Abstract: A method for efficient file-based backups and recoveries. The method includes: receiving, to initiate a backup session, a file-system backup instruction identifying a host file-system; obtaining at least one clone logical cluster number (LCN) corresponding to a file managed by the host file-system, and a region LCN corresponding to a file region of the file; based on a determination that the region LCN matches a clone LCN of the at least one clone LCN: querying a cluster-offset tracking data structure using the region LCN to identify a cluster-offset tracking entry including the region LCN and a container offset; writing, as a session metadata record stored in backup session metadata for the backup session, file metadata describing the file and including the container offset; and transmitting, to a backup target, an information tuple including a backup session identifier generated for the backup session, and the backup session metadata.

Abstract: Communications are exchanged with a copy service of a host to identify writers associated with the copy service. The identification includes a type of a writer as being a system or application writer. Writers identified as system writers are added to a list of writers that should participate in a backup operation. For writers identified as application writers, components of an application writer are iterated through to determine whether a component of the application writer has a name or logical path that includes a name of a system service. When any component has the name or logical path that includes the name of the system service, the application writer is promoted to be of type system writer by adding the application writer to the list of writers that should participate in the backup operation. Components of each writer listed in the list of writers are backed up.

Abstract: Techniques described herein relate to methods and systems for managing backup operations. The method may include receiving a request to perform a first backup operation for a first virtual machine (VM); making a first determination, using a vProxy preference map, that a first vProxy is assigned to the first VM based on a backup capability associated with the first vProxy; making a second determination that the first vProxy is not available to perform the first backup operation; making a third determination, based on the second determination and using a vProxy information database, that a second vProxy is available to perform the first backup operation based on the second vProxy being associated with the same backup capability as the first vProxy; and performing the first backup operation using the second vProxy.

Abstract: A method for managing data replication includes: identifying data being used by an application programming interface (API), in which the data is stored in a source device; tagging the data based on a usage level of the data by the API; obtaining a predicted probability of the usage level of the data; making a first determination that the data is tagged as important data and the predicted probability of the usage level of the data is low; and replicating, based on the first determination, the data from the source device to a target device.

Abstract: A method includes identifying relationships between containers on a first device, where each container includes at least one relationship that includes a HAS-A relationship or an IS-A relationship. The method also includes creating, on a second device, a first set of twin containers, where each container in the first set of twin containers corresponds to a container that includes only the HAS-A relationships. In addition, the method includes creating, on the second device and in response to creating the first set of twin containers, a second set of twin containers where each container in the second set of twin containers corresponds to a container that includes at least one IS-A relationship. Moreover, the method includes determining and performing a twin container start-up sequence for the first set and the second set of twin containers.

Abstract: Techniques described herein relate to a method for performing pre-backup tasks. The method includes obtaining, by a proxy host, a snapshot request associated with an incremental backup of a file system stored in a network attached storage (NAS) from a backup manager; in response to obtaining the snapshot request: instantiating a NAS container to obtain a snapshot of the file system; providing the snapshot to the NAS container; after providing the snapshot to the NAS container: retrieving a previously generated slice list and backup metadata associated with the file system; identifying, using the backup metadata and the slice list, data types associated with each of the slices; grouping the slices based on the data types and group criteria to generate slice groups; generating an updated slice list specifying the slices and the slice groups; and providing the updated slice list to the backup manager.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention relate to methods and systems for efficiently backing up a production host. In one or more embodiments, assets are assigned to one or more slices. Depending on the type of assets assigned to a slice such as directory information versus data, the slices are assigned a flag. This flag may then be used to determine which streams a slice should be assigned to and based on the specific flags of the slices assigned to each stream, the order by which the streams are transferred to backup containers located in a backup storage may be determined. This may result in better or more efficient utilization of available connections between the containers and the production host, resulting in better utilization of system and network resources as well as a better backup and recovery performance.

Abstract: A method for managing a data protection module (DPM) includes: obtaining metadata associated with the DPM; analyzing the metadata to extract relevant data; making, based on the relevant data, a first determination that a resource-related change has occurred in the DPM; making, based on the first determination, a second determination that the resource-related change is an increased resource-related change; sending, based on the second determination, the relevant data to a vendor environment (VE) analyzer; in response to sending the relevant data, receiving a recommendation from the VE analyzer; sending the recommendation to a user of a client about the recommendation using a graphical user interface (GUI) of the client; making, after sending the recommendation to the user, a third determination that the DPM is not reconfigured by the user based on the recommendation; and resending, based on the third determination, the recommendation to the user using the GUI.

Abstract: A method for managing a data protection module (DPM) includes: obtaining an alert generated by the DPM within a predetermined period of time; obtaining metadata associated with the DPM; analyzing the metadata to extract relevant data; analyzing the alert to extract second relevant data; making, based on the second relevant data, a determination that a tolerance level associated with the alert has been exceeded; sending, based on the determination, the alert, the relevant data, and the second relevant data to a vendor environment (VE) analyzer; in response to sending the alert, the relevant data, and the second relevant data, receiving a service request (SR) generated by the VE analyzer for the DPM; and providing the SR to the client to notify a user of the client about the SR using a graphical user interface (GUI) of the client.

Abstract: In general, one or more embodiments of the invention relates to systems and methods for performing a backup and later determining a level or percentage of corruption of the resulting backup set. By having a cyber-security module analyze the backup data periodically, corruption of backup data both caused by cyber-attacks or by hardware failures may be detected and characterized. By knowing how corrupted a particular corrupted backup data set is, an informed decision may be made with regards to purging the backup data set and/or using the backup data set or portion thereof in any further restorations. By making these determinations, a quick identification of possible ransomware attacks may be made, and additional degradation of a user's data may be avoided.

