System and method for dynamic configuration of backup agents
An agent for managing backup generation for virtual machines includes a persistent storage stores backup policies and a backup manager that obtains request for generating a backup for a first virtual machine of the virtual machines and, in response to obtaining the request, generates a backup load prediction for generating the backup; performs a resource availability analysis of a host computing device hosting the first virtual machine to determine computing resources availability for generating the backup; makes a first determination, using the backup load prediction and the computing resource availability, that the host computing device has insufficient resources for generating the backup; and, in response to the first determination, performs a backup type analysis on existing backups associated with the first virtual machine to obtain at least one updated backup policy; and generates a reduced-resource cost backup for the virtual machine using at least one of the updated backup policies.
1. A computing device for managing backup generation for virtual machines, comprising:
a persistent storage that stores backup policies; and
a hardware processor programmed to:
obtain request for generating a backup of a first virtual machine of the virtual machines;
in response to obtaining the request:
generate a backup load prediction for generating the backup;
perform a resource availability analysis of a host computing device hosting the first virtual machine to determine computing resources availability for generating the backup;
make a first determination, using the backup load prediction and the computing resource availability, that the host computing device has insufficient resources for generating the backup; and
in response to the first determination:
perform a backup type analysis on the backup policies and existing backups associated with the first virtual machine to obtain at least one updated backup policy; and
generate a reduced-resource cost backup of the first virtual machine using the at least one updated backup policy, wherein the reduced-resource cost backup is generated using a backup load that requires fewer computing resources than computing resources required by a backup load predicted by the backup load prediction, wherein a value of the backup load of the reduced-resource cost backup is lower than a value of the computing resource availability in accordance to the at least one updated backup policy.
2. The computing device of claim 1 , wherein the hardware processor is further programmed to:
obtain a second request for generating a second backup of a second virtual machine of the virtual machines;
in response to obtaining the request:
generate a second backup load prediction for generating the second backup;
perform a second resource availability analysis of a second host computing device hosting the second virtual machine to determine second computing resources availability for generating the second backup;
make a second determination, using the second backup load prediction and the second computing resource availability, that the second host computing device has sufficient resources for generating the second backup; and
in response to the second determination:
generate a regular-resource cost backup of the second virtual machine using the backup policies.
3. The computing device of claim 2 , wherein the regular-resource cost backup has a higher computing resource cost than the reduced-resource cost backup.
4. The computing device of claim 1 , wherein performing the resource availability analysis of the host computing device hosting the first virtual machine to determine the computing resources availability for generating the backup comprises:
obtain a virtual machine load for each of the virtual machines executing on the host computing device;
identify total computing resources of the host computing device allocated to the virtual machine; and
obtain a resource availability report based on the virtual machine load and the identified total available computing resources.
5. The computing device of claim 4 , wherein the virtual machine load comprises a first load associated with a first time period and a second load associated with a second time period.
6. The computing device of claim 4 , wherein the virtual machine load comprises a processing load, a storage load, and a memory load.
7. The computing device of claim 4 , wherein the resource availability report specifies available computing resources over a predetermined period of time.
8. The computing device of claim 4 , wherein the resource availability report is used to perform the resource availability analysis.
9. The computing device of claim 1 , wherein performing the backup type analysis on existing backups associated with the first virtual machine to obtain the updated backup policies comprises:
identifying a type of the backup among a plurality of backup types;
making a second determination that the type of the backup is not a lowest recourse cost type backup among the plurality of backup types;
in response to the second determination:
identifying a continuity chain associated with the virtual machine; and
updating the backup policies using the identified continuity chain and the type of backup to ensure future continuity of the continuity chain.
10. The computing device of claim 9 , wherein updating the backup policies using the identified continuity chain and the type of backup to ensure future continuity of the continuity chain comprises:
modifying a policy of the backup policies associated with the virtual machine to generate a backup requiring higher computing resources than the reduced-resource cost backup.
11. The computing device of claim 10 , wherein the backup requiring higher computer resources than the reduced-resource cost backup is a virtual machine image.
12. The computing device of claim 10 , wherein the backup requiring higher computer resources than the reduced-resource cost backup has a lower computing resource cost than a computing resource cost for generating a backup comprising a virtual machine image.
13. The computing device of claim 12 , wherein the higher computing resource cost backup has a higher computing resource cost than the lowest resource cost type backup.
14. The computing device of claim 1 , wherein performing the backup type analysis on existing backups associated with the first virtual machine to obtain the updated backup policies comprises:
identifying a type of the backup among a plurality of backup types;
making a second determination that the type of the backup is a lowest recourse cost type backup among the plurality of backup types;
in response to the second determination:
updating the backup policies to reschedule generation of the backup.
15. The computing device of claim 14 , wherein generating the backup after rescheduling generates a gap-filler backup.
16. The computing device of claim 15 , wherein the gap-filler backup is of a same type as specified by the backup policies before being updated.
17. The computing device of claim 1 , wherein generating the backup load prediction for generating the backup comprises:
determining a quantity of application data associated with the virtual machine;
determining a storage location for the backup; and
determining an aggregate bandwidth between the storage location and the host computing device.
18. A method for managing backup generation for virtual machines, comprising:
storing backup policies;
obtaining a request for generating a backup of first virtual machine of the virtual machines;
in response to obtaining the request:
generating a backup load prediction for generating the backup;
performing a resource availability analysis of a host computing device hosting the first virtual machine to determine computing resources availability for generating the backup;
making a first determination, using the backup load prediction and the computing resource availability, that the host computing device has insufficient resources for generating the backup; and
in response to the first determination:
performing a backup type analysis on the backup policies and existing backups associated with the first virtual machine to obtain at least one updated backup policy; and
generating a reduced-resource cost backup of the first virtual machine using the at least one updated backup policy, wherein the reduced-resource cost backup is generated using a backup load that requires fewer computing resources than computing resources required by a backup load predicted by the backup load prediction, wherein a value of the backup load of the reduced-resource cost backup is lower than a value of the computing resource availability in accordance to the at least one updated backup policy.
19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the method further comprises:
obtaining a second request for generating a second backup for a second virtual machine of the virtual machine;
in response to obtaining the request: generating a second backup load prediction for generating the second backup;
performing a second resource availability analysis of a second host computing device hosting the second virtual machine to determine second computing resources availability for generating the second backup;
making a second determination, using the second backup load prediction and the second computing resource availability, that the second host computing device has sufficient resources for generating the second backup; and
in response to the second determination:
generating a regular-resource cost backup for the second virtual machine using at the backup policies.
20. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising computer readable program code, which when executed by a computer processor enables the computer processor to perform a method for managing backup generation for virtual machines, the method comprising:
storing backup policies;
obtaining a request for generating a backup of first virtual machine of the virtual machines;
in response to obtaining the request:
generating a backup load prediction for generating the backup;
performing a resource availability analysis of a host computing device hosting the first virtual machine to determine computing resources availability for generating the backup;
making a first determination, using the backup load prediction and the computing resource availability, that the host computing device has insufficient resources for generating the backup; and
in response to the first determination:
performing a backup type analysis on the backup policies and existing backups associated with the first virtual machine to obtain at least one updated backup policy; and
generating a reduced-resource cost backup of the first virtual machine using the at least one updated backup policy, wherein the reduced-resource cost backup is generated using a backup load that requires fewer computing resources than computing resources required by a backup load predicted by the backup load prediction, wherein a value of the backup load of the reduced-resource cost backup is lower than a value of the computing resource availability in accordance to the at least one updated backup policy.