Selective processing of file system objects for image level backups
Systems, methods, and computer program products are provided for reducing the size of image level backups. An example method receives backup parameters identifying a physical or Virtual Machine (VM) to backup and at least one file system object to include in the backup. The method connects to production storage corresponding to the selected physical or virtual machine and obtains access to data stored in disk corresponding to the selected file system object(s). The method fetches file allocation table (FAT) blocks from the disk and parses contents of the FAT blocks to determine if the disk blocks correspond to the selected file system object(s). The method creates a backup disk image FAT comprising blocks corresponding to the selected file system object(s). The method creates a reconstructed disk image FAT blocks corresponding to the backup FAT and disk image data blocks belonging to the selected file system object(s) and all other disk image data blocks are saved as zero blocks. A reconstructed disc image is compressed and stored in a backup file on backup storage, or replicated (copied) to another storage intact.
1 . A system for selective processing of file system objects for an image level backup, comprising:
a backup engine in communication with a production virtual disk storage, wherein the production virtual disk storage comprises one or more virtual disk images and a file allocation table (FAT), and wherein the backup engine comprises:
a receiving module configured to receive backup parameters for the image level backup, wherein the backup parameters include a selection of a virtual machine to backup and a selection of a plurality of file system objects including a first file system object to include in and a second file system object to exclude from the image level backup, wherein the plurality of file system objects are associated with one or more applications associated with the virtual machine; and
a connection module configured to connect to a virtual disk image of the one or more virtual disk images corresponding to the selected virtual machine, wherein the connection module is further configured to obtain data from the virtual disk image corresponding to the first file system object;
a FAT processing module configured to:
identify a set of pre-configured exclusion files, wherein the set of pre-configured exclusion files comprises at least one virtual memory file that is automatically excluded based on one or more pre-configuration settings of the backup engine, specifying exclusion of virtual memory files from the image level backup;
fetch a selected set of data blocks from the virtual disk image using the FAT, wherein the selected set of data blocks correspond to the first file system object, and wherein the FAT provides a location of the selected set of data blocks;
prevent fetching, from the virtual disk image, a set of data blocks corresponding to the second file system object and the set of pre-configured exclusion files;
generate empty content corresponding to the set of data blocks corresponding to the second file system object and the set of pre-configured exclusion files; and
create a backup FAT from the selected set of data blocks and the empty content; and
a block processing module configured to save the backup FAT to a reconstructed disk image in the backup engine.
2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the virtual machine is selected from a plurality of virtual machines.
3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the reconstructed disk image is a replica virtual machine.
4 . The system of claim 3 , wherein the reconstructed disk image is configured to be accessible from a hypervisor host running the replica virtual machine.
5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the reconstructed disk image is configured to be accessible as a local volume.
6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the reconstructed disk image is configured to be accessible as remote storage.
7 . The system of claim 1 , the block processing module further configured to:
determine a previously processed block of the fetched selected set of data blocks; and
determine whether the previously processed block is a last block of the virtual disk image.
8 . A method for object-selective processing of file system objects for an image level backup, comprising:
receiving, by a backup engine in communication with a production virtual disk storage, backup parameters for the image level backup, wherein the backup parameters include a selection of a virtual machine to backup and a selection of a plurality of file system objects including a first file system object to include in and a second file system object to exclude from the image level backup, wherein the plurality of file system objects are associated with one or more applications associated with the virtual machine, and wherein the production virtual disk storage further comprises one or more virtual disk images and a file allocation table (FAT);
connecting, by the backup engine, to a virtual disk image of one or more virtual disk images corresponding to the selected virtual machine;
obtaining data from the virtual disk image corresponding to the first file system object;
identifying a set of pre-configured exclusion files, wherein the set of pre-configured exclusion files comprises at least one virtual memory file that is automatically excluded based on one or more pre-configuration settings of the backup engine, specifying exclusion of virtual memory files from the image level backup;
fetching, by a FAT processing module in communication with the backup engine, a selected set of data blocks from the virtual disk image using the FAT, wherein the selected set of data blocks correspond to the first file system object, and wherein the FAT provides a location of the selected set of data blocks;
preventing, by the FAT processing module, fetching, from the virtual disk image, a set of data blocks corresponding to the second file system object and the set of pre-configured exclusion files;
generating, by the FAT processing module, empty content corresponding to the set of data blocks corresponding to the second file system object and the set of pre-configured exclusion files;
creating a backup FAT from the selected set of data blocks and the empty content; and
saving the backup FAT to a reconstructed disk image in the backup engine.
9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the virtual machine is selected from a plurality of virtual machines.
10 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the reconstructed disk image is a replica virtual machine.
11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the reconstructed disk image is configured to be accessible from a hypervisor host running the replica virtual machine.
12 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the reconstructed disk image is configured to be accessible as a local volume.
13 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the reconstructed disk image is configured to be accessible as remote storage.
14 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
determining a previously processed block of the fetched selected set of data blocks; and
determining whether the previously processed block is a last block of the virtual disk image.
15 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon, wherein the instructions when executed by one or more processors of a backup engine in communication with a production virtual disk storage, cause the one or more processors to perform operations, the operations comprising:
receiving backup parameters for an image level backup, wherein the backup parameters include a selection of a virtual machine to backup and a selection of a plurality of file system objects including a first file system object to include in and a second file system object to exclude from the image level backup, wherein the plurality of file system objects are associated with one or more applications associated with the virtual machine, and wherein the production virtual disk storage further comprises one or more virtual disk images and a file allocation table (FAT);
connecting to a virtual disk image of one or more virtual disk images corresponding to the selected virtual machine, wherein the one or more virtual disk images are stored in the production virtual disk storage;
obtaining data from the virtual disk image corresponding to the first file system object;
identifying a set of pre-configured exclusion files, wherein the set of pre-configured exclusion files comprises at least one virtual memory file that is automatically excluded based on one or more pre-configuration settings of the backup engine, specifying exclusion of virtual memory files from the image level backup;
fetching a selected set of data blocks from the virtual disk image using the FAT, wherein the selected set of data blocks correspond to the first file system object, and wherein the FAT provides a location of the selected set of data blocks;
preventing fetching, from the virtual disk image, a set of data blocks corresponding to the second file system object and the set of pre-configured exclusion files;
generating empty content corresponding to the set of blocks corresponding to the second file system object and the set of pre-configured exclusion files;
creating a backup FAT from the selected set of data blocks and the empty content; and
saving the backup FAT to a reconstructed disk image in the backup engine.
16 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the virtual machine is selected from a plurality of virtual machines.
17 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the reconstructed disk image is a replica virtual machine.
18 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17 , wherein the reconstructed disk image is configured to be accessible from a hypervisor host running the replica virtual machine.
19 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the reconstructed disk image is configured to be accessible as a local volume.
20 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the reconstructed disk image is configured to be accessible as remote storage.