Virtual machine backup from storage snapshot
Disclosed herein are system, method, and computer program product embodiments for virtual machine (VM) backup from a storage snapshot. An embodiment operates by receiving selective backup parameters including a VM to backup and then creating a VM snapshot associated with the VM. Next, an offset table associated with a virtual disk of the VM stored on a storage is retrieved. The embodiment further includes generating a storage snapshot and deleting the VM snapshot and then promoting the storage snapshot to a new logical unit number. The promoted storage snapshot is then mounted to the backups server. The virtual disk data is backed up to a backup storage using the offset table from the storage snapshot. The storage snapshot is dismounted from the backup server and deleted from the storage.
1. A method for a backup server to back up a virtual machine (VM), comprising:
causing a virtualization server to create a software snapshot of the VM;
responsive to the created software snapshot, receiving, from the virtualization server, an offset table having information that indicates where data blocks associated with a virtual disk of the VM are located on a storage;
causing the storage to create, on the storage, a hardware snapshot of a storage volume, wherein the storage volume includes the virtual disk;
promoting the hardware snapshot to a new logical unit number (LUN);
mounting the promoted hardware snapshot LUN from the storage to the backup server; and
backing up the data blocks, indicated by the obtained offset table, from the mounted hardware snapshot LUN to a backup storage.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the virtualization server is a hypervisor, and the hypervisor is communicatively coupled to the storage.
3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
retrieving, from the server creating the software snapshot, changed block tracking (CBT) information.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the backing up comprises:
reading relevant data blocks from the mounted hardware snapshot according to the offset table and the CBT information; and
saving the read relevant data blocks to the backup storage.
5. The method of claim 3 , wherein the retrieving comprises:
causing invocation of an application programming interface (API) call to query a list of modified areas of the virtual disk of the VM since a predetermined time.
6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
instructing the virtualization server to delete the software snapshot after the hardware snapshot is created by the storage.
7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
dismounting the hardware snapshot; and
instructing the storage to remove the hardware snapshot.
8. A system for a backup server to back up a virtual machine (VM), comprising:
a memory; and
at least one processor communicatively coupled to the memory and configured to:
cause a virtualization server to create a software snapshot of the VM;
responsive to the created software snapshot, receive, from the virtualization server, an offset table having information that indicates where data blocks associated with a representation of a virtual disk of the VM are located on a storage;
cause the storage to create, on the storage, a hardware snapshot of a storage volume, wherein the storage volume includes the representation of the virtual disk;
promote the hardware snapshot to a new logical unit number (LUN);
mount the promoted hardware snapshot LUN from the storage to the backup server; and
back up the data blocks, indicated by the obtained offset table, from the mounted hardware snapshot LUN to a backup storage.
9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the virtualization server is a hypervisor, and the hypervisor is communicatively coupled to the storage.
10. The system of claim 8 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:
retrieve, from the server that created the software snapshot, changed block tracking (CBT) information.
11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to backing up the data blocks by:
reading relevant data blocks from the mounted hardware snapshot according to the offset table and the CBT information; and
saving the read relevant data blocks to the backup storage.
12. The system of claim 10 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to retrieve the CBT information by:
causing invocation of an application programming interface (API) call to query a list of modified areas of the virtual disk of the VM since a predetermined time.
13. The system of claim 8 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:
instruct the virtualization server to delete the software snapshot after the hardware snapshot is created by the storage.
14. The system of claim 8 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:
dismount the hardware snapshot; and
instruct the storage to remove the hardware snapshot.
15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by at least one computing device, causes the at least one computing device to perform operations for a backup server to back up a virtual machine (VM), the instructions comprising:
causing a virtualization server to create a software snapshot of the VM;
responsive to the created software snapshot, receiving, from the virtualization server, an offset table having information that indicates where data blocks associated with a virtual disk of the VM are located on a storage;
causing the storage to create, on the storage, a hardware snapshot of a storage volume, wherein the storage volume includes the virtual disk;
promoting the hardware snapshot to a new logical unit number (LUN);
mounting the promoted hardware snapshot LUN from the storage to the backup server; and
backing up the data blocks, indicated by the obtained offset table, from the mounted hardware snapshot LUN to a backup storage.
16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the virtualization server is a hypervisor, and the hypervisor is communicatively coupled to the storage.
17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , further comprising:
retrieving, from the server creating the software snapshot, changed block tracking (CBT) information.
18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17 , wherein the backing up comprises:
reading relevant data blocks from the mounted hardware snapshot according to the offset table and the CBT information; and
saving the read relevant data blocks to the backup storage.
19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17 , wherein the retrieving comprises:
causing invocation of an application programming interface (API) call to query a list of modified areas of the virtual disk of the VM since a predetermined time.
20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , further comprising:
instructing the virtualization server to delete the software snapshot after the hardware snapshot is created by the storage.
21. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , further comprising:
dismounting the hardware snapshot; and
instructing the storage to remove the hardware snapshot.
22. The system of claim 8 , wherein the representation of the virtual disk is a snapshot of the virtual disk.