Abstract: Various systems, methods and apparatuses for intelligently and dynamically allocating proxy backup clients to back up and restore vast amounts of data distributed across a network are presented. One method involves identify distributed data stored in a computer system, requesting the data, and performing a backup or restore operation on the data. Other aspects include intelligently dynamically allocating proxy backup clients to perform backup and restore operations on data distributed across a network, and intelligently and dynamically balancing, or re-balancing or otherwise managing the workload among the proxy backup clients.

Abstract: A method, system, and computer-readable storage medium for providing an adaptive tap for a virtual machine protection are disclosed. In one embodiment, an Input/Output (I/O) write is received from one of virtual machines. The virtual machines are executed on a server, and each virtual machine is configured to generate I/O writes to a VMFS file system on a primary storage. The I/O write includes data and an offset at which the data is to be stored in the VMFS file system. The server, and primary and secondary storage are coupled to a network. A virtual machine indicator is determined using the offset. A secondary write to a secondary storage is generated based on the I/O write. The secondary write includes the data and the VM indicator associated with the I/O write. The secondary storage is then accessed to write/store the secondary write.

Abstract: Efficient replication using assistance from a secondary node involves in one embodiment modifying data of a data volume at a primary node to create modified data. The primary node transmits the modified data to a first secondary node, wherein the first secondary node comprises a first replica of the data volume. The first secondary node receives and processes the modified data to generate processed data. The first secondary node transmits the processed data to the primary node. The primary node, in turn, receives and transmits the processed data to a second secondary node, wherein the second secondary node comprises a second replica of the data volume.