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, from an activation server, that have been updated since the release of the software application to account for new or updated software or hardware with which the software application is configured to be employed. 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, if 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: 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: 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: Client-side encryption in a deduplication backup system. In one example embodiment, a method includes a backup phase in which various steps are performed for each allocated plain text block stored in a source storage. One step includes hashing, using a first cryptographic hash function, the plain text block to generate a first hash. Another step includes hashing, using a second cryptographic hash function, the first hash to generate a second hash. Another step includes searching a key-value table of a deduplication storage to determine whether the second hash matches any key in the key-value table. Another step includes, upon determining that the second hash does not match any key in the key-value table, encrypting, using an encrypt/decrypt function, the plain text block using the first hash as an encryption password and inserting a key-value pair into the key-value table with the key being the second hash and the value being the encrypted block.

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: Client-side encryption in a deduplication backup system. In one example embodiment, a method includes a backup phase in which various steps are performed for each allocated plain text block stored in a source storage. One step includes hashing, using a first cryptographic hash function, the plain text block to generate a first hash. Another step includes hashing, using a second cryptographic hash function, the first hash to generate a second hash. Another step includes searching a key-value table of a deduplication storage to determine whether the second hash matches any key in the key-value table. Another step includes, upon determining that the second hash does not match any key in the key-value table, encrypting, using an encrypt/decrypt function, the plain text block using the first hash as an encryption password and inserting a key-value pair into the key-value table with the key being the second hash and the value being the encrypted block.

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

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: 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, 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, resulting in a first quiesced snapshot, copying the blocks in the first set of block positions from the first snapshot to a full image backup, and copying the blocks in the second set of block positions from the first quiesced snapshot to a first incremental image backup.

Abstract: Exposing a proprietary disk file to a hypervisor as a native hypervisor disk file. In one example embodiment, a method of exposing a proprietary disk file to a hypervisor as a native hypervisor disk file includes various acts. For example, the method includes identifying a proprietary disk file having a proprietary format. The method further includes creating a plugin file corresponding to the proprietary disk file. The method also includes intercepting read requests directed to the plugin file. The method further includes responding to each of the read requests with data gathered from the plugin file and/or the proprietary disk file, where the data is structured such that the data appears to be gathered from a native hypervisor disk file due to being formatted in a native format of the hypervisor.

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.

Abstract: Client-side encryption in a deduplication backup system. In one example embodiment, a method includes a backup phase in which various steps are performed for each allocated plain text block stored in a source storage. One step includes hashing, using a first cryptographic hash function, the plain text block to generate a first hash. Another step includes hashing, using a second cryptographic hash function, the first hash to generate a second hash. Another step includes searching a key-value table of a deduplication storage to determine whether the second hash matches any key in the key-value table. Another step includes, upon determining that the second hash does not match any key in the key-value table, encrypting, using an encrypt/decrypt function, the plain text block using the first hash as an encryption password and inserting a key-value pair into the key-value table with the key being the second hash and the value being the encrypted block.

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, 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, resulting in a first quiesced snapshot, calculating a third set of block positions by performing a Boolean OR operation on the first set of block positions and the second set of block positions, and copying blocks in the third set of block positions from the first snapshot to a full image backup.

Abstract: Staged restore of a decremental backup chain. In one example embodiment, a method includes, first, restoring a first backup of a source storage to a restore storage. Next, a second backup of the source storage in a decremental backup chain of the source storage is identified. Then, a third backup of the source storage in the decremental backup chain of the source storage is identified. Next, blocks in the decremental backup chain that were newly allocated in the source storage between the first point in time and the second point in time are identified. Then, the newly-allocated blocks are restored to the restore storage. Next, blocks in the decremental backup chain that were changed in the source storage between the first point in time and the second point in time are identified. Lastly, the changed blocks are restored to the restore storage.

Abstract: Consolidating decremental backups in a decremental backup chain. In one example embodiment, a method for consolidating decremental backups in a decremental backup chain includes identifying a decremental backup chain that includes multiple decremental backups of a source storage and a base backup of the source storage, identifying, for consolidation, a sequential set of decremental backups in the multiple decremental backups, identifying a set of oldest blocks from the sequential set of decremental backups for unique block positions of blocks included in the sequential set of decremental backups, and creating a consolidated decremental backup that includes the set of oldest blocks.

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: Pruning free blocks out of a decremental backup chain. In one example embodiment, a method for pruning free blocks out of a decremental backup in a decremental backup chain includes identifying a decremental backup chain, and pruning free blocks out of the target decremental backup.