Cross-platform virtual machine backup and replication

Abstract

According to certain aspects, a method can include, at a first time, performing an incremental backup of first data associated with a virtual machine (VM) residing on a source client computing device from the source client computing device to one or more secondary storage devices to create a backup copy of the VM, where the VM is associated with a hypervisor of a first type; receiving an instruction to restore the first data associated with the VM from the one or more secondary storage devices; retrieving the first data from the one or more secondary storage devices; and applying the first data to second data associated with a replicated VM running on the destination client computing device, where the replicated VM is a replicated version of the VM, and where the second data corresponds to data of the VM at a time before the first time.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of backing up a virtual machine in an independent format, the method comprising:
 with one or more secondary storage computing devices comprising one or more hardware processors,
 receiving, from a first source computing device, first data that comprises a first backup of the virtual machine (VM) corresponding to a first time, wherein the first data is constructed according to a first format that corresponds with a first type of hypervisor that runs the VM; 
 converting the first data into second data based on the first type of hypervisor, wherein the second data is constructed according to a common format different from the first format; 
 storing the second data in a secondary storage subsystem; 
 receiving, from the first source computing device, third data comprising an incremental backup of the VM corresponding to a second time later than the first time, wherein the third data comprises an incremental change between the VM at the first time and the VM at the second time; 
 converting the third data into fourth data based on the first type of hypervisor, wherein the fourth data is constructed according to the common format; and 
 storing the fourth data in the secondary storage subsystem. 
   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein converting the first data into second data comprises converting the first data into second data based on schema or metadata associated with the first type of hypervisor. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising retrieving the schema or metadata associated with the first type of hypervisor from a media agent database. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising converting the fourth data from the common format into the first format in response to an indication that the VM is being replicated from the first source computing device to a first target computing device that runs the first type of hypervisor. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising converting the fourth data from the common format into a second format that corresponds with a second type of hypervisor in response to an indication that the VM is being replicated from the first source computing device to a first target computing device that runs the second type of hypervisor. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein converting the fourth data from the common format into a second format comprises converting the fourth data from the common format into the second format based on schema or metadata associated with the second type of hypervisor. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the first type of hypervisor comprises a type 1 hypervisor and the second type of hypervisor comprises a type 2 hypervisor. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the first source computing device is located off-site from the first target computing device. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the common format is an independent format that is not associated with any type of hypervisor. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the common format is a proprietary format selected by a user. 
     
     
         11 . An information management system configured to back up a virtual machine in an independent format, the system comprising:
 a media agent comprising computer hardware, wherein the media agent is configured to:
 receive, from a first source computing device, first data that comprises a first backup of the virtual machine (VM) corresponding to a first time, wherein the first data is constructed according to a first format that corresponds with a first type of hypervisor that runs the VM; 
 convert the first data into second data based on the first type of hypervisor, wherein the second data is constructed according to a common format different from the first format; 
 store the second data in a secondary storage subsystem; 
 receive, from the first source computing device, third data comprising an incremental backup of the VM corresponding to a second time later than the first time, wherein the third data comprises an incremental change between the VM at the first time and the VM at the second time; 
 convert the third data into fourth data based on the first type of hypervisor, wherein the fourth data is constructed according to the common format; and 
 store the fourth data in the secondary storage subsystem. 
   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the media agent is further configured to convert the first data into second data based on schema or metadata associated with the first type of hypervisor. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the media agent is further configured to retrieve the schema or metadata associated with the first type of hypervisor from a media agent database. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the media agent is further configured to convert the fourth data from the common format into the first format in response to an indication that the VM is being replicated from the first source computing device to a first target computing device that runs the first type of hypervisor. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the media agent is further configured to convert the fourth data from the common format into a second format that corresponds with a second type of hypervisor in response to an indication that the VM is being replicated from the first source computing device to a first target computing device that runs the second type of hypervisor. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the media agent is further configured to convert the fourth data from the common format into the second format based on schema or metadata associated with the second type of hypervisor. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the first type of hypervisor comprises a type 1 hypervisor and the second type of hypervisor comprises a type 2 hypervisor. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the first source computing device is located off-site from the first target computing device. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the common format is an independent format that is not associated with any type of hypervisor. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the common format is a proprietary format selected by a user.