Abstract: Exposing a proprietary image backup to a hypervisor as a disk file that is bootable by the hypervisor. In one example embodiment, a method of exposing a proprietary image backup to a hypervisor as a disk file that is bootable by the hypervisor may include identifying the proprietary image backup having a proprietary format and storing an operating system, identifying a plugin file corresponding to the proprietary image backup, gathering operating system data from the proprietary image backup, reformatting the operating system data into a native format of the hypervisor, and booting the operating system in a guest virtual machine of the hypervisor.

Abstract: Utilizing an incremental backup in a decremental backup system. In one example embodiment, a method for utilizing an incremental backup in a decremental backup system includes creating a base backup that includes all original allocated blocks in a source storage at a first point in time. Next, an incremental backup is created that includes allocated blocks in the source storage that were newly allocated or were changed between the first point in time and a second point in time. The changed allocated blocks in the incremental backup are identified. During a third time period, a decremental backup is created and the incremental backup is ingested into the base backup by copying, into the decremental backup, original allocated blocks from the base backup that correspond to the changed allocated blocks in the incremental backup. Lastly, the newly-allocated blocks and the changed allocated blocks from the incremental backup are added to the base backup.

Abstract: Filtering a directory enumeration of a directory of an image backup. In one example embodiment, a method for filtering a directory enumeration of a directory of an image backup may include exposing an image backup to directory enumeration command with the image backup listing a particular file as existing in a directory of the image backup even though the file content of the particular file is missing from the exposed image backup, receiving a directory enumeration command corresponding to the directory of the exposed image backup, generating a filtered directory enumeration that excludes the particular file, and returning the filtered directory enumeration.

Abstract: Trimming unused blocks from a versioned image backup of a source storage that is stored in a sparse storage. In one example embodiment, a method may include identifying a versioned image backup that is stored in a sparse storage. The sparse may store first and second versions of the versioned image backup representing states of the source storage at successive first and second points in time, respectively. The method may further include deleting the first version, identifying a first set of blocks that were allocated in the source storage at the second point in time, identifying a second set of blocks that are allocated in the sparse storage for the second version, determining a third set of blocks that are included in the second set of blocks but are not included in the first set of blocks, and trimming the third set of blocks from the second version.

Abstract: Headstart restore of a first volume to a second volume. In one example embodiment, a method for headstart restore of a first volume to a second volume may include invalidating, on disk, a boot segment of a volume boot record of the second volume, storing headstart restore information in the second volume, while the boot segment of the volume boot record of the second volume remains invalidated, writing data from one or more backups of the first volume to a data segment of the second volume, removing the headstart restore information from the second volume, and revalidating, on disk, the boot segment of the volume boot record of the second volume.

Abstract: Exposing a proprietary image backup to a hypervisor as a disk file that is bootable by the hypervisor. In one example embodiment, a method of exposing a proprietary image backup to a hypervisor as a disk file that is bootable by the hypervisor may include identifying the proprietary image backup having a proprietary format and storing an operating system, identifying a plugin file corresponding to the proprietary image backup, gathering operating system data from the proprietary image backup, reformatting the operating system data into a native format of the hypervisor, and booting the operating system in a guest virtual machine of the hypervisor.

Abstract: Optimizing backup of whitelisted files. In one example embodiment, a method of optimizing backup of whitelisted files may include a whitelist analysis phase that may include identifying a set of allocated blocks in a source storage at a point in time, identifying whitelisted files that are already stored in a deduplication storage, and determining whether one of the whitelisted files is stored in the source storage by analyzing file attribute data stored in file system metadata in the source storage. If so, the whitelist analysis phase may include pruning the set of allocated blocks to exclude the allocated blocks that correspond to content of the one whitelisted file and associating logical locations of the content of the one whitelisted file as stored in the source storage with logical locations of the content of the one whitelisted file as stored in the deduplication storage.

Abstract: Exposing a proprietary image backup to a hypervisor as a disk file that is bootable by the hypervisor. In one example embodiment, a method of exposing a proprietary image backup to a hypervisor as a disk file that is bootable by the hypervisor may include identifying the proprietary image backup having a proprietary format and storing an operating system, identifying a plugin file corresponding to the proprietary image backup, reconfiguring the operating system to cause the operating system to be bootable when using hardware emulated by the hypervisor, gathering operating system data from the proprietary image backup, reformatting the operating system data into a native format of the hypervisor, and booting the operating system in a virtual machine of the hypervisor.

Abstract: Consolidating encrypted image backups without decryption. In one example embodiment, a method for consolidating encrypted image backups without decryption may include individually encrypting, using a single encryption key, each block in a first set of blocks in a source storage, storing the first set of encrypted blocks in a first encrypted image backup, individually encrypting, using the single encryption key, each block in a second set of blocks in the source storage, storing the second set of encrypted blocks in a second encrypted image backup, and creating a consolidated encrypted image backup that includes a single encrypted block for each of multiple unique block positions represented by the first and second sets of encrypted blocks without decrypting any of the encrypted blocks.

