IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,693,942
Granted Patent B1
US 12,693,942 · App. 19/070,760 · Granted Jul 28, 2026

Intelligent dynamic protection for deleted virtual machines

Inventors: Prakash Appayya Acharya (Bangalore, IN); Sharath Talkad Srinivasan (Bangalore, IN)
Assignee: Dell Products L.P.
G06F11/1469G06F11/1451G06F11/1464
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,693,942
App. No.
19/070,760
Granted
Jul 28, 2026
Kind
B1
Abstract

A system detects a switch off event sent by a virtual machine management server, and identifies a virtual machine that is tagged by the switch off event and protected by a data protection server, and applies a deletion lock to the virtual machine. The system detects a deletion event sent by the virtual machine management server, and identifies a virtual machine that is tagged by the switch off event, protected by the data protection server, and tagged by the deletion event. The system creates a backup file for the virtual machine that is tagged by the deletion event. The system releases the deletion lock from protecting the virtual machine that is tagged by the deletion event. If the deletion event was accidental or malicious, the system uses the backup file to restore the virtual machine which was deleted by the deletion event after the release of the deletion lock.

Claims (40)

1 . A system for intelligent dynamic protection of deleted virtual machines, comprising:

one or more processors; and

a non-transitory computer readable medium storing a plurality of instructions, which when executed, cause the one or more processors to:

identify a virtual machine that is tagged by a switch off event and is protected by a data protection server, in response to detecting the switch off event sent by a virtual machine management server;

apply a deletion lock to the virtual machine that is tagged by the switch off event and is protected by the data protection server;

identify a virtual machine that is tagged by the switch off event and is protected by the data protection server and is also tagged by a deletion event, in response to detecting the deletion event sent by the virtual machine management server;

create a backup file for the virtual machine that is tagged by the deletion event;

release the deletion lock from protecting the virtual machine that is tagged by the deletion event; and

restore, using the backup file, the virtual machine, which was deleted by the deletion event after the release of the deletion lock, in response to a determination that the deletion event was one of accidental or malicious.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein detecting any event sent by the virtual machine management server is based on having subscribed to specific events which correspond to protected virtual machines and are sent by the virtual machine management server.

3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein detecting any event sent by the virtual machine management server is based on having created an event trigger which monitors each event.

4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein any event tagging any virtual machines is based on each protected virtual machine being tagged with a unique identifier.

5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein any virtual machine is protected by the data protection server based on configuring at least one of a service level agreement or a policy to protect a corresponding virtual machine.

6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of creating the backup file for the virtual machine and restoring the virtual machine is based on a backup and restore application, which is associated with the data protection server, performing at least one of creating the backup file for the virtual machine or restoring the virtual machine.

7 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed, will further cause the one or more processors to identify the deletion event to at least one of the data protection server or an administrator of the virtual machine management server.

8 . A computer-implemented method for intelligent dynamic protection of deleted virtual machines, comprising:

identifying a virtual machine that is tagged by a switch off event and is protected by a data protection server, in response to detecting the switch off event sent by a virtual machine management server;

applying a deletion lock to the virtual machine that is tagged by the switch off event and is protected by the data protection server;

identifying a virtual machine that is tagged by the switch off event and is protected by the data protection server and is also tagged by a deletion event, in response to detecting the deletion event sent by the virtual machine management server;

creating a backup file for the virtual machine that is tagged by the deletion event;

releasing the deletion lock from protecting the virtual machine that is tagged by the deletion event; and

restoring, using the backup file, the virtual machine, which was deleted by the deletion event after the release of the deletion lock, in response to a determination that the deletion event was one of accidental or malicious.

9 . The computer-implemented method of claim 8 , wherein detecting any event sent by the virtual machine management server is based on having subscribed to specific events which correspond to protected virtual machines and are sent by the virtual machine management server.

10 . The computer-implemented method of claim 8 , wherein detecting any event sent by the virtual machine management server is based on having created an event trigger which monitors each event.

11 . The computer-implemented method of claim 8 , wherein any event tagging any virtual machines is based on each protected virtual machine being tagged with a unique identifier.

12 . The computer-implemented method of claim 8 , any virtual machine is protected by the data protection server based on configuring at least one of a service level agreement or a policy to protect a corresponding virtual machine.

13 . The computer-implemented method of claim 8 , wherein at least one of creating the backup file for the virtual machine and restoring the virtual machine is based on a backup and restore application, which is associated with the data protection server, performing at least one of creating the backup file for the virtual machine or restoring the virtual machine.

14 . The computer-implemented method of claim 8 , wherein the computer-implemented method further comprises identifying the deletion event to at least one of the data protection server or an administrator of the virtual machine management server.

15 . A computer program product, comprising a non-transitory computer-readable medium having a computer-readable program code embodied therein to be executed by one or more processors, the program code including instructions to:

identify a virtual machine that is tagged by a switch off event and is protected by a data protection server, in response to detecting the switch off event sent by a virtual machine management server;

apply a deletion lock to the virtual machine that is tagged by the switch off event and is protected by the data protection server;

identify a virtual machine that is tagged by the switch off event and is protected by the data protection server and is also tagged by a deletion event, in response to detecting the deletion event sent by the virtual machine management server;

create a backup file for the virtual machine that is tagged by the deletion event;

release the deletion lock from protecting the virtual machine that is tagged by the deletion event; and

restore, using the backup file, the virtual machine, which was deleted by the deletion event after the release of the deletion lock, in response to a determination that the deletion event was one of accidental or malicious.

16 . The computer program product of claim 15 , wherein detecting any event sent by the virtual machine management server is based on at last one of having subscribed to specific events which correspond to protected virtual machines and are sent by the virtual machine management server, or having created an event trigger which monitors each event.

17 . The computer program product of claim 15 , wherein any event tagging any virtual machines is based on each protected virtual machine being tagged with a unique identifier.

18 . The computer program product of claim 15 , any virtual machine is protected by the data protection server based on configuring at least one of a service level agreement or a policy to protect a corresponding virtual machine.

19 . The computer program product of claim 15 , wherein at least one of creating the backup file for the virtual machine and restoring the virtual machine is based on a backup and restore application, which is associated with the data protection server, performing at least one of creating the backup file for the virtual machine or restoring the virtual machine.

20 . The computer program product of claim 15 , wherein the program code includes further instructions to identify the deletion event to at least one of the data protection server or an administrator of the virtual machine management server.