IP Library › Granted Patent US 10,691,547
Granted Patent B1
US 10,691,547 · App. 15/076,034 · Granted Jun 23, 2020

Backup and recovery for end-user computing in virtual desktop environments

Inventors: John M. Moran (Mebane, NC); Ka-Kit Wong (Kowloon, HK)
Assignee: EMC IP Holding Company LLC
G06F11/1438G06F11/1451G06F11/1453G06F11/1464G06F2201/815
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,691,547
App. No.
15/076,034
Granted
Jun 23, 2020
Kind
B1
Abstract

A system and method of performing backups of a system having persistent and non-persistent virtual desktop infrastructure components, database storage components, and file management components. The method first backs up the file management components, then a database server of the database storage components, and then the virtual desktop infrastructure components in an order of a virtual center server, connection server, and then a composer server. If the virtual desktop environment is non-persistent, the system backs up a master image that is used to create non-persistent desktops, and if the virtual desktop environment is persistent, the system backs up the master image that is used to create non-persistent desktops and virtual storage objects that maintain persistence of an identity of the virtual desktop environment.

Claims (32)

1. A method of backing up a virtual desktop environment in a backup system having a backup server, comprising:

determining, in a first component of the backup server, whether the virtual desktop environment is persistent or non-persistent and implements clone technology to copy an existing virtual machine (VM) to create a separate unique VM that is one of a full clone or a linked clone;

if the virtual desktop environment is non-persistent, backing up, in a backup component of the backup server, a master image that is used to create non-persistent desktops, and not directly backing up the virtual desktop environment;

reprovisioning the virtual desktop environment upon recovery of the master image;

if the virtual desktop environment is persistent, backing up the master image that is used to create non-persistent desktops and virtual storage objects that maintain persistence of an identity of the virtual desktop environment by decoupling user settings and local installed applications from the virtual desktop environment so that only user customization changes require backup in order to minimize the backup size and window to improve performance of the backup system;

performing the backing up by a sequential ordered process of firstly backing up a database server hosting a database providing data of the master image; secondly backing up a virtual center server serving the virtual desktop environment; thirdly backing up a connection server configured to assign virtual desktops of the virtual desktop environment to respective users; and lastly backing up a composer server configured to manage and configure the virtual desktops based on a provisioning of the composer server, wherein the composer server creates linked clones provisioned as floating user assignment clones using non-persistent desktops requiring no backup, dedicated user assignment clones using assigned persistent desktops requiring backup, or full clones using instantiations of a master VM template requiring backup; and

enabling a restore in a fixed order of: restoring the composer server, restoring the connection server, restoring the virtual center server, and restoring the database server.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the non-persistent desktop environment causes customizations of user settings or applications to be lost after user logoff or application restart operations.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the persistent desktop environment causes the user settings or applications to be preserved even after the user logoff or application restart operations.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

backing up active directory, domain name service (DNS), and dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP) servers providing file definitions for data used in the virtual desktop environment.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the virtual desktop environment is part of a variable length deduplication backup system optimized for end-user computing environments.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the deduplication backup system includes a Network Data Management Protocol accelerator node and wherein a full backup is performed only during an initial backup session, and subsequent full backups are achieved by requesting incremental data backups.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the backup system implements a virtual desktop broker configured to provide users with personalized virtual desktops in the virtual desktop environment, and comprises components including the virtual center server, the connection server, and the composer server.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein the backup system implements a virtual center server having two provisioning methods to provision virtual desktops within the virtual desktop environment including a machine creation services (MCS) method and a provisioning services (PVS) method.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

if the virtual desktop environment is non-persistent and the provisioning method is MCS, backing up a master virtual machine;

if the virtual desktop environment is persistent and the provisioning method is MCS, backing up the master virtual machine and a personal virtual disk;

if the virtual desktop environment is non-persistent and the provisioning method is PVS, backing up the master virtual disk; and

if the virtual desktop environment is persistent and the provisioning method is PVS, backing up the master virtual disk and the personal virtual disk.

10. A computer program product, comprising a non-transitory computer-readable medium having a computer-readable program code embodied therein, the computer-readable program code adapted to be executed by one or more processors to perform backups of a virtual desktop environment in a backup system having a backup server and further having persistent and non-persistent virtual desktop infrastructure components, database storage components, and file management components, by executing instructions implementing a method comprising:

determining, in a first component of the backup server, whether the virtual desktop environment is persistent or non-persistent and implements clone technology to copy an existing virtual machine (VM) to create a separate unique VM that is one of a full clone or a linked clone;

if the virtual desktop environment is non-persistent, backing up, in a backup component of the backup server, a master image that is used to create non-persistent desktops, and not directly backing up the virtual desktop environment;

reprovisioning the virtual desktop environment upon recovery of the master image;

if the virtual desktop environment is persistent, backing up the master image that is used to create non-persistent desktops and virtual storage objects that maintain persistence of an identity of the virtual desktop environment by decoupling user settings and local installed applications from the virtual desktop environment so that only user customization changes require backup in order to minimize the backup size and window to improve performance of the backup system;

performing the backing up by a sequential ordered process of firstly backing up a database server hosting a database providing data of the master image; secondly backing up a virtual center server serving the virtual desktop environment; thirdly backing up a connection server configured to assign virtual desktops of the virtual desktop environment to respective users; and lastly backing up a composer server configured to manage and configure the virtual desktops based on a provisioning of the composer server wherein the composer server creates linked clones provisioned as floating user assignment clones using non-persistent desktops requiring no backup, dedicated user assignment clones using assigned persistent desktops requiring backup, or full clones using instantiations of a master VM template requiring backup; and

enabling a restore in a fixed order of: restoring the composer server, restoring the connection server, restoring the virtual center server, and restoring the database server.

