the files. Further, the metadata can then be copied to a desired location on the storage container, to create a VM clone. Once copied, the cloned VM can be customized and registered within the hypervisor.

Abstract: Methods and systems for replicating a virtual machine and its associated data containers are provided. The virtual machine is placed in an inactive state and a replication directory is generated for cloning each data container from an active directory to the replication directory. The clone of each data container references a physical location where data associated with each data container is stored; and thereafter, the virtual machine is placed in an active state after the cloning is completed.

Abstract: Exemplary embodiments provide various techniques for identifying a virtual application for backup in a cloud computing system. A cloud service layer of the cloud computing system is queried for a listing of virtual applications. In response to the querying, an attribute associated with the virtual application is received from the cloud service layer. The attribute associated with the virtual application is then transformed into an attribute associated with a hypervisor-managed virtual machine, and this transformation of the attribute exposes the hypervisor-managed virtual machine associated with the virtual application such that the hypervisor-managed virtual machine is identifiable for backup. As a result, the virtual application can be backed up based on the attribute of the hypervisor-managed virtual machine.

Abstract: Exemplary embodiments provide various techniques for identifying a virtual application for backup in a cloud computing system. A cloud service layer of the cloud computing system is queried for a listing of virtual applications. In response to the querying, an attribute associated with the virtual application is received from the cloud service layer. The attribute associated with the virtual application is then transformed into an attribute associated with a hypervisor-managed virtual machine, and this transformation of the attribute exposes the hypervisor-managed virtual machine associated with the virtual application such that the hypervisor-managed virtual machine is identifiable for backup. As a result, the virtual application can be backed up based on the attribute of the hypervisor-managed virtual machine.

Abstract: Exemplary embodiments provide various techniques for providing backup functionalities in a cloud computing system. In one exemplary method, a workflow that defines a set of actions associated with a backup functionality in a cloud computing system is accessed. A plug-in module that is configured to perform at least one of the set of actions associated with the backup functionality is identified from a number of plug-in modules. This identified plug-in module is then called to execute the action defined in the workflow.

Abstract: Exemplary embodiments provide various techniques for identifying a virtual application for backup in a cloud computing system. A cloud service layer of the cloud computing system is queried for a listing of virtual applications. In response to the querying, an attribute associated with the virtual application is received from the cloud service layer. The attribute associated with the virtual application is then transformed into an attribute associated with a hypervisor-managed virtual machine, and this transformation of the attribute exposes the hypervisor-managed virtual machine associated with the virtual application such that the hypervisor-managed virtual machine is identifiable for backup. As a result, the virtual application can be backed up based on the attribute of the hypervisor-managed virtual machine.

Abstract: While current solutions for cloning virtual machines can involve copying and duplicating files associated to a virtual machine (VM), systems and techniques can be devised to create thin clones of a VM using the VM's associated storage system to copy and deduplicate storage for the VMs. One can create a base VM in a directory of a storage container attached to a hypervisor, and then map the storage container to a volume on a storage system. One can clone the base VM using a snapshot of respective files associated to the base VM, which can comprise creating metadata that identified a physical storage location of the files. Further, the metadata can then be copied to a desired location on the storage container, to create a VM clone. Once copied, the cloned VM can be customized and registered within the hypervisor.

Abstract: While current solutions for cloning virtual machines can involve copying and duplicating files associated to a virtual machine (VM), systems and techniques can be devised to create thin clones of a VM using the VM's associated storage system to copy and deduplicate storage for the VMs. One can create a base VM in a directory of a storage container attached to a hypervisor, and then map the storage container to a volume on a storage system. One can clone the base VM using a snapshot of respective files associated to the base VM, which can comprise creating metadata that identified a physical storage location of the files. Further, the metadata can then be copied to a desired location on the storage container, to create a VM clone. Once copied, the cloned VM can be customized and registered within the hypervisor.

Abstract: While current solutions for cloning virtual machines can involve copying and duplicating files associated to a virtual machine (VM), systems and techniques can be devised to create thin clones of a VM using the VM's associated storage system to copy and deduplicate storage for the VMs. One can create a base VM in a directory of a storage container attached to a hypervisor, and then map the storage container to a volume on a storage system. One can clone the base VM using a snapshot of respective files associated to the base VM, which can comprise creating metadata that identified a physical storage location of the files. Further, the metadata can then be copied to a desired location on the storage container, to create a VM clone. Once copied, the cloned VM can be customized and registered within the hypervisor.