Incremental virtual machine metadata extraction

1. A method, comprising:

analyzing a virtual machine container file to determine which portion of the virtual machine container file corresponds to a virtual machine file system metadata of the virtual machine container file, wherein the virtual machine container file includes data associated with a plurality of virtual machine content files and metadata associated with the plurality of virtual machine content files;

analyzing the virtual machine container file to determine a file offset range corresponding to the virtual machine file system metadata portion of the virtual machine container file;

determining which portion of the file offset range corresponding to the virtual machine file system metadata portion corresponds to which virtual machine content file of a plurality of virtual machine content files included in the virtual machine container file, comprising:

determining that a first portion of the file offset range corresponding to a first virtual machine file system metadata portion corresponds to a first virtual machine content file;

determining one or more differences between a first version of the virtual machine container file and a second version of the virtual machine container file at least in part by determining one or more nodes indicating corresponding locations of data of a snapshot structure associated with the virtual machine container file that are not shared between the first version of the virtual machine container file and the second version of the virtual machine container file, comprising:

comparing the first portion associated with the first version and the first portion associated with the second version; and

in response to a determination the first portion associated with the first version and the first portion associated with the second version differ, determining that the first virtual machine content file has been modified;

identifying which of the determined one or more nodes indicating corresponding locations of data correspond to the virtual machine file system metadata portion of the virtual machine container file based at least in part on the analysis of the virtual machine container file;

utilizing the identified one or more nodes indicating corresponding locations of data that correspond to the virtual machine file system metadata portion of the virtual machine file to identify one or more changes from virtual machine content files included in the first version of the virtual machine container file to virtual machine content files included in the second version of the virtual machine container file; and

scanning the virtual machine content files that are included in the second version of the virtual machine container file based in part on the virtual machine file system metadata.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving from a primary system a backup snapshot of file system data that includes the second version of the virtual machine container file.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising generating a view of the backup snapshot of the file system data, wherein the view includes a tree data structure associated with the second version of the virtual machine container file.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the tree data structure associated with the second version of the virtual machine container file includes a first reference to the snapshot structure associated with the second version of the virtual machine container file and a second reference to the snapshot structure associated with the first version of the virtual machine container file.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising generating and storing a data structure that associates file offset ranges of the virtual machine file system metadata portion with its corresponding virtual machine content file.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising reading the metadata of the identified one or more differences corresponding to the virtual machine file system metadata portion of the virtual machine container file to identify the one or more changes from content files included in the first version of the virtual machine container file to content files included in the second version of the virtual machine container file.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein scanning the virtual machine content files that are included in the second version of the virtual machine container file includes performing a virus scan.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving a request for a particular version of a virtual machine content file;

using a file system index to determine a virtual machine container file that stores the particular version of the virtual machine content file; and

providing the data associated with the particular version of the virtual machine content file.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the analysis of the virtual machine container file to determine which portion of the virtual machine container file corresponds to a virtual machine file system metadata of the virtual machine container file is utilized for analysis of a different version of the virtual machine container file.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising analyzing a later version of the virtual machine container file to determine which portion of the later version of the virtual machine container file corresponds to a virtual machine file system metadata of the later version of the virtual machine container file, wherein the determined portion for the later version of the virtual machine container file is different than determined portion for a previous version of the virtual machine container file.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more nodes indicating corresponding locations of data are leaf nodes.