Abstract: Creating hybrid image backups of a source storage.

Abstract: Tracking content blocks in a source storage for inclusion in an image backup of the source storage. In one example embodiment, a method for tracking content blocks in a source storage for inclusion in an image backup of the source storage may include identifying files in a source storage for inclusion in image backups of the source storage, tracking, in an inclusion map and prior to a first snapshot time, locations in the source storage of content blocks of the identified files, taking a snapshot of the source storage at the first snapshot time, and backing up, subsequent to the first snapshot time, the content blocks tracked in the inclusion map from the snapshot into a full image backup.

Abstract: Consolidating encrypted image backups without decryption. In one example embodiment, a method for consolidating encrypted image backups without decryption may include individually encrypting, using a single encryption key, each block in a first set of blocks in a source storage, storing the first set of encrypted blocks in a first encrypted image backup, individually encrypting, using the single encryption key, each block in a second set of blocks in the source storage, storing the second set of encrypted blocks in a second encrypted image backup, and creating a consolidated encrypted image backup that includes a single encrypted block for each of multiple unique block positions represented by the first and second sets of encrypted blocks without decrypting any of the encrypted blocks.

Abstract: Avoiding compression of high-entropy data during creation of a backup of a source storage. In one example embodiment, a method for avoiding compression of high-entropy data during creation of a backup of a source storage may include, during creation of a backup of a source storage, determining a compression ratio for a file in the source storage with the file having a file type, determining whether the compression ratio is less than a compression threshold, and in response to determining that the compression ratio is less than the compression threshold, automatically designating the file type of the file as a high-entropy file type and automatically avoiding compression of a second file in the source storage having the file type.

Abstract: Software revalidation or invalidation. In one example embodiment, one or more non-transitory computer-readable media may store one or more programs that cause one or more processors to execute a method for software revalidation or invalidation that may include newly collecting machine configuration information from a machine on which a software application has previously been installed and activated and applying, at the machine, activation rules to the newly-collected machine configuration information from the machine to determine whether a product key remains valid for the newly-collected machine configuration information. In response to determining that the product key remains valid for the newly-collected machine configuration information, the method may include revalidating, at the machine, the software application to authorize continued access to the software application.

Abstract: Head start population of an image backup. In one example embodiment, a method for head start population of an image backup may include tracking blocks that are modified in a source storage between a first point in time and a second point in time, head start copying a first portion of the modified blocks into the image backup prior to the second point in time, activating a snapshot on the source storage at the second point in time where the snapshot represents a state of the source storage at the second point in time, and copying, subsequent to the second point in time, from the snapshot and into the image backup, a second portion of the modified blocks that were not yet copied into the image backup by the second point in time.

Abstract: Cataloging file system-level changes to a source storage between image backups of the source storage. In one example embodiment, a method for cataloging file system-level changes to a source storage between image backups of the source storage may include obtaining first file system metadata (FSM) associated with a first image backup of the source storage that represents a first point in time, obtaining second FSM associated with a second image backup of the source storage that represents a second point in time, identifying a set of blocks that changed in the source storage between the first point in time and the second point in time, analyzing the set of blocks, the first FSM, and the second FSM, and cataloging files and/or directories that changed in the source storage between the first point in time and the second point in time based on the analyzing.

Abstract: Consolidating encrypted image backups without decryption. In one example embodiment, a method for consolidating encrypted image backups without decryption may include individually encrypting, using a single encryption function, each block in a first set of blocks in a source storage, storing the first set of encrypted blocks in a first encrypted image backup, individually encrypting, using the single encryption function, each block in a second set of blocks in the source storage, storing the second set of encrypted blocks in a second encrypted image backup, and creating a consolidated encrypted image backup that includes a single encrypted block for each of multiple unique block positions represented by the first and second sets of encrypted blocks without decrypting any of the encrypted blocks.

Abstract: Cataloging file system-level changes to a source storage between image backups of the source storage. In one example embodiment, a method for cataloging file system-level changes to a source storage between image backups of the source storage may include obtaining first file system metadata (FSM) associated with a first image backup of the source storage that represents a first point in time, obtaining second FSM associated with a second image backup of the source storage that represents a second point in time, identifying a set of blocks that changed in the source storage between the first point in time and the second point in time, analyzing the set of blocks, the first FSM, and the second FSM, and cataloging files and/or directories that changed in the source storage between the first point in time and the second point in time based on the analyzing.

Abstract: Trimming unused blocks from a versioned image backup of a source storage that is stored in a sparse storage. In one example embodiment, a method may include identifying a versioned image backup that is stored in a sparse storage. The sparse may store first and second versions of the versioned image backup representing states of the source storage at successive first and second points in time, respectively. The method may further include deleting the first version, identifying a first set of blocks that were allocated in the source storage at the second point in time, identifying a second set of blocks that are allocated in the sparse storage for the second version, determining a third set of blocks that are included in the second set of blocks but are not included in the first set of blocks, and trimming the third set of blocks from the second version.

Abstract: Creating hybrid image backups of a source storage.