Automatic copy validation using real-world application traffic

1. A method, comprising:

bringing up a clone application in a validation environment;

replaying recorded incoming network traffic to the clone application;

obtaining a response of the clone application to the incoming network traffic;

comparing the response of the clone application to the incoming network traffic with recorded outgoing network traffic of a production application that was generated by the production application in response to receipt, by the production application, of the incoming network traffic;

making a validation determination regarding the clone application, based on the comparison of the response of the clone application to the recorded outgoing network traffic of the production application, and the validation determination indicates whether or not, when the production application is restored to a particular point in time associated with the clone application, the production application will operate without any problems; and

when the clone application is not validated, identifying and resolving a problem relating to the clone application.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the clone application is created by applying a cloning process to the production application.

3. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the validation environment comprises a clone of a production environment in which the production application operates.

4. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the recorded incoming network traffic was generated by recording incoming network traffic to the production application.

5. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein part of the method is performed by a network traffic generator player-validator.

6. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the recorded incoming network traffic to the clone application is replayed in the validation environment.

7. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the recorded incoming network traffic to the clone application spans a time period “T” and comprises less than all of the incoming network traffic received by the production application during the time period “T”.

8. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the clone application is validated notwithstanding one or more differences between the response of the clone application and the recorded outgoing network traffic of the production application.

9. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein evaluation of the clone application is performed automatically and/or on an ongoing basis.

10. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein a volume of the recorded incoming network traffic is a function of one or both of (i) a permissible bandwidth allowed to be consumed for the movement of network traffic, and (ii) an amount of production traffic that is needed to be replayed in order to adequately test whether or not the clone application is valid.

11. A non-transitory storage medium having stored therein computer-executable instructions which, when executed by one or more hardware processors, perform the following operations:

bringing up a clone application in a validation environment;

replaying recorded incoming network traffic to the clone application;

obtaining a response of the clone application to the incoming network traffic;

comparing the response of the clone application to the incoming network traffic with recorded outgoing network traffic of a production application that was generated by the production application in response to receipt, by the production application, of the incoming network traffic;

making a validation determination regarding the clone application, based on the comparison of the response of the clone application to the recorded outgoing network traffic of the production application, and the validation determination indicates whether or not, when the production application is restored to a particular point in time associated with the clone application, the production application will operate without any problems; and

when the clone application is not validated, identifying and resolving a problem relating to the clone application.

12. The non-transitory storage medium as recited in claim 11 , wherein the clone application is created by applying a cloning process to the production application.

13. The non-transitory storage medium as recited in claim 11 , wherein the validation environment comprises a clone of a production environment in which the production application operates.

14. The non-transitory storage medium as recited in claim 11 , wherein the recorded incoming network traffic was generated by recording incoming network traffic to the production application.

15. The non-transitory storage medium as recited in claim 11 , wherein part of the method is performed by a network traffic generator player-validator.

16. The non-transitory storage medium as recited in claim 11 , wherein the recorded incoming network traffic to the clone application is replayed in the validation environment.

17. The non-transitory storage medium as recited in claim 11 , wherein the recorded incoming network traffic to the clone application spans a time period “T” and comprises less than all of the incoming network traffic received by the production application during the time period “T”.

18. The non-transitory storage medium as recited in claim 11 , wherein the clone application is validated notwithstanding one or more differences between the response of the clone application and the recorded outgoing network traffic of the production application.

19. The non-transitory storage medium as recited in claim 11 , wherein evaluation of the clone application is performed automatically and/or on an ongoing basis.

20. The non-transitory storage medium as recited in claim 11 , wherein a volume of the recorded incoming network traffic is a function of one or both of (i) a permissible bandwidth allowed to be consumed for the movement of network traffic, and (ii) an amount of production traffic that is needed to be replayed in order to adequately test whether or not the clone application is valid.