Systems and methods for item-level restoration from and verification of an image level backup without fully extracting it. The method receives backup parameters and selection of an image level backup to restore or verify and initializes virtual storage. The method attaches the virtual storage to a hypervisor to launch a virtual machine (VM) to test and restore data objects. The method stores VM virtual disk data changes resulting from restoration and verification in a changes storage. The method optionally reconfigures VMs to use an isolated network. The method optionally uses a routing appliance to provide access to VMs running in the isolated network from a production network. The method determines if the VM operating system (OS) is able to start using restored copies of selected data objects and tests applications associated with selected data objects. The method displays restoration and test results in an interface and automatically delivers the results.

Item-level restoration and verification of image level backups

A shadow network, which can be a virtual reproduction of a real, physical, base computer network, is described. Shadow networks duplicate the topology, services, host, and network traffic of the base network using shadow hosts, which are low interaction, minimal-resource-using host emulators. The shadow networks are connected to the base network through virtual switches, etc. in order to form a large obfuscated network. When a hacker probes into a host emulator, a more resource-intensive virtual machine can be swapped in to take its place. When a connection is attempted from a host emulator to a physical computer, the a host emulator can step in to take the place of the physical computer, and software defined networking (SDN) can prevent collisions between the duplicated IP addresses. Replicating the shadow networks within the network introduces problems for hackers and allows a system administrator easier ways to identify intrusions.

Network infrastructure obfuscation

Techniques are described for composing virtual machine images, generating signatures thereof, and verifying virtual machine images. A virtual machine image may be generated by installing or inserting software to a base virtual machine image. A signature may be computed using hash values of blocks of the base virtual machine image; blocks of the base image that are unchanged need not be hashed to generate the signature. A copy of the new virtual machine image can be verified at a computer hosting virtual machines by computing hashes only for modified or new blocks (relative to the base image). Block verification can take place in the background when a virtual machine starts; all of the blocks are verified (hashed and compared) in some order, and at the same time, unverified blocks are verified on demand as needed by the virtual machine.

Virtual machine image composition and signing

A virtualized environment includes a pool of VMs, each VM configured to run one or more virtual containers. Each virtual container runs as an isolated process in userspace on a guest operating system. A virtualization management module performs resource management operations to place containers within the pool of VMs according to performance metrics, and also perform high availability functionality for containers with critical containers.

Resource management for containers in a virtualized environment

A method and apparatus for managing the persistent data of a pre-installed application in an elastic virtual machine instance is disclosed, the method comprising: in response to installing an application into a master virtual machine image, obtaining a persistent data point of a function component of the application, the persistent data point comprising a file directory for storing the persistent data of the function component; in response to launching an elastic virtual machine instance from the master virtual machine, creating a storage volume, attaching the storage volume to the elastic virtual machine instance, and mounting the storage volume to the file directory based on the persistent data point. Other features and aspects may be realized, depending upon the particular application.

Managing the Persistent Data of a Pre-Installed Application in an Elastic Virtual Machine Instance

Exemplary embodiments provide rapid creation and deployment of virtual machines by reducing communication processes between virtual machine user and storage and server administrators. One embodiment is a method for deploying virtual machines of host computers. A storage subsystem provides a pool of pre-created virtual volumes in the storage subsystem prior to deploying the virtual machines, the pre-created virtual volumes having pre-copied images for the virtual machines. The method comprises: selecting one of the pre-created virtual volumes for deploying one of the virtual machines; calculating a volume size for the selected virtual volume based on a specified image size for data and OS image; resizing the selected virtual volume according to the calculated volume size; and requesting one of the host computers to deploy the virtual machine using the resized virtual volume.

Method and apparatus of rapidly deploying virtual machine pooling volume

Embodiments of the invention provide a capability to validate volume status on the host and storage system stored virtual machine image in the datacenter management server. In one embodiment, a server system includes a storage system having a plurality of volumes, a plurality of host systems, and a management server coupled with the storage system and the host systems via a network. A method of managing the server system comprises: generating a golden image in the storage system corresponding to a virtual machine image file; copying virtual machine data from the golden image to some of the plurality of volumes in the storage system; and keeping track, by the management server, of status of the volumes which have copied virtual machine data by monitoring activity of the virtual machines.

Method and apparatus of data center file system

Exemplary embodiments of the invention provide a technique to validate physical cabling and logical path before provisioning volume. In accordance with an aspect, a computer comprises a memory storing software and a processor executing the software. The software is operable to: identify first server port and second server port forming redundant ports of a server and first storage port and second storage port forming redundant ports of a storage system; and check whether a redundant relationship is formed by at least one of (i) a physical connection between the first server port and the first storage port and a physical connection between the second server port and the second storage port, or (ii) a logical connection between the first server port and the first storage port and a logical connection between the second server port and the second storage port.

Method and apparatus of redundant path validation before provisioning

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a queue for storage operation, and a method and a device for a selection interface by a work load.SOLUTION: An interface of a storage subsystem for processing storage operation is selected, and respective interfaces are made to correspond to corresponding processors. A management server has a plurality of providers, which each executes storage operation on one of the plurality of processors through the corresponding interface. The method includes: gathering information associated with states of the respective providers; determining operation characteristics of operation times of the respective providers based upon the states of the respective providers; comparing operation characteristics of the providers and selecting a provider which has a minimum operation time for a predetermined number of operation units with respect to the predetermined number of operation units of storage operations to be processed; and executing the storage operation through a specified interface on a corresponding processor.

Queue for storage operation, and method and device for selection interface by work load

A method selects an interface in a storage subsystem for processing storage operations, each interface associated with a corresponding processor. A management server has plural providers, each for executing storage operations on one of the processors via the corresponding interface. The method comprises: collecting information on status of each of the providers; based on the status of each provider, determining an operational characteristic of operation time as a function of a number of operational units for each provider; comparing the operational characteristics of the providers; for a given number of operational units in the storage operations to be processed, selecting from among the providers one provider which has the lowest operation time for the given number of operational units; and identifying the interface based on the selected provider to be used for executing the storage operations via the identified interface on the corresponding processor.

Dan Ritchie

Papers

Method and apparatus of rapidly deploying virtual machine pooling volume

Method and apparatus of data center file system

Method and apparatus of redundant path validation before provisioning

Queue for storage operation, and method and device for selection interface by work load

Method and apparatus of selection interface by queue and workload for storage operation