Abstract: Embodiments for a method of backing up virtual hard disks by: parsing a list of base parent and differencing disks to identify disk parameters and child disks of immediate parent disks; creating a differencing disk chain in reverse time order of modification of the base parent disk starting from the base parent disk to a latest child differencing disk; identifying changed sectors in each child disk starting from the latest child differencing disk; creating a list detailing a respective differencing disk, sector offsets and logical data sector index for each changed sector; iteratively adding updated sectors to the list for latest changed sectors that were not previously added to the list by a later child disk by reading the changed sectors from their respective child disk; and merging, in a single step, the changed sectors read from their respective child disks into the base parent disk.

Abstract: A method is provided for backing up and restoring a web applications platform. The method includes backing up web applications platform databases to a backup system. A search index of the web application platform is backed up. An application programming interface (API) is queried to discover internet information services (IIS) virtual directories associated with the web applications platform. Discovered IIS virtual directories associated with the web applications platform are backed up to the backup system. IIS configuration data, IIS metabase data and registry data for the web applications platform are then backed up to the backup system. A similar process enables the restoration of this data to allow for disaster recovery for the web applications platform.

Abstract: A first agent informs a second agent that a backup file is created for an active copy of a data object in a first node in a cluster of nodes, in response to the first agent determining that the backup file is created for the active copy of the data object in the first node. The second agent instructs a change tracker associated with a passive copy of the data object in a second node in the cluster of nodes to begin tracking changes received from a synchronizer associated with the active copy of the data object in the first node, wherein tracked changes received from the synchronizer associated with the active copy of the data object in the first node enables a next backup operation performed on the data object to be performed as an incremental backup operation on the data object in the second node.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a system in response to a request to back up a virtual machine (VM) to a backup storage system, retrieves history data from the backup storage system. The history data has been previously backed up in the backup storage system during a previous backup operation of the VM. The history data includes a change tracking identifier (ID) associated with a consistent state of a VM disk attached to the VM at the point-in-time of the previous backup operation. The system validates the history data against a current configuration of the VM. The current configuration includes information of one or more current consistent states of the VM disk. The system determines a backup type for each of the current consistent states based on the validated history data. The system backs up each of the current consistent states based on the backup type.

Abstract: Embodiments described herein provide for a system and associated logic to enable browsing of a federated backup having a plurality of portions, each portion separately generated and indexed by a plurality of nodes. In one embodiment, the system performs a federated backup by generating a unique identifier on a primary node and providing the unique identifier to each secondary node tasked with generating the plurality of portions. The secondary nodes associate the unique identifier with each of the plurality of portions. The unique identifier can then be used by a recovery UI to generate and display a consolidated view of the plurality of portions.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a system in response to a request to back up a virtual machine (VM) to a backup storage system, retrieves history data from the backup storage system. The history data has been previously backed up in the backup storage system during a previous backup operation of the VM. The history data includes a change tracking identifier (ID) associated with a consistent state of a VM disk attached to the VM at the point-in-time of the previous backup operation. The system validates the history data against a current configuration of the VM. The current configuration includes information of one or more current consistent states of the VM disk. The system determines a backup type for each of the current consistent states based on the validated history data. The system backs up each of the current consistent states based on the backup type.

Abstract: A method and system for implementing data lossless synthetic full backups. Specifically, the method and system disclosed herein improves upon traditional synthetic full backup operations by considering all user-checkpoint branches, rather than just the active user-checkpoint branch, representing all chains of incremental changes to a virtual disk of a virtual machine. In considering all user-checkpoint branches, no data pertinent to users involved in the development of the non-active (or inactive) user-checkpoint branches is lost.

Abstract: Embodiments provide backup up databases using a checkpoint mechanism without requiring saving of transaction logs by: taking a backup snapshot of the database; exposing an iSCSI disk using the snapshot backup as a target by encapsulating the snapshot in a virtual disk; creating a read/write differencing disk for the exposed iSCSI disk; replaying transaction logs onto the iSCSI disk; and streaming the contents of the virtual disk to a storage medium to create a saveset.

Abstract: A method for backing up and restoring search service applications (SSAs) is provided that backs up an SSA topology extensible markup language (XML) file to a backup system. The method then backs up an SSA search topology XML file to the backup system and backs up SSA databases to the backup system. An application programming interface (API) is queried to discover internet information services (IIS) virtual directories associated with the SSA. Discovered IIS virtual directories associated with the SSA are backed up to the backup system IIS configuration data, IIS metabase data and registry data for the SSA are also backed up to the backup system. A similar process is utilized to restore this data to enable the recovery of an SSA.

Abstract: A method and system for write tracking for block based backup that supports multiple block based backup applications. The method includes creating a first bitmap for a first block based backup application by the block based backup engine, creating a second bitmap for a second block based backup application by the block based backup engine. In response to receiving a request from a block based backup application to start a backup a check is made whether the request indicates a full backup or incremental backup for the first block based backup application. A merging of the bitmaps for block based backup applications is performed such that the performance of the requested backup is taken into account for the first backup application without adversely affecting the tracking of the block based backup of other backup applications.