Automated backup systems and methods for cloud environments
Systems and methods utilize a policy-based approach to automate data backup processes in hybrid cloud environments, ensuring adherence to service level agreements (SLAs) such as recovery time objectives and recovery point objectives. A centralized management application oversees storage and network resources, by using a policy interpreter module to analyze and apply predefined, user-selected backup policies. This application identifies appropriate resources and data copy features using real-world data from databases containing information on storage volumes, network paths, and data replication technologies. The system then generates a configuration plan that is deployed across distributed storage systems, continuously monitoring and adjusting to maintain SLA compliance and optimize resource utilization, thereby reducing manual intervention and human error.
1 . A method for automated data backup in a cloud environment, the method comprising:
in response to a service provider defining a data protection policy comprising at least one of a backup frequency, a retention period, a replication target, or a data copy method, recording the data protection policy in a service catalogue that is accessible to a user;
in response to a consumer selecting one of the data protection policies and customizing a target service level agreement (SLA), wherein the SLA includes parameters such as Recovery Time Objective (RTO), Recovery Point Objective (RPO), retention period, and backup data size quota, using a policy interpreter module to interpret the data protection policy and the SLA to identify one or more resources and/or data copy features;
using the policy interpreter module to compare achieved SLAs with claimed SLAs from the data copy feature catalogue to validate quality of a selected copy method, and notifying the consumer of risk that the SLAs may not be met when divergence between the achieved SLAs and the claimed SLAs exceeds an acceptable range;
using information from a storage resource database, a network resource database, and a data copy feature catalogue to locate and generate a system configuration plan based on the one or more resources and/or data copy features;
in response to the consumer approving the system configuration plan and requesting deployment of a data protection system, deploying the data protection system to storage systems at one or more geographically distributed sites;
monitoring a performance of the data protection system, the performance comprising at least one of a network latency, a data transfer speed, a storage system performance, or data transfer efficiency; and
automatically adjusting the one or more resources to ensure a continuous compliance with the SLA.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the data protection policy comprises a data copy that comprises at least one of snapshots, mirroring, or remote replication.
3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the data protection policy comprises a data placement policy that comprises at least one of a geographical data restriction, a storage cost limitation, or a CO2 emission target.
4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the service catalogue further comprises a predefined list of user-selectable SLAs.
5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the SLA is defined within a value range to allow the user to adjust the SLA within the value range.
6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the policy interpreter module uses historical performance data to improve an accuracy of identifying a resource.
7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the storage resource database comprises information associated with at least one of a storage system type, a location, an available capacity, or a performance characteristic.
8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the network resource database comprises details about at least one of a bandwidth, a latency, a reliability, or a network path characteristic that is used for data transfer.
9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the data copy feature catalogue comprises information on at least one of a claimed and achieved SLAs for each data copy operation.
10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the policy interpreter module generates a plurality of system configuration plans for different scenarios to enhance resource utilization.
11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the system configuration plan comprises an assignment of specific storage volumes to different sites based on their performance characteristics.
12 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising alerting the service provider or consumer of a potential SLA violation based on the divergence between the achieved SLAs and the claimed SLAs.
13 . The method of claim 1 , wherein automatically adjusting the one or more resources is based on an estimated workload change to detect and mitigate risk of SLA violations caused by changes in workload on IT systems.
14 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the data protection system comprises an automated failover mechanism that provides data availability during at least one of hardware failures or a network failure to guarantee the RTO specified in the SLA.
15 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium for storing instructions for executing a process, the instructions comprising:
in response to a service provider defining a data protection policy comprising at least one of a backup frequency, a retention period, a replication target, or a data copy method, recording the data protection policy in a service catalogue that is accessible to a user;
in response to a consumer selecting one of the data protection policies and customizing a target service level agreement (SLA), wherein the SLA includes parameters such as Recovery Time Objective (RTO), Recovery Point Objective (RPO), retention period, and backup data size quota, using a policy interpreter module to interpret the data protection policy and the SLA to identify one or more resources and/or data copy features;
using the policy interpreter module to compare achieved SLAs with claimed SLAs from the data copy feature catalogue to validate quality of a selected copy method, and notifying the consumer of risk that the SLAs may not be met when divergence between the achieved SLAs and the claimed SLAs exceeds an acceptable range;
using information from a storage resource database, a network resource database, and a data copy feature catalogue to locate and generate a system configuration plan based on the one or more resources and/or data copy features;
in response to the consumer approving the system configuration plan and requesting deployment of a data protection system, deploying the data protection system to storage systems at one or more geographically distributed sites;
monitoring a performance of the data protection system, the performance comprising at least one of a network latency, a data transfer speed, a storage system performance, or data transfer efficiency; and
automatically adjusting the one or more resources to ensure a continuous compliance with the SLA.
16 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the SLA is defined within a value range to allow the user to adjust the SLA within the value range.
17 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the policy interpreter module performs steps comprising:
using historical performance data to improve an accuracy of identifying a resource; and
generating a plurality of system configuration plans for different scenarios to enhance resource utilization.
18 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the system configuration plan comprises an assignment of specific storage volumes to different sites based on their performance characteristics, and
wherein the assignment is determined based on the one or more resources and data copy features identified by the policy interpreter module to meet the SLA.
19 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein automatically adjusting the one or more resources is based on an estimated workload change to detect and mitigate risk of SLA violations caused by changes in workload on IT systems.
20 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the data protection system comprises an automated failover mechanism that provides data availability during at least one of hardware failures or a network failure to guarantee the RTO specified in the SLA.