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: 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: 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 and ceasing the tracking of the first portion of the modified blocks as being modified, 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: 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, tracking, in the inclusion map and prior to the first snapshot time, modifications to the locations in the source storage of the content blocks, 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: 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: Exposing proprietary data to a hypervisor as native hypervisor data. In one example embodiment, one or more non-transitory computer-readable media store one or more programs that are configured, when executed, to cause one or more processors to perform a method of exposing proprietary data to a hypervisor as native hypervisor data. The method may include identifying a proprietary disk file having a proprietary file format and creating a plugin file corresponding to the proprietary disk file with the plugin file having a plugin file format which is different from a native hypervisor disk file format.

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 identifying a chunk with an original size in a file in a source storage, compressing, during creation of a backup of the source storage, the chunk to generate a compressed chunk with a compressed size, determining a compression ratio for the chunk by comparing the original size to the compressed size, determining whether the compression ratio is less than the compression threshold, and, in response to determining that the compression ratio is less than the compression threshold, automatically designating the file as a high-entropy file and automatically avoiding compression, during the creation of the backup, of chunks in a second similar file in the source storage.

Abstract: Filtering a directory enumeration of a directory to exclude files with missing file content from an image backup. In one example embodiment, a method for filtering a directory enumeration of a directory to exclude files with missing file content from an image backup may include exposing an image backup to directory enumeration commands, receiving a directory enumeration command corresponding to a directory of a file system of the exposed image backup, generating a filtered directory enumeration that excludes files where the files are listed in file system metadata (FSM) for the directory of the file system of the exposed image backup but where the file content of the files is missing from the exposed image backup, and returning the filtered directory enumeration.

Abstract: Migration of computer information. In one example embodiment, a method for migration of computer data includes modifying a volume boot record of a destination volume to a first state in which at least a portion of the destination volume becomes inaccessible to a standard file system, writing one or more snapshots of a source volume to the inaccessible portion of the destination volume while the volume boot record is in the first state, and restoring the volume boot record to a second state in which the inaccessible portion of the destination volume becomes accessible to the standard file system.

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 of a source storage that is stored in a sparse storage. The method may further include deleting the first version of the versioned image backup from the sparse storage during a retention process, identifying a first set of blocks, identifying a second set of blocks, 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, after the retention process, trimming the third set of blocks from the second version of the versioned image backup that is stored in the sparse storage.

Abstract: Exposing proprietary data to a hypervisor as native hypervisor data. In one example embodiment, one or more non-transitory computer-readable media store one or more programs that are configured, when executed, to cause one or more processors to perform a method of exposing proprietary data to a hypervisor as native hypervisor data. The method may include identifying a proprietary disk file having a proprietary file format and creating a plugin file corresponding to the proprietary disk file with the plugin file having a plugin file format which is different from a native hypervisor disk file format.

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: Software revalidation. In one example embodiment, a method for software revalidation may include various steps. For example, the method may include receiving, at a machine on which a software application has been installed and activated, activation rules that have been updated since release of the software application. The method may also include periodically applying, at the machine, the updated activation rules to newly-collected machine configuration information from the machine to determine whether a product key remains valid for the newly-collected machine configuration information and, in response to determining that the product key remains valid for the newly-collected machine configuration information, 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 and ceasing the tracking of the first portion of the modified blocks as being modified, 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: Capturing post-snapshot quiescence writes in an image backup. In one example embodiment, a method for capturing post-snapshot quiescence writes in an image backup may include taking a first snapshot of a source storage at a first point in time using a Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS), identifying a first set of block positions of blocks that are allocated in the source storage at the first point in time, identifying a second set of block positions of blocks that are written to the first snapshot during post-snapshot quiescence of the first snapshot by the VSS or by one or more VSS writers, resulting in a first quiesced snapshot, calculating a third set of block positions by performing a Boolean OR operation on the first and second sets of block positions, and copying blocks in the third set of block positions from the first snapshot to a full image backup.

Abstract: Capturing post-snapshot quiescence writes in a branching image backup chain.

Abstract: Capturing post-snapshot quiescence writes in a linear image backup chain. In one example embodiment, a method for capturing post-snapshot quiescence writes in a linear image backup chain may include taking a first snapshot of a source storage at a first point in time using a Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS), identifying a first set of block positions of blocks that are allocated in the source storage at the first point in time, identifying a second set of block positions of blocks that are written to the first snapshot during post-snapshot quiescence of the first snapshot by the VSS or by one or more VSS writers, resulting in a first quiesced snapshot, copying the blocks in the first set from the first snapshot to a full image backup, and copying the blocks in the second set from the first quiesced snapshot to a first incremental image backup.

Abstract: Creating hybrid image backups of a source storage.

Abstract: Detecting modifications to a storage that occur in an alternate operating environment. In one example embodiment, a method for detecting modifications to a storage that occur in an alternate operating environment may include tracking, in a modify map, modifications to a storage that occur during operation of a primary operating environment, identifying a first most recent transaction identifier in a journal of a file system of the storage prior to closing of the storage by the primary operating environment, upon opening of the storage by the primary operating environment, identifying a second most recent transaction identifier in the journal, determining that the second most recent transaction identifier does not match the first most recent transaction identifier, concluding that the storage was modified in an alternate operating environment between the closing and the opening of the storage by the primary operating environment, and invalidating the modify map.

Abstract: Exposing proprietary data to a hypervisor as native hypervisor data. In one example embodiment, one or more non-transitory computer-readable media store one or more programs that are configured, when executed, to cause one or more processors to perform a method of exposing proprietary data to a hypervisor as native hypervisor data. The method may include identifying a proprietary disk file having a proprietary file format, identifying a plugin file corresponding to the proprietary disk file with the plugin file having a plugin file format which is different from a native hypervisor disk file format, and intercepting read requests directed to the plugin file. The method may further include, in response to each read request, gathering data gathered from the proprietary disk file, restructuring the data to cause the data to appear to be gathered from a native hypervisor disk file, and responding with the restructured data.