Backup and recovery of application data of an application executing in a virtual machine

Abstract

Backup of application data associated with an application executing in a virtual machine managed by a hypervisor is performed. Backup of the application data includes retrieving a Logical Unit Number (LUN) identification (ID) used by the application to store the application data in a storage volume. Backup of the application data also includes performing a virtual storage resolution for the LUN ID to determine whether the application data is stored in the storage volume identified by the LUN ID based on a first virtual mapping or a physical mapping. Backup also includes storing in metadata for the backup the LUN ID and whether the LUN ID is based on the first virtual mapping or the physical mapping. Backup includes creating a backup of the application data stored in the storage volume. Application data can subsequently be restored based on the application data that is backed up.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 performing a backup of application data associated with an application executing in a virtual machine managed by a hypervisor, wherein the application data is stored based on at least one of a virtual mapping and a physical mapping, wherein performing the backup comprises,
 retrieving at least one Logical Unit Number (LUN) identification (ID) used by the application to store the application data in at least one first storage volume; 
 performing a virtual storage resolution for the at least one LUN ID to determine whether the application data is stored in the at least one first storage volume identified by the at least one LUN ID based on a first virtual mapping or a physical mapping; 
 storing in metadata for the backup the at least one LUN ID and whether the at least one LUN ID is based on the first virtual mapping or the physical mapping; and 
 creating a backup of the application data stored in the at least one first storage volume. 
   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first virtual mapping is attached to the virtual machine through attachment via the hypervisor and the physical mapping is attached to the virtual machine without attachment via the hypervisor. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein performing the backup further comprises:
 retrieving a virtual storage identifier for storage of the application data in a second storage volume; and   determining that a second virtual mapping is used to store the application data in the second storage volume.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein performing the backup comprises:
 storing in the metadata the virtual storage identifier and a type of the second virtual mapping; and   creating a backup of the application data stored in the second storage volume.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the first virtual mapping comprises a Raw Device Mapping and the second virtual mapping comprises a Virtual Machine Disk mapping. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein performing the virtual storage resolution comprising performing the virtual storage resolution based on operations by a virtual storage manager that are external to the application. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the at least one LUN ID comprises a first LUN ID and a second LUN ID, wherein performing the virtual storage resolution comprises:
 retrieving LUN IDs assigned to the hypervisor;   comparing the first LUN ID and the second LUN ID to the LUN IDs assigned to the hypervisor;   determining there is a match of the first LUN ID and one of the LUN IDs assigned to the hypervisor;   determining there is no match of the second LUN ID and any of the LUN IDs assigned to the hypervisor;   determining that the first LUN ID is based on the first virtual mapping; and   determining that the second LUN ID is based on the physical mapping.   
     
     
         8 . A non-transitory machine readable medium having stored thereon instructions for performing a method for backup of application data, the non-transitory machine readable medium comprising machine executable code which when executed by at least one machine, causes the at least one machine to:
 perform the backup of the application data associated with an application executing in a virtual machine managed by a hypervisor, wherein the application data is stored based on at least one of a virtual mapping and a physical mapping, wherein the machine executable code which when executed by at least one machine, causes the at least one machine to perform the backup comprises machine executable code which when executed by at least one machine, causes the at least one machine to,
 retrieve at least one Logical Unit Number (LUN) identification (ID) used by the application to store the application data in at least one first storage volume; 
 perform a virtual storage resolution for the at least one LUN ID to determine whether the application data is stored in the at least one first storage volume identified by the at least one LUN ID based on a first virtual mapping or a physical mapping, wherein the first virtual mapping is attached to the virtual machine through attachment via the hypervisor and the physical mapping is attached to the virtual machine without attachment via the hypervisor; 
 store in metadata for the backup the at least one LUN ID and whether the at least one LUN ID is based on the first virtual mapping or the physical mapping; and 
 create a backup of the application data stored in the at least one first storage volume. 
   
     
     
         9 . The non-transitory machine readable medium of  claim 8 , wherein the machine executable code which when executed by at least one machine, causes the at least one machine to perform the backup comprises machine executable code which when executed by at least one machine, causes the at least one machine to:
 retrieve a virtual storage identifier for storage of the application data in a second storage volume; and   determine that a second virtual mapping is used to store the application data in the second storage volume.   
     