12. A computer program product, the computer program product being embodied in a non-transitory computer readable storage medium and comprising computer instructions for:

analyzing a virtual machine container file to determine which portion of the virtual machine container file corresponds to a virtual machine file system metadata of the virtual machine container file, wherein the virtual machine container file includes data associated with a plurality of virtual machine content files and metadata associated with the plurality of virtual machine content files;

analyzing the virtual machine container file to determine a file offset range corresponding to the virtual machine file system metadata portion of the virtual machine container file;

determining which portion of the file offset range corresponding to the virtual machine file system metadata portion corresponds to which virtual machine content file of a plurality of virtual machine content files included in the virtual machine container file, comprising:

determining that a first portion of the file offset range corresponding to a first virtual machine file system metadata portion corresponds to a first virtual machine content file;

determining one or more differences between a first version of the virtual machine container file and a second version of the virtual machine container file at least in part by determining one or more nodes indicating corresponding locations of data of a snapshot structure associated with the virtual machine container file that are not shared between the first version of the virtual machine container file and the second version of the virtual machine container file, comprising:

comparing the first portion associated with the first version and the first portion associated with the second version; and

in response to a determination the first portion associated with the first version and the first portion associated with the second version differ, determining that the first virtual machine content file has been modified;

identifying which of the determined one or more nodes indicating corresponding locations of data correspond to the virtual machine file system metadata portion of the virtual machine container file based at least in part on the analysis of the virtual machine container file;

utilizing the identified one or more nodes indicating corresponding locations of data corresponding to the virtual machine file system metadata portion of the virtual machine file to identify one or more changes from virtual machine content files included in the first version of the virtual machine container file to virtual machine content files included in the second version of the virtual machine container file; and

scanning the virtual machine content files that are included in the second version of the virtual machine container file based in part on the virtual machine file system metadata.

13. The computer program product of claim 12 , further comprising computer instructions for receiving from a primary system a backup snapshot of file system data that includes the second version of the virtual machine container file.

14. The computer program product of claim 13 , further comprising computer instructions for generating a view of the backup snapshot of the file system data, wherein the view includes a tree data structure associated with the second version of the virtual machine container file.

15. The computer program product of claim 14 , wherein the tree data structure associated with the second version of the virtual machine container file includes a first reference to the snapshot structure associated with the second version of the virtual machine container file and a second reference to the snapshot structure associated with the first version of the virtual machine container file.

16. The computer program product of claim 12 , further comprising computer instructions for analyzing the virtual machine container file to determine a file offset range corresponding to metadata associated with a plurality of virtual machine content files included in the virtual machine container file.

17. The computer program product of claim 12 , wherein scanning the virtual machine content files that are included in the second version of the virtual machine container file includes performing a virus scan.

18. A system, comprising:

a processor configured to:

analyze a virtual machine container file to determine which portion of the virtual machine container file corresponds to a virtual machine file system metadata of the virtual machine container file, wherein the virtual machine container file includes data associated with a plurality of virtual machine content files and metadata associated with the plurality of virtual machine content files;

analyze the virtual machine container file to determine a file offset range corresponding to the virtual machine file system metadata portion of the virtual machine container file;

determine which portion of the file offset range corresponding to the virtual machine file system metadata portion corresponds to which virtual machine content file of a plurality of virtual machine content files included in the virtual machine container file, comprising:

determine that a first portion of the file offset range corresponding to a first virtual machine file system metadata portion corresponds to a first virtual machine content file;

determine one or more differences between a first version of the virtual machine container file and a second version of the virtual machine container file at least in part by determining one or more nodes indicating corresponding locations of data of a snapshot structure associated with the virtual machine container file that are not shared between the first version of the virtual machine container file and the second version of the virtual machine container file, comprising:

compare the first portion associated with the first version and the first portion associated with the second version; and

in response to a determination the first portion associated with the first version and the first portion associated with the second version differ, determine that the first virtual machine content file has been modified;

identify which of the determined one or more nodes indicating corresponding locations of data correspond to the virtual machine file system metadata portion of the virtual machine container file based at least in part on the analysis of the virtual machine container file;

utilize the identified one or more nodes indicating corresponding locations of data corresponding to the virtual machine file system metadata portion of the virtual machine file to identify one or more changes from virtual machine content files included in the first version of the virtual machine container file to virtual machine content files included in the second version of the virtual machine container file; and

scan the virtual machine content files that are included in the second version of the virtual machine container file based in part on the virtual machine file system metadata; and

a memory coupled to the processor and configured to provide the processor with instructions.