Abstract: A method for efficiently sharing assets such as files and folders in the form of slices. Assets are shared or transferred between a host computer system and a target computer system such as a client computer system. In one or more embodiments, assets such as files and folders that are to be shared or transferred are placed in appropriate network slice queues by the hosts in such a manner that each slice has a size that is the same as the others within a predetermined tolerance. This ensures efficient use of network resources when sharing or transferring the files, while minimizing the amount of work the hosts and/or clients must perform.

Abstract: A registry writer is instructed via a copy service on a host to prepare for generation of a snapshot. The registry writer is responsible for saving system hive files to disk before the snapshot is generated. A reporting of the system hive files is received from the registry writer. Communications are exchanged with an API exposed by an operating system of the host to identify user hive files. The system hive files reported by the registry writer and the user hive files identified using the API exposed by the operating system are backed up from the snapshot to secondary storage.

Abstract: A system enables selection of application hosts which meet update requirements, then downloads an update for instances of an application agent corresponding to selected application hosts. The system puts selected application hosts in maintenance mode, which prevents selected application hosts from beginning execution of any operations, until updating selected application hosts is completed. The system creates backup copy of configuration files used to configure instances of application agent. The system initiates update sessions which install update in instances of application agent corresponding to selected application hosts. If update sessions failed to install update in any of instances of application agent in cluster of application hosts, then system restores configuration files which were used to configure instances of application agents.

Abstract: System enables selection of application hosts which meet update requirements, then downloads update for instances of application agent corresponding to selected application hosts. System puts selected application hosts in maintenance mode, which prevents selected application hosts from beginning execution of any operations, until updating selected application hosts is completed. System creates copy of instructions, which when executed, installs update in instance of application agent in one of application hosts, and reports on update process to server which communicates with application hosts. System launches worker process from copy of instructions. System initiates update sessions which install update in instances of application agent corresponding to selected application hosts.

Abstract: Updating application hosts in a cluster are described. A system enables a selection of an application host which meet update requirements, and then determines whether the selected application host is in a cluster of application hosts. If the selected application host is in a cluster, then the system determines whether each application host in the cluster is selected for updating. If each application host in the cluster is not selected for updating, then the system enables the selection of all application hosts in the cluster for updating. If each application host in the cluster is selected for updating, then the system initiates update sessions which install updates in components of the cluster. If at least some of the application hosts in the cluster are not updated, then the system rolls back all updated application hosts in the cluster to previous conditions of the updated application hosts.

Abstract: Agent lifecycle management for backup and restore applications is described. A system enables selection of application hosts, each of which meets installation requirements for installing instances of application agents from a backup and restore application, then downloads, in parallel, the instances of the application agent to the corresponding selected application hosts. The system installs, in parallel, the instances of the application agent in the corresponding selected application hosts, then registers, in parallel, the instances of the application agent with the backup and restore application. The system subsequently initiates sessions which download and install, in parallel, an update in instances of the application agent in in corresponding application hosts. The system unregisters at least one of the instances of the application agent, in at least one application host, from the backup and restore application.

Abstract: Selecting, authenticating, and installing individual components of agent software stacks is described. A system enables a selection of a component of an application agent software stack from a backup and restore application, from displayed components of multiple application agent software stacks. The system downloads the selected component of the application agent software stack from the backup and restore application. The system downloads a digital certificate from a vendor of the backup and restore application or the backup and restore application. The system uses a public key from the downloaded digital certificate to authenticate the selected component of the application agent software stack. The system installs an instance of the authenticated component of the application agent software stack in an application host, which executes the instance of the authenticated component to create a backup copy of data generated by an application executed by the application host.

Abstract: Automatically updating agents from backup and restore applications is described. A system enables selection of application hosts which meet update requirements, then downloads an update for instances of an application agent corresponding to selected application hosts. The system puts selected application hosts in maintenance mode, which prevents selected application hosts from beginning execution of any operations, until updating selected application hosts is completed. The system initiates update sessions which install update in instances of application agent corresponding to selected application hosts. If update sessions did not fail to install update in any of instances of application agent in cluster of application hosts, then the system stores the updated instances of the application agents in a non-volatile storage.

Abstract: Techniques described herein relate to a method for performing data protection of file system data on a host. The method includes identifying a backup access event associated with a backup, wherein a first portion of the backup is stored on a first backup storage and a second portion of the backup is stored on a second backup storage; obtaining backup metadata associated with the backup from a data protection manager; generating a placeholder file structure using the backup metadata and storing the placeholder file structure in a virtual hard disk file; and performing heterogeneous backup storage backup access services using the placeholder file structure and the backup metadata to facilitate transfer of data of the first portion of the backup on the first backup storage and the transfer of data of the second portion of the backup on the second backup storage to an application associated with the backup.

Abstract: System selects application hosts which meet update requirements, then downloads update for instances of application agent corresponding to selected application hosts. System puts selected application hosts in maintenance mode, which prevents selected application hosts from beginning execution of any operations, until updating selected application hosts is completed. System creates backup copy of state of instances of application agent. System generates installation instructions that, when executed by update sessions to install update, enable roll back from updated instances of application agent to state of instances of application agent recorded in backup copy. System initiates update sessions which install update in instances of application agent corresponding to selected application hosts.