Archiving virtual machines in a data storage system
The data storage system according to certain aspects can manage the archiving of virtual machines to (and restoring of virtual machines from) secondary storage. The system can determine whether to archive virtual machines based on usage data or information. The usage information may include storage usage, CPU usage, memory usage, network usage, events defined by a virtual machine software or application, etc. The system may archive virtual machines that are determined to have a low level of utilization. For example, a virtual machine can be archived when its usage level falls below a threshold level. The system may create a virtual machine placeholder for an archived virtual machine, which may be a “light” or minimal version of the virtual machine that acts as if it is the actual virtual machine. By using a virtual machine placeholder, a virtual machine may appear to be active and selectable by the user.
1. At least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that when executed by at least one computer cause the at least one computer to perform a method for archiving virtual machines, the method comprising:
archiving a virtual machine (VM),
wherein the VM is executed by a first hypervisor, onto one or more secondary storage devices such that the VM is no longer active,
wherein the archiving the VM is initiated according to and information management policy associated with the VM,
wherein the information management policy comprises a collection of parameters or preferences for performing data management operations in an information management system;
creating a VM placeholder configured to consume fewer computing resources than the VM,
wherein the VM placeholder is executed by a second hypervisor;
subsequent to archiving the VM, displaying a representation of the VM on a client computing device;
detecting user selection of the representation of the VM; and
in response to detecting the user selection of the representation of the VM, reactivating the VM.
2. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the VM is executed on the client computing device.
3. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the VM placeholder includes information for restoring the VM from the one or more secondary storage devices.
4. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 3 , the VM is reactivated using the information for restoring the VM.
5. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the VM placeholder is executed on the client computing device.
6. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the first hypervisor and the second hypervisor are same hypervisor.
7. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises restoring all data associated with the VM and removing the VM placeholder.
8. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises restoring only a portion of data associated with the VM.
9. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises identifying a media agent based on information included in the VM placeholder, and sending instructions to restore the VM to the identified media agent.
10. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the VM placeholder interacts with one or more operating systems on one or more computing devices.
11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the computing resources include one or more of: storage, central processing unit (CPU), memory, and network.
12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the archiving of the VM and the creating of the VM placeholder are performed as part of a first backup operation that includes creating a backup copy of other primary data associated with the client computing device onto a secondary storage subsystem.
13. An information management system configured to archive virtual machines, the information management system comprising:
one or more computing devices comprising memory and one or more hardware processors coupled to the memory, the one or more computing devices configured to:
archive a virtual machine (VM), wherein the VM is executed by a first hypervisor, onto one or more secondary storage devices such that the VM is no longer active, wherein the archiving the VM is initiated according to an information management policy associated with the VM, wherein the storage policy comprises a collection of parameters or preferences for performing data management operations in an information management system;
create a VM placeholder configured to consume fewer computing resources than the VM, wherein the VM placeholder is executed by a second hypervisor;
displaying a representation of the VM on a client computing device;
detect a user selection of the representation of the VM; and
in response to detecting the user selection of the representation of the VM, reactivate the VM.
14. The information management system of claim 13 , wherein the VM placeholder includes information for restoring the VM from the one or more secondary storage devices.
15. The information management system of claim 14 , wherein the VM is reactivated using the information for restoring the VM.
16. The information management system of claim 13 , wherein the VM is executed on the client computing device.
17. The information management system of claim 13 , wherein the VM placeholder is executed on the client computing device.
18. The information management system of claim 13 , wherein the first hypervisor and the second hypervisor are same hypervisor.
19. The information management system of claim 13 further configured to restore all data associated with the VM and removing the VM placeholder.
20. The information management system of claim 13 further configured to restore only a portion of data associated with the VM.
21. The information management system of claim 13 further configured to identify a media agent based on information included in the VM placeholder, and send instructions to restore the VM to the identified media agent.
22. The information management system of claim 13 , wherein the VM placeholder interacts with one or more operating systems on one or more computing devices.
23. The information management system of claim 13 , wherein the computing resources include one or more of: storage, central processing unit (CPU), memory, and network.
24. The information management system of claim 13 , wherein the archiving of the VM and the creating of the VM placeholder are performed as part of a first backup operation that creates a backup copy of other primary data associated with the client computing device onto a secondary storage subsystem.
25. A computer-implemented method, the method comprising:
using one or more computing devices comprising of hardware:
archiving a virtual machine (VM),
wherein the VM is executed by a first hypervisor, onto one or more secondary storage devices such that the VM is no longer active,
wherein the archiving the VM is initiated according to an information management policy associated with the VM,
wherein the information management policy comprises a collection of parameters or preferences for performing data management operations in an information management system:
creating a VM placeholder configured to consume fewer computing resources than the VM,
wherein the VM placeholder is executed by a second hypervisor;
subsequent to archiving the VM, displaying a representation of the VM on a client computing device;
detecting user selection of the representation of the VM; and
in response to detecting the user selection of the representation of the VM, reactivating the VM.
26. The method of claim 25 , wherein the VM or the VM placeholder is executed on the client computing device.
27. The method of claim 25 , wherein the VM placeholder includes information for restoring the VM from the one or more secondary storage devices.
28. The method of claim 25 , wherein the first hypervisor and the second hypervisor are same hypervisor.
29. The method of claim 25 , wherein the method further comprises restoring all data associated with the VM and removing the VM placeholder.
30. The method of claim 25 , wherein the method further comprises identifying a media agent based on information included in the VM placeholder, and sending instructions to restore the VM to the identified media agent.
31. The method of claim 25 , wherein the VM placeholder interacts with one or more operating systems on one or more computing devices.
32. The method of claim 25 , wherein the archiving of the VM and the creating of the VM placeholder are performed as part of a first backup operation that includes creating a backup copy of other primary data associated with the client computing device onto a secondary storage subsystem.