     
         10 . The non-transitory machine readable medium of  claim 9 , wherein the machine executable code which when executed by at least one machine, causes the at least one machine to perform the backup comprises machine executable code which when executed by at least one machine, causes the at least one machine to:
 store in the metadata the virtual storage identifier and a type of the second virtual mapping; and   create a backup of the application data stored in the second storage volume.   
     
     
         11 . The non-transitory machine readable medium of  claim 10 , wherein the first virtual mapping comprises a Raw Device Mapping and the second virtual mapping comprises a Virtual Machine Disk mapping. 
     
     
         12 . The non-transitory machine readable medium of  claim 8 , wherein the machine executable code which when executed by at least one machine, causes the at least one machine to perform the virtual storage resolution comprises machine executable code which when executed by at least one machine, causes the at least one machine to perform the virtual storage resolution based on operations by a virtual storage manager that are external to the application. 
     
     
         13 . The non-transitory machine readable medium of  claim 12 ,
 wherein the at least one LUN ID comprises a first LUN ID and a second LUN ID,   wherein the machine executable code which when executed by at least one machine, causes the at least one machine to perform the virtual storage resolution comprises machine executable code which when executed by at least one machine, causes the at least one machine to,
 retrieve LUN IDs assigned to the hypervisor; 
 compare the first LUN ID and the second LUN ID to the LUN IDs assigned to the hypervisor; 
 determine there is a match of the first LUN ID and one of the LUN IDs assigned to the hypervisor; 
 determine there is no match of the second LUN ID and any of the LUN IDs assigned to the hypervisor; 
 determine that the first LUN ID is based on the first virtual mapping; and 
 determine that the second LUN ID is based on the physical mapping. 
   
     
     
         14 . An apparatus comprising:
 a processor; and   a machine readable medium comprising machine executable code having stored thereon instructions executable by the processor to cause the apparatus to:
 perform a backup of application data associated with an application executing in a virtual machine managed by a hypervisor, wherein the application data is stored based on at least one of a virtual mapping and a physical mapping, wherein the instructions executable by the processor to cause the apparatus to perform the backup comprises instructions executable by the processor to cause the apparatus to,
 retrieve at least one Logical Unit Number (LUN) identification (ID) used by the application to store the application data in at least one first storage volume; 
 perform a virtual storage resolution for the at least one LUN ID to determine whether the application data is stored in the at least one first storage volume identified by the at least one LUN ID based on a first virtual mapping or a physical mapping, wherein the first virtual mapping is attached to the virtual machine through attachment via the hypervisor and the physical mapping is attached to the virtual machine without attachment via the hypervisor; and 
 create a backup of the application data stored in the at least one first storage volume. 
 
   
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the instructions executable by the processor to cause the apparatus to perform the backup comprises instructions executable by the processor to cause the apparatus to:
 retrieve a virtual storage identifier for storage of the application data in a second storage volume; and   determine that a second virtual mapping is used to store the application data in the second storage volume.   
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein the instructions executable by the processor to cause the apparatus to perform the backup comprises instructions executable by the processor to cause the apparatus to store in metadata for the backup the at least one LUN ID and whether the at least one LUN ID is based on the first virtual mapping or the physical mapping. 
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein the instructions executable by the processor to cause the apparatus to perform the backup comprises instructions executable by the processor to cause the apparatus to:
 store in the metadata the virtual storage identifier and a type of the second virtual mapping; and   create a backup of the application data stored in the second storage volume.   
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein the second virtual mapping comprises a Virtual Machine Disk mapping. 
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the instructions executable by the processor to cause the apparatus to perform the virtual storage resolution comprises instructions executable by the processor to cause the apparatus to perform the virtual storage resolution based on operations by a virtual storage manager that are external to the application. 
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 19 ,
 wherein the at least one LUN ID comprises a first LUN ID and a second LUN ID,   wherein the instructions executable by the processor to cause the apparatus to perform the virtual storage resolution comprises instructions executable by the processor to cause the apparatus to:
 retrieve LUN IDs assigned to the hypervisor; 
 compare the first LUN ID and the second LUN ID to the LUN IDs assigned to the hypervisor; 
 determine there is a match of the first LUN ID and one of the LUN IDs assigned to the hypervisor; 
 determine there is no match of the second LUN ID and any of the LUN IDs assigned to the hypervisor; 
 determine that the first LUN ID is based on the first virtual mapping; and 
 determine that the second LUN ID is based on the physical mapping.