11. The computer program product of claim 10 wherein the non-persistent desktop environment causes customizations of user settings or applications to be lost after user logoff or application restart operations.

12. The computer program product of claim 11 wherein the persistent desktop environment causes the user settings or applications to be preserved even after the user logoff or application restart operations.

13. The computer program product of claim 10 , wherein the method further comprises:

backing up active directory, domain name service (DNS), and dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP) servers providing file definitions for data used in the virtual desktop environment.

14. The computer program product of claim 13 wherein the deduplication backup system includes a Network Data Management Protocol accelerator node and wherein a full backup is performed only during an initial backup session, and subsequent full backups are achieved by requesting incremental data backups, and wherein the backup system implements a virtual desktop broker configured to provide users with personalized virtual desktops in the virtual desktop environment, and comprises components including the virtual center server, the connection server, and the composer server.

Assignments (10)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME (053546/0001) Recorded Jun 23, 2022
From: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: DELL MARKETING L.P. (ON BEHALF OF ITSELF AND AS SUCCESSOR-IN-INTEREST TO CREDANT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.); DELL INTERNATIONAL L.L.C.; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; DELL USA L.P.; EMC CORPORATION; DELL MARKETING CORPORATION (SUCCESSOR-IN-INTEREST TO FORCE10 NETWORKS, INC. AND WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.); EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
Reel/Frame 071642/0001 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME (045455/0001) Recorded May 20, 2022
From: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: DELL MARKETING CORPORATION (SUCCESSOR-IN-INTEREST TO ASAP SOFTWARE EXPRESS, INC.); DELL MARKETING L.P. (ON BEHALF OF ITSELF AND AS SUCCESSOR-IN-INTEREST TO CREDANT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.); DELL USA L.P.; DELL INTERNATIONAL L.L.C.; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; DELL MARKETING CORPORATION (SUCCESSOR-IN-INTEREST TO FORCE10 NETWORKS, INC. AND WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.); EMC CORPORATION (ON BEHALF OF ITSELF AND AS SUCCESSOR-IN-INTEREST TO MAGINATICS LLC); EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC (ON BEHALF OF ITSELF AND AS SUCCESSOR-IN-INTEREST TO MOZY, INC.); SCALEIO LLC
Reel/Frame 061753/0001 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME (040136/0001) Recorded Apr 26, 2022
From: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: DELL MARKETING CORPORATION (SUCCESSOR-IN-INTEREST TO ASAP SOFTWARE EXPRESS, INC.); DELL MARKETING L.P. (ON BEHALF OF ITSELF AND AS SUCCESSOR-IN-INTEREST TO CREDANT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.); DELL USA L.P.; DELL INTERNATIONAL L.L.C.; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; DELL MARKETING CORPORATION (SUCCESSOR-IN-INTEREST TO FORCE10 NETWORKS, INC. AND WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.); EMC CORPORATION (ON BEHALF OF ITSELF AND AS SUCCESSOR-IN-INTEREST TO MAGINATICS LLC); EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC (ON BEHALF OF ITSELF AND AS SUCCESSOR-IN-INTEREST TO MOZY, INC.); SCALEIO LLC
Reel/Frame 061324/0001 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Nov 3, 2021
From: CREDIT SUISSE AG, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH
To: ASAP SOFTWARE EXPRESS, INC.; AVENTAIL LLC; CREDANT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.; DELL USA L.P.; DELL INTERNATIONAL, L.L.C.; DELL MARKETING L.P.; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; DELL SOFTWARE INC.; DELL SYSTEMS CORPORATION; EMC CORPORATION; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC; FORCE10 NETWORKS, INC.; MAGINATICS LLC; MOZY, INC.; SCALEIO LLC; WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.
Reel/Frame 058216/0001 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Apr 22, 2020
From: CREDANT TECHNOLOGIES INC.; DELL INTERNATIONAL L.L.C.; DELL MARKETING L.P.; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; DELL USA L.P.; EMC CORPORATION; FORCE10 NETWORKS, INC.; WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A.
Reel/Frame 053546/0001 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Mar 21, 2019
From: CREDANT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.; DELL INTERNATIONAL L.L.C.; DELL MARKETING L.P.; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; DELL USA L.P.; EMC CORPORATION; FORCE10 NETWORKS, INC.; WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A.
Reel/Frame 049452/0223 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 29, 2016
From: EMC CORPORATION
To: EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
Reel/Frame 040203/0001 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Sep 21, 2016
From: ASAP SOFTWARE EXPRESS, INC.; AVENTAIL LLC; CREDANT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.; DELL USA L.P.; DELL INTERNATIONAL L.L.C.; DELL MARKETING L.P.; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; DELL SOFTWARE INC.; DELL SYSTEMS CORPORATION; EMC CORPORATION; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC; FORCE10 NETWORKS, INC.; MAGINATICS LLC; MOZY, INC.; SCALEIO LLC; SPANNING CLOUD APPS LLC; WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 040136/0001 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Sep 21, 2016
From: ASAP SOFTWARE EXPRESS, INC.; AVENTAIL LLC; CREDANT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.; DELL USA L.P.; DELL INTERNATIONAL L.L.C.; DELL MARKETING L.P.; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; DELL SOFTWARE INC.; DELL SYSTEMS CORPORATION; EMC CORPORATION; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC; FORCE10 NETWORKS, INC.; MAGINATICS LLC; MOZY, INC.; SCALEIO LLC; SPANNING CLOUD APPS LLC; WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.
To: CREDIT SUISSE AG, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 040134/0001 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 21, 2016
From: MORAN, JOHN M; WONG, KA-KIT
To: EMC CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 038053/0534 →
Cited By (2)
US 12,425,475 US 12,